June 17, 1790, July 6, lat. 44. 43. N. lon. 46. 07. W. July 7, fat. 45. 00. N. lon. 47. 57 W. July 8, Obfervations on a passage from Falmouth to Halifax by Jonathan Williams. The very gradual increase in the heat of the water as we leave England indicates a small defcent of the coaft, which, as far as foundings go, is known to be the cafe. Here we find a fudden change of 7 degrees in the heat of the water, which indicates our approach to the Banks of Newfoundland, though not in fuch foundings as we could obtain. We tried with 160fathoms but the lead was only about 12 pounds, and the line was a very thick one: perhaps the line floated the lead. At 5 P. M. the water was ftill colder 4 degrees; but at 8 A. M. it grew warmer again 6 degrees, this feems to indicate a paffage, over a bank, into water as deep as when we difcovered the first change. We are now in cold water again (49) 13 degrees colder than the ocean water had regularly been during 12 days previous to the first change, except only the small variations of a more northern or more fouthern courfe, thefe changes feem to indicate our entrance on another bank. There is a bank laid down in the charts, by fome called Jaquet's bank, but by the older charts called falfe bank, over which we have probably paffed. In this longitude, but farther fouth, both by Dr. Franklin's and my own obfervations, the water grew fuddenly cool. This feems to confirm the fuppofition of this outer bank, the fouthermoft point of which I fuppofe to extend as far as lat. 40. 00. N. We hove too in order to try the foundings but the force of the back fail carried away the main top maft head, and brought the top gallant fail, maft and rigging down, this confufion interrupted the founding; and we had only 80 fathom of line out, when it was hauled in. At 6 P. M. the water was only 2 degrees colder (470) than when we were interrupted in founding, and we got bottom in 40 fathoms. July 12, From the last found to this time the thermometer has varied, regularly as the foundings lat. 44. 49. N. varied, the water being warmer when deeper, and cooler when fhoaler. It is now at 55, lon. 56. 16. W. which is 8 degrees warmer than when we had 40 fathoms. We now founded and could not reach bottom with 110 fathoms of line. This indicates that we are off the grand bank, and within it. By taking our distance from the time the thermometer first fell to 54, to the last time it stood at that degree, we may give an account of the width of the foundings on this grand bank, though it probably extends much farther, but in deeper water. This is noted on the chart. The variations in the thermometer between last night and this morning, indicate our paffage over an eminence of the bank, called the Whale Bank, fituated on its inner edge. July 13, Thermometer at 8 A. M. was at 53. two degrees colder than when we could not reach lat. 44. 30. N. bottom with 110 fathoms of line: and we founded in 42 fathoms. This indicates our entrance lon. 58. 28. W. on another bank, which is called in the charts Banquereau. It is obfervable that the water of fmall banks is not fo cold as that of large banks, and this feems natural, if it is fuppofed that the conducting power of the land, taking away part of the heat of the water, is the cause of the changes in the thermometer; for that power muit have lefs effect, as the quantity of the ground under water is lefs: and this must be ftill more remarkable when the bank is immediately connected with land above water, for fuch land condu&ing heat away from the atmosphere, and receiving much from the fun, muft require lefs from the water. This remark has been uniformly confirmed in all my experiments within capes, where the water is much warmer than in foundings without them. And it is further obfervable, that the water on the coaft of America on the edge of foundings, is not above 6 or 8 degrees colder than deep water; but on the banks of Newfoundland it is from 12 to 15 degrees colder. July 14, July 15, lat. 44. 50. N. lon. 61. 20. W. July 18, off Halifax Har bour: Here we have the water 57. which is 2o warmer than when we could not get bottom between the banks, yet we have 65 fathoms, at noon it was up to 61. and we had the fame foundings; but as it was calm weather, and as we had a hot fun, allowance must be made for its influence, and therefore no certain conclufion can be drawn. The depth of the water however indicates our going off Banquereau, and the white fand of the bottom indicates that we are on the edge of the bank which is connected with the Ife of Sable. This alfo accounts, from the above mentioned principle, for the unexpected warmth of the water. We faw the land at 2 P. M. and how we are in 13 fathoms of water thermometer 53. This land agrees with the defcription of that about St. Mary's river, and tracing our courfe back, fhews us to have been last night, and the preceding days, in the very places indicated by our reckoning, thermometer, and foundings. We tacked and flood off. The thermometer, when we flood off the land, rofe up to 57. and when we came on and made the high lands of Jeddore it indicated Jeddore banks by falling to 52. when being becalm. ed we caught fish, leaving the bank it rofe to 57, and now we are in fight of our port it ftands at 5200 D. A D. A thermometrical Journal of the temperature of the atmosphere at fea on a paffage from Halifax to New-York, on board of the British Packet Chesterfield, Captain Schuyler. 