On the 22d, John Miles was punished for sleeping on his watch, neglect of duty, and contemptuous behaviour.
In the morning of the 28th, having a strong gale of wind at east, we clewed up the sails, and kept the vessel before the sea, whilst the masts were stayed, and the rigging set up; which being completed, and the weather growing moderate, we made sail. During the forenoon, we saw a deal of gulph weed. Our latitude was 20° 25' north, and the longitude 37° 06' west.
On the 1st of April, we mustered the ship's company, and read the articles of war to them: our observation at noon, gave 29° 14' north latitude, the longitude was 39° 05' west, and the variation of the compass 07° 45' west. On the 5th, we had 11° 04' westerly variation; our latitude, at that time, was 35° 39' north, and the longitude, by lunar observation, 36° 16' west. The trade wind had now left us, and we had strong breezes generally from the north-west quarter. The variation, by azimuth, on the 13th, was 22° 00' west; the latitude at noon being 47° 09' north, and the longitude 17° 46' west.
In the morning of the 15th, we saw several vessels standing to the westward, and at ten o'clock, spoke a sloop from Bristol, bound to Saint Michael's. At six o'clock in the afternoon of the 17th, we sounded and struck the ground in sixty-five fathoms, over a bottom of fine sand, mixed with black specks. Our latitude at noon, on the 19th, was 49° 23', and the longitude, by lunar observation, 6° 56' west. At four o'clock in the morning of the 20th, we saw the land, bearing north-north-west, and at noon the Lizard bore from north-north-east, to north-east by east, five miles distant.
Transactions at Norfolk Island
The following particulars, respecting NORFOLK-ISLAND, which comprehend the substance of Lieutenant-Governor King's latest dispatches, being dated the 29th of December, 1791; and which were received the 30th of November 1792, by the William and Anne transport, that ought to have touched at Port Jackson, but was forced by contrary winds to bear away for England.
The wheat harvest at Norfolk-Island was finished by the 10th of December, 1791; when about one thousand bushels of wheat were got in, and well thatched in stacks. The Indian corn had suffered by a series of dry hot weather ever since the preceding July.
Lieutenant-Governor King finding great inconvenience from the size and construction of the frame of a store-house, which was 80 feet long by 24 feet wide, as well as from its situation, it being near the shore, determined to build one, 40 feet by 24, on the Terrace, at Mount-George: he had also found it necessary to build a goal, opposite the barrack-yard, and another at Queensborough.
A good road has been made to the landing rock in Cascade-Bay, so that now, any thing may be landed with the greatest safety.