September 27, 1880-October 17, 1880
Monday, Sept. 27: Took tug GRACIE this morning at 10 o’clock and passed Hell Gate HellgateHell Gate
A narrow tidal strait in the East River, New York City. for Marseilles, France. The chock that had the tug’s hammer fastened to it gave away with part of the rail. At 12 the tug and pilotPilot Jeremiah O'Brien
A qualified individual who possesses knowledge of local shallows, rocks, etc., who is taken on board at a particular place to conduct a ship through a river, road, or channel, or to and from a port. Pilot also refers to a book containing sailing directions for certain waters and giving all needed information for navigating them. Also called a routier or rutter. left. At 7 in the evening we ran into a fog bank.
Tuesday, Sept. 28: This day comes on clear with S.E. winds. At about 11 ran into another fog bank. At about 3 came out in the ocean and as it was quite rough, we were all sea-sick. Had good winds all night.
Wednesday, Sept. 29: Am sea-sick today. It is quite rough. Saw a large ship bound into New York.
Thursday, Sept. 30: This day comes on calm with southerly winds, what little there is of it. Quite cold. Am not much sea-sick today. No vessels in sight
Monday Oct. 11: Have been out a fortnight today but have been sea-sick so not have written. Has been very rough with N.E. winds most of the time. Now I have to sit with ink bottle in one hand and pen in the other to be able to write. This morning at 10 o’clock signaled a French barkBark
A sailing vessel with three masts; square-rigged on the fore and main masts and fore-and-aft rigged on the mizzen. and found that she was bound from Hayti [Haiti] to Dunkirk, France.
Tuesday, Oct. 12: This noon we found that we were about half way across the ocean. We head east on our course with a N.W. wind. No sails in sight. It is quite rough. Have made 168 miles since yesterday noon.
Wednesday, Oct. 14: Have had a good wind all night but a very rough sea. Smoothened down a little toward morning. Have been 215 miles since yesterday noon.
Thursday, Oct. 15: It is still rough. Have been 168 miles since yesterday noon.
Friday, Oct. 16: Have not been going much since yesterday during the night, but towards morning began to breeze up and at 10 o’clock had quite a good wind. Have been 125 miles since yesterday noon. Smoother today.
Saturday, Oct. 17: This noon at 12 o’clock found we had been 211 miles since yesterday noon.Have had a patent logPatent Log Walker's Harpoon Log
A patent log is a self-recording device consisting of a rotator towed behind a ship. The number of revolutions of the rotator in a certain time period could be used to calculate the speed of a ship.
Read more. dragging since I last wrote and have made 5 days good sail. Have had quite a smooth sea with Southerly winds. Today saw a square-rigger brigBrig
Vessel with two masts; both square-rigged. abeam at 7 this morning, and at noon she was out of sight astern. This afternoon saw a bark bound opposite away. Are about 500 miles from the rockRock of Gibraltar the Rock
The Rock of Gibraltar is a limestone promontory in Gibraltar, lying off the southwest tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is 1,398 feet high. It is home to the remains of a Moorish castle built in A.D. 711, and a system of caves and tunnels. The Rock is a popular tourist site today. See also Strait of Gibraltar in the collections database..