64 56 64 54 65 59 ward. Bottom in 50 fathoms, stood N. *N. B. by the foundings and the Bottom 28 fathoms (thermometer, I 64 55 Bottom 30 do. #73 40 68 66 4 P. M. 40 29 69 64 do. 32 do. ftood SE. Do. 4300. food S. W.the reckoning. Do. 65 do. wore ship, almost calm. the influence of the gulph ftream; July 29, 4 A.M.bottom in 37 fathoms ftood W. July 29, 10 P. M. bottom 45 do. the water being warmer than in the fame depth when I thought we were near the fhoals, I am induced to believe that this bottom is that of the Coaft. July 30, 8 P. M. bottom 56 do. mud July 31, 3 A.M. bottom 63 fathoms mud. The muddy bottom shows that we are within the fhoals and banks of the Coast. August 1, 9 A. M. Saw the land off Long-Ifland, bearing N. Auguft 1, 4 P. M. New-York Light Houfe in fight, bearing Weft. N. B. fince 2 A. M. we have been going from 5 to 7 knots i. e. about 50 miles Weft, which makes the longitude by thermometrical reckoning and foundings 73, 40 W. at noon, which turns out accurate, the land being in 74. 00 W. ·56 fuppofe the true long. to be as marked under 61 68 60 69 64 63. 63 66 66 Obfervations 1790. July 21. 22. 24. Lat. 41. 57. Long.65.01. July 25, Noon. July 27. ́Obfervations on a voyage from Halifax towards New-York. Sailed this morning from Halifax. The water at the harbour's mouth and just within Chebucta head, was at 53. but without it was at 52.-In landlocked places have generally found the water warmer than in even greater depths, on the borders of the ocean. When we loft fight of land the water was at about 56 but at 6 this morning it having cooled to 50 I fuppofe we are pafling over Rofeway bank. At noon the heat of water had rifen to 53 which makes me fuppofe we are over the ground between Rofeway and the other bank called in fome charts Brown's bank, and at 4 the water cooling again to 50 I fuppofe we are on this laft mentioned bank. The water at noon yesterday growing as warm as 56 I fuppofe we are on the S. E. edge of Brown's bank. As we afterwards hauled up more to the weltward, and as the water at 8 this morning cooled to 50 again, I fuppofed we had returned more on the bank. But at noon the thermometer rofe to 58. As it was calm, and the fun hot, I made fome allowance for that caufe, but fuppofed we had got off foundings, and as at 6 (the air being 69 cooler than at noon) it was at 57 I was confirmed in this.-It being ftill calm, and there appearing fome gulph weed, we hoifted out the boat to try the current which we found to fet N. E. nearly I knot. This puzzled me, I could not conceive ourselves to be in the gulph ftream, because the water was not hot enough for that fuppofition, and as the iron pot by which we anchored the boat, was not at bottom though 80 fathoms of line were out, I thought the heat 57 fully accounted for by the depth of water; but about 7 when we had made a little way through the water, it became again calm, and we then faw and heard the ripple of a current as evidently as we could have expected over a fhoal. I could not account for this any otherways than by fuppofing it to be the gulph ftream, yet it appeared impoffible that it should come fo near the bank. Our Captain refolved to try again if there was a current here at a distance from this ripple and in a calm. He accordingly hoisted out the boat again and the current was found to let S. E. by S. about knot. The evidence of this various current in fo fhort a fpace, the heat of the water not being raised to the heat of the stream, and our fituation to the Northward made me conclude this to be the whirlpools of the eddy of the gulph stream just on the northern edge of it. The water ftill continuing till noon nearly at the fame temperature, and our course being to the Weft Southerly I concluded that our situation with respect to the stream was nearly thefame as laft remarked, this was confirmed by the paffage of immenfe quantities of gulph weed, a deal of fcum and mucas with a Whale two or three Sharks and a school of Porpoifes in the course of the morning; but in the afternoon we fell off further to the Northward, and at 6 P. M. the water was from 55to 53. no gulph weed to be feen, and in foundings of 42 fathoms. We tacked and stood fouth at 8 P. M. and I was aftonished to find at midnight that the water was heated to 60, though the foundings were only 32 fathoms. Here again I could account for this only by the influence of the gulph ftream, which the Capt. feemed to think probable, and tacked to the 26th. Northward, the wind being fill at about W. and by 3 A M the thermometer fell to 53 with the fame foundings, when we again tacked and flood to the fouthward. I then tried the heat of the water by the