The Endeavour Journal of Sir Joseph Banks/June 1771


 * 1771 June 1.

Trade more moderate and pleasant weather.
 * 1771 June 2.

Saw some Gulph-weed today for the first time.
 * 1771 June 3.

This day passd under the Sun and were for the last time Ascii. Showers and squalls of Wind; saw more Gulph weed.
 * 1771 June 4.

Gulph-Weed rather increasd.
 * 1771 June 5.

Less Gulph weed than yesterday, so least we should leave its station we began to catch it by means of a pole with 6 large hooks fastned to its end. Out of it we took Scyllaea pelagica, Medusa Porpita, Syngnathus pelagicus and Lophius pelagicus and Cancer minutus.
 * 1771 June 6.

More Gulf-weed in which took up several individuals of the aformentiond species, besides which were caught Cancer pelagicus and a shrimp not describd. Several tropick birds were seen all of which flew in a strait line towards the Coast of Africa.
 * 1771 June 7.

Still more Gulph-weed, in general laying in long lines upon the water of a very small breadth but extending in lengh as far as the eye could reach. More Tropick birds were seen most of which flew as yesterday and one black shearwater.
 * 1771 June 8.

Less Gulph-Weed; 2 Tropick birds flying as before.
 * 1771 June 9.

Scarce any weed, the water smooth as if there had been no wind for some time in these Lat.
 * 1771 June 10.

Still Light winds and no sea; very little weed.
 * 1771 June 11.

Rather more weed than lately. Quite calm so that I went out in the boat and took up many individuals of all the species mentiond before but nothing new.
 * 1771 June 12.

Water as smooth as in a harbour: were we in an unknown sea we should build much on the probability of some Land in the neighbourhood. Some Porpoises and Skipjacks were seen but very little weed.
 * 1771 June 14.

Light winds and smooth water; two turtle were seen and a little Gulphweed.
 * 1771 June 15.

Saw a small sloop which we soon outsaild and left behind. No weed at all today.
 * 1771 June 16.

Spoke an homeward-bound Brazil-man and soon left him.
 * 1771 June 17.

Saw two Ships very far off.
 * 1771 June 18.

Saw 3 New En[g]land Schooners cruising for whales. Sent a boat on board one who told us that he had yesterday spoke an outward bound Englishman, who told him that all was peace in Europe, and that the Spanyards had agreed to pay the Manilla ransom with interest in one year and a million of Dollars for damages done at Falklands Islands. The vessel had by their own account been out 5 weeks and caught nothing; they had chasd a whale 60 Leagues into Fyall harbour into which they could not follow it as the Portugese suffer no Whaler to go into any of their Ports in the Western Islands. They had they said no meat on board but livd upon what they could catch; they sold us readily 4 large Albacores saying that they could catch more. As for American news King George they said had behavd very ill for some time but they had brought him to terms at last.
 * 1771 June 20.

Saw a large ship ahead which on our lowering our foretopsail hoisted a flag at her maintopmast head; she soon however made sail and left us.
 * 1771 June 21.

About noon we discoverd a fleet of 13 sail of large ships on our weather quarter; these we doubted not were our consorts the India fleet. One Shearwater was seen.
 * 1771 June 22.

The Fleet held so much better a wind than us that the[y] fairly went out of sight to windward of us, who indeed had split both our Topgallant sails in a squall.
 * 1771 June 23.

Wind very foul. Saw one Shearwater: the reason of so few having been seen this passage may be that during their breeding time they do not wander far out at Sea.
 * 1771 June 30.

Both yesterday and today a few Shearwaters were seen; in the night many were about the ship crying very much.