Home › The Brigantine › The Brigantine: August

The Brigantine: August

August 6th-Two of crew sick, think slavers men brought small pox on board. Wind N. E. by N. Lat. N. 25.07, lon, W. 52.22 W. Temperature 72. Moderate, fair.

August 7th-Another man down. Occasional showers. Temperature 65. Wind N. E., cloudy.

August 8th-Curious sunset last night; whole sky orange coloured. Wind baffling and puffy; glass falling. Now under reefed topsails. Temperature 78. Wind N. E., cloudy.

August 9th-Dismasted. Sudden squall of hurricane force from S. E. for about six minutes. Too short handed to reduce sail quick enough. Long boat crushed by fall of foremast, lost two men overboard. Ship leaking badly; clear water coming up from pumps. Temperature 74. Wind now light, N. E., fair, no observation to-day.

August 11th-Balance of sound hands left ship in jolly boat while I was in hold with carpenter trying to locate leak, Ship sinking. One of sick died last night. God help us. (A half cask, containing the log-book from which the foregoing extracts are taken, was picked up by the bark Emilia of Fair Haven Mass., on August 12, 1820, in N. latitude 23 degree 59', longitude W. 51 degree 41'.)