thermometer, regularly every hour, and by 5 P. M. it wasup to 62. The foundings then were 46 fathoms:—we tacked and flood North, and at midnight it was again down to 55, at 3 A. M. to 54 the foundings then about 35 fathoms we then floodiouth when it returned to 60. Thus upon three fucceflive tacks cach way we cooled or warmed the water as we were standing either Northward or Southward from 6 to 9 degrees.I could only account for this (the foundings varying but very little) by fuppofing that when we ftood fouthward we got into the warm influence of the gulph ftream, and as we ftood Northward we got out of it. I do not think we got into the ftream itfelf, becaufe I fhould in that cafe have expected the water to have been much warmer, but probably we have been very near, perhaps upon the edge of it: and perhaps we have had a benefit instead of a difadvantage, by an eddy wefterly current: that we have been near it, feems pretty clear, for when we warmed the water we faw plenty of gulph weed, and the weather was clear, when we cooled the water we faw no gulph weed and the weather was foggy. 27th. July 30. Perhaps we may be farther to the weftward than we think time and a good look out will difcover, Since the laft observation relative to the ftream and foundings I have kept the thermometer going almost every hour except when we were standing off the fhore, and by examining the foundings according to thofe marked inMr. Des Barres chartil have regularly traced them and if we were to fuppofe that a current was fetting us about I knot per hour to the weftward, the foundings would agree very well. When in about lat. 40. 25. we were ftanding off fhore, we warmed Aug. 1,9 A. M. warmed the water to 64, and got 45 fathoms this heat I account for by the influence of the ftream, it being greater than the proportion as to foundings, for in 40 fathoms farther toward the fhore it was only 60. In looking over my journal from Boston to Virginia in Capt. Brace, I found that in nearly the fame latitude the heat increased in about the fame time from 52 to 59 but in a fomewhat longer run. It was then October, it is now July, and the difference in the number of the degrees is eafily accounted for by the feafon. By going more fouth and weft in Captain Brace the water was raised to 67 when we found ourselves within the stream, it would at this feafon probably be upwards of 70. I therefore conclude that we are within the influence of the heat, but not the current of the stream, and I am in hopes to find that we have had that eddy current in our favour. Having the land in fight we are confirmed in the supposition that a favourable current has carried the Ship fafter than the Captain reckoned. APPENDIX. NOTES TO THE MARITIME OBSERVATIONS. N. I. Extract from the Journal of an Officer on board the British Ship of War, Liverpool, in November and December, 1775, on the Coast of Carolina and Virginia. HEN Cape Henry bore N. W. 160 leagues found WH a current fetting to the Southward at the rate of 10 or 12 miles per day, which continued fo till Cape Henry bore W. N. W. 89 or 90 leagues, then found a current fetting to the N. E. at the rate of 32 or 34 miles per day, this current continued till within 33 or 30 leagues of the land on the above coafts, then it fets to the Southward and Weftward, at the rate of 10 or 15 miles per day, till within 12 or 15 leagues of the land. This current which is only the eddy of the gulph ftream, fets moftly S. W. or as the land lies. 37.50 In lat. 37. 50 founded, and had 65 fathoms, fine fand, being 25 leagues from the land. In the fame latitude and only 26 leagues from the land, had no bottom, with 180 fathoms. From From lat. 35. 30. to lat. 37. 00. there are no foundings 20 leagues from the land, but at 19 leagues diftance there are foundings in 60 fathoms, at 18 there are only 35 fathoms, and from thence gradual foundings to the shore. From Cape Hatteras to Cape Henry, the ground is fine fand, and to the Northward of Cape Henry, coarse sand with some shells among it. No. II. Extract from the Journal of an Officer on board the Britifh Ship of War Liverpool, between 26th Sept. and 9th October, 1775• I N lat. 45. 43. N. long. 21. 20 W. from Greenwich, found a current setting to the Southward 12 to 15 miles per day, which continued till we made the Island of Corvo, the North part of which is in lat. 39. 56. N. and long. 31. 8. W. from Greenwich by celeftial obfervation, which agreed within 12 miles of the longitude per account, that being 30. 56. The variation of the compafs off this Island is 18°. 19. W. and in failing to the Southward and Westward, it gradually diminished, till we arrived in lat. 29. oo. N. long. 66. 40. W. where we had no variation. N°. III. Extract from the Journal of an Officer on board the British Ship of War, Liverpool. ON N the 18 of October, 1775, in lat. 42. 4. N. long. N. long 10°. 8. W. from the Ifland of Corvo, it bearing S. 75 E. diftant 156 leagues, the fea being then very fmooth it was fuddenly agitated into a short irregular fea (without VOL. III. N any. |