
21st Sabbath. Wind west by south. Going 7 to 8 knots an hour in north direction. The main top mast blown off at night. Corpse put overboard. Public worship on deck. When begun not a ship in sight. By the time it was over 10 or 12 vessels were in sight, lying at anchor fishing. It was now evident we were on the long looked for banks of New Foundland. Came close up to a French ship which hoisted the tricoloured flag when we put up the Union Jack. We stopped, lowered a boat, the boat surgeon and 4 sailors went to her and got some fish in exchange for beef and some tea and coffee. Only one on board of her could speak English. He said that they caught 2,500 this morning and 3,000 the day before. We sailed for some time through amongst them. At length we lost sight of them all. At night it turned very misty and a sharp lookout was kept and the bell rung at short intervals all night. A child in the steerage died through the night.
22nd Monday. Morning close mist, wind west. Corpse put overboard. The ship bouted when about 40 miles from the coast of New Foundland. Had it been clear we could have seen it. Sounded and found the depth 70 fathoms. A sharp lookout kept, the bell rung at intervals all day.
23rd Tuesday. Morning heavy rain with close mist. Wind west. It faired about mid forenoon but the mist still continued. The main top mast put up. A large number confined with measles. Becalmed at night.
24th Wednesday. Lay becalmed till mid day with the sea as smooth as glass. Saw an iceberg in the north. A western breeze sprang up in the afternoon. A child died in the steerage. A ship in sight to the east. The corpse was put overboard. Turned misty toward night and again cleared off.
25th Thursday. Blowing hard from the west which obliged us to tack all day. Sometimes misty. A ship seen to windward. Top sail reefed. A shoal of porpoises about us. Continued to blow hard all night.
26th Friday. Wind blowing hard. The sea running very high. Several ships seen to-day. Little progress today as the wind was ahead.
27th Saturday. The wind and sea was greatly calmed this morning. Child in the steerage died last night. Put overboard this morning. A passenger got hurt with a chain while the ship was bouting. A good number of ships seen today. Very near some of them. Signalled two of them, the Witherington of Liverpool and the Margaret Ann of Belfast. In the afternoon it was discovered that the water was getting into the main hold. It was 3 feet deep. The pumps were immediately set agoing and the water was soon pumped out. It was often sounded all night but none coming in. How it got in still remains a mystery. Came in sight of Newfoundland coast. Not far from shore when the ship bouted.
28th Sabbath. Fine morning. Light western wind. Saw several vessels. Public worship on deck. The coast of Newfoundland in view. Came up to a projecting part of the rocky shore. We thought vessel would have cleared it but the wind shifted and we were obliged to tack about. The land appeared mountainous and barren. A child died in the steerage.
29th Monday. Fine clear morning. Wind still west.
The shore in view. We saw two villages. Saw some small fishing
boats. A little green island right ahead, between the main land of
Newfoundland and St. Peters Island which is a rugged place with a lighthouse
on it. Western extremity bouted when near it. A child died
in the steerage. Other two children and a young man died this night,
4 deaths in all this day with measles. In the afternoon the wind
rose and at night it blew very hard the sea running high, the ship pitching
and rocking dreadfully.
31st Wednesday. Beautiful morning, not a breath of wind. Saw a shark this forenoon. A ship ahead. About mid day a very light breeze from the east came and set us amoving slowly. Saw Cape Breton on the left. Cape Ray in Newfoundland on the right. About 6 o'clock came in sight of St. Paul's a small island at the entrance of the Gulf with a lighthouse on it. Saw the light at night.
1st August. Thursday. Fine morning with fair light wind. During the night we had passed St. Paul's and entered the Gulf. The coast of Cape Breton and Newfoundland behind us. Toward night the wind shifted round by south and west. The bagpipes and fiddle played and dancing.
2nd Friday. Beautiful morning. Wind north west. A small boat was seen drifting empty. One of our boats are lowered and some sailors went in it and brought the little boat with them on deck. Came in sight of Anticosti shore. Sailed along it all day. At midday a Pilot Boat met us and a pilot came to us from it. Came in sight of land on the right which was the mainland of America. The bagpipes and fiddle played in the evening. Dancing.
3rd Saturday. Dull, calm morning. Northeastern breeze sprung up about midday. Some rain. Two vessels ahead. A French pilot boat came alongside but we were already supplied with one. Lost sight of Anticosti not far from the shore of Lower Canada. Though we saw a village on it, the country appears mountainous and rocky. A child died in the steerage and was put overboard.
4th Sabbath. Western breeze. Public worship on deck. Came close to land on the north side of the river and bouted. The country appears rocky, mountainous and wooded. Several ships in sight. Some of them like ourselves, beating up against the wind.
5th Monday. Wind west. A pilot boat came alongside. Tacking along the northern side of the river. Very broad. Got a fine view of the shore on each side of the river as we cropped and recropped. It is, in many places steep and rugged and all densely wooded to the water's edge. A barque working her way up at a short distance from us. Met two ships going down the river.
6th Tuesday. Wind still ahead. Some cultivated ground on the south side with houses. Made little progress all day. In the afternoon the captain and other six went ashore in a small boat while we lay off about 3 miles. They stayed a considerable time and returned in the evening with 3 sheep, some fowls, butter, eggs, milk and vegetables. The name of the place is Mettis. It is but newly settled and we distinctly saw the white wooden houses and the small pieces of cleared land with the stumps standing and the smoke rising out of the woods. They said when they returned that the settlers were mostly Scotch. During their stay we missed the benefit of a light wind. A barque which was at a short distance from us soon went out of sight for shortly after a fair wind rose which continued through the night.
7th Wednesday. Beautiful morning with a fair wind. Three ships going up the river close behind us. The river considerable narrower. The north side, rocky and woody. Uninhabited. The south side dotted with nice white cottages and patches of cultivated land. A government road extends from Mettis to Quebec. The pilot has got the command. During the night met a large number of ships proceeding downward. Large quantities of sticks gliding down the water. Reached Green Island at 2 o'clock. It is a low pretty woody island with a lighthouse. Passed Hare Island. Some nice houses on the south side of the river. The wind fell back at night. Passed 3 vessels at anchor.
8th Thursday. Fine morning but no wind. Dropped anchor to keep the tide from taking us back. Some cultivated land on north side. A great quantity on the south side. A small boat went ashore for wood and stayed til the tide was rising. When we got up the anchor and went slowly up the river with the tide. Had a fine dinner to-day. 9 of us eat half a lamb. Dropped anchor at 7 o'clock. It was very wet during the night.9th Friday. Wet, misty morning with fresh breeze right ahead. The man on watch had fallen asleep and we missed half of the tide. Got up the anchor at 4 o'clock and dropped it at 9 opposite a beautiful island well cultivated and a large number of houses on it. Got up the anchor at 2 o'clock and tacked up the river. The mist had cleared and the sun shone. The south side appeared like a continued village with a good deal of cleared land. On the north side there were high hills and some cleared ground with houses up their sides. Dropped anchor at 7 o'clock and lay till 2 o'clock in the morning. There was a great deal of lightning after dark.
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