23118th. (Adams Papers)
Our wind is still good but is almost all gone, and we have not run more than 20 or 25 leagues, within the last 48 hours. This forenoon we saw something at Sea, but we could not distinguish what. Some said it was a very large piece of wood. Others, were of opinion, that it was a boat overset. It pass’d at a small distance, and amused us for half an hour. At Sea, such is the continual sameness...
23220th. (Adams Papers)
Continual calms. Our passage will I fear be a very long one. We have fine weather, but we would willingly agree to have less Sun, and more wind. The weather begins to be very hot and we are in the Latitude of 26d. 30m. But the Sea air makes the warmth more supportable. This evening, as we were near the tropic one of the officers, according to the custom universally established, of wetting all...
23324th. (Adams Papers)
We have been for several days in the trade winds: But have had calm weather till yesterday morning, since when we have had a breeze, which makes us run 40 leagues in 24 hours. This is St. John’s day, a great holiday, wherever the Roman Catholic Religion is dominant. O! grand Saint Jean c’etait alors ta fête! Mr. Mölich, is a young merchant of Amsterdam, 23 years old. Since the Peace he has in...
23428th. (Adams Papers)
Fine Wind, and good weather. We have for several days run between 40 and 50 leagues every day. In the evening we spoke to an american brig from New London, bound to Santa Cruce loaded with horses. Her Longitude, was 55 from the meridian of London. Ours was 56d. 30m. from that of Paris, so that the difference was very small. We saw another vessel to day, and a sail yesterday, but at a...
23530th. (Adams Papers)
The weather is very good, but the winds begin to be very variable as we approach to the term of the trade winds: by our observation we are now about an hundred leagues from the Bermudas. We have had calm weather all day, extremely warm, so that no body could bear a coat. These seas are subject to very frequent squalls, and thunder storms, which are sometimes dangerous: we must expect to meet...
236[July 1785] (Adams Papers)
Calm weather all day. In the evening it began to lighten, and our thunder spire was fix’d; this is a small chain, fastened at the mast head; the other end of which hangs in the water, but as it is made, I believe in case of a thunder storm, it must be rather hurtful than of service. For the chain is so small, that I cannot think it would conduct much lightening; besides which it touches to a...
237Friday July 1st. 1785. (Adams Papers)
Calm weather all day. In the evening it began to lighten, and our thunder spire was fix’d; this is a small chain, fastened at the mast head; the other end of which hangs in the water, but as it is made, I believe in case of a thunder storm, it must be rather hurtful than of service. For the chain is so small, that I cannot think it would conduct much lightening; besides which it touches to a...
2384th. (Adams Papers)
Calm weather continually: and so warm that it is almost insupportable. We still esteem ourselves 50 leagues East of the Bermudas. I wish’d very much to arrive in America before this day, which is the greatest day in the year, for every true American. The anniversary of our Independance. May heaven preserve it: and may the world still see JQA ’s quotation is from “Britannia,” lines 195–199, by...
2397th. (Adams Papers)
At length we have reason to hope that an end is put to the calms with which we have been almost incessantly tormented, and which has kept us already, nearly fifty days at Sea: with 200 leagues still before us. This morning we had a small breeze that carried us about 3 knots an hour but it lasted only a short time and fell again into the same insipid state of nullity it had been in for a week...
2409th. (Adams Papers)
The air was so effectually cleared by the breaking up of the storms which occupied the atmosphere, that we have had since yesterday morning, a fine breeze, which has sometimes made the ship run 8 knots an hour. In the last 24 hours we have shortened our voyage 53 leagues. Yesterday morning we saw a sloop, which pass’d about ½ a league starboard of us. She had no topmast. I wish’d the Captain...