Tuesday 18th Dec.r – by day light this morning we got up our anchor and set sail for England. The wind being light, & the tide against us, when evening arrived, we were just a little outside of the harbour. Rainy & variable weather. Passed the Swallow going into Rio.
Wednesday 19th – miserable wet weather – foul wind
Thursday 20th – very variable weather – fresh and favourable breeze.
[NB. The next two pages (21st Dec – 6th Jan) were missed in the NMM microfilm.]
Friday 21st Dec.r – fine weather, fresh and favourable breeze all day. At 10 P.M. became foul.
Saturday 22d – fine weather – fresh but foul wind.
Sunday 23d – fine weather, fresh and more favourable breeze.
Monday 24th – fine weather. Wind same as yesterday, enabling us at least to make our easting.
Tuesday 25th – fine weather, fresh wind inclinable to draw forward.
Wednesday 26th – fine weather – fresh wind from NNE.
Thursday 27th – fine weather. Wind still obliging us to make our East course.
Friday 28th – fine weather. Moderate & more favourable breeze, enabling us to go to the Northward. Saw the island of Martin Bass, 12 miles to leeward at 5 P.M.
Saturday 29th – fine weather. Moderate & favourable breeze.
Sunday 30th – fine weather. Moderate & favourable breeze.
Monday 31st – variable weather, fresh & favourable breeze.
Tuesday 1st January 1833 – rainy & squally morning. Weather fine with fresh and favourable breeze during the day.
Wednesday 2d – fine weather – fresh and favourable breeze.
Thursday 3d Jan.ry – cloudy but fair weather, very fresh and favourable wind.
Friday 4th – fine weather, fresh and favourable breeze.
Saturday 5th – squally in the forenoon with showers of rain, fine afternoon with moderate & favourable breeze. At 5 P.M. crossed the EQUATOR.
Sunday 6th – fine weather. Moderate & favourable. At 3 P.M. saw a large vessel right ahead bound to S&W, – very taunt with boats on her quarter. At ½ past 4 pretty close to her & hoisted our colours and pennants, shortly after which she fired a gun to windward, which marks a friend & hoisted the Brazilian flag & a pennant. Instead of advancing to meet us, she backed her topsails & awaited our coming up. When she was right abreast of us, we observed 14 guns of a side all run out & the tompions removed, as if ready for action – a pretty compliment to our warlike or piratical appearance. The decks were crowded with men, & thro’ the open port holes were seen. Plenty of black faces gazing at us. The regular forms of hailing & answering were gone thro’ in English. We we[re] told that this was the Isabella & we let them know what we were. He then asked the news of Rio, & after giving & receiving our respective longitudes, both parties braced up their yards & went on their way rejoicing. We could not help laughing at the very lubberly way in which the Brazilians manoeuvred but were nevertheless very glad to get rid of her company.
Monday 7th Jan.ry – cloudy weather and light & favourable breezes in the forenoon. Calm at noon – & at half past 12, the wind arose variably with frequent squalls & rain, becoming fixed at last in the regular NE trades at 5 P.M. very wet & squally at night.
Tuesd.y 8 – cloudy but fair w.r fresh breeze from N & E.
Wednesday 9th – fine weather – fresh and foul wind, much sea.
Thursday 10th – fine weather – fresh but foul wind.
Friday 11th – cloudy weather – fresh & foul wind.
Saturday 12th – fine weather – fresh and foul wind.
Sunday 13th – fine weather – moderate & foul wind, inclinable to fall off in the afternoon.
Monday 14th – beautiful weather, very light and foul wind, inclinable to calm.
Tuesday 15th – very variable winds and weather.
Wednesday 16th – fine weather & moderate & foul breezes – afternoon squally with rain & very variable winds.
Thursday 17th – calms, squalls, light & variable winds, with occasional showers of rain. Two vessels steering to West?
Friday 18th – a vessel seen this morning steering to West.d fine weather, calms & very light airs all morning. At 1 P.M. sprung up a wind from N & E fresh.
Saturday 19th – fine weather – fresh and unfavourable breeze.
Sunday 20th Jan.ry – fine weather. Moderate & foul wind – squally and variable at night.
Monday 21st – fine weather. Moderate & foul breeze in forenoon, at one P.M. became more favourable & at 8 P.M. we were going our course. The wind SE.
Tuesday 22d – fine weather – light and favourable winds.
Wednesday 23d – very fine weather. Very light wind, but favourable & variable. At night nearly calm & then a breeze.
Thursday 24th – light variable winds & Calms. Beautiful weather.
Friday 25th – delightful w.r Moderate and favourable breeze.
Saturday 26th – fresh and favourable breeze in the morning with cloudy weather. At 8 A.M. much rain which changed the wind, tho’ still favourable, and much less. After the rain cloudy w.r & light favourable w.ds at night the wind freshened.
Sunday 27th – dark gloomy weather, with occasional rain and sunshine, fresh & favourable breeze.
Monday 28th – fine weather – fresh and favourable breeze, till 11 A.M. when wind changed against us. At 9 P.M. it again became favourable.
Tuesday 29th – variable weather – fresh and favourable breeze.
Wednesday 30th – fine weather – fresh & favourable wind.
Thursday 31st – fine weather – fresh & favourable breezes.
Friday 1st Feb.ry – cloudy but fair weather. Very strong & favourable breezes with a high sea.
Saturday 2d – dark gloomy weather, with thick mist and occasional showers of small rain, fresh and favourable breezes.
Sunday 3d – very thick cloudy weather – fresh and favourable breeze, occasional slight showers of rain.
Monday 4th February – cloudy weather – fresh and favourable breeze.
Tuesday 5th – at 2 A.M. made the Lizard lights and at 6 A.M. came to our old anchorage in Falmouth Harbour.