.... Land in sight.... Nothing remarkable. Lat. Obs. 11°40′.
39th Day Wednesday 25th Nov.
.... At 4 p. m. Edward James, one of the seamen, received 12 lashes, in the main rigging, in presence of the whole crew, as a punishment for stealing a shirt from one of the Marines.[47] John Koster struck off the Surgeon’s list—the other invalids recovering fast—none incapable of duty. Lat. Obs. 8°53′.
40th Day Thursday 26th Nov.
.... Nothing remarkable.... No Obs.
41st Day Friday 27th Nov.
.... At 6 a. m. Jonathan Whitmarsh saw a sail bearing N. b E. distant about 3 leagues. Set all sail in chase.... 7 a. m. discovered the sail to be a sloop.... 9 a. m. piped all hands to Quarters. 10 a. m. cleared for action and fired a gun without shot, upon which the sail bore down for us. 10.30 she came under our lee with English colours flying at her main peak. Captain Wilson hailed her and ordered her to strike her colours instantly, which she did accordingly. Sent the barge on board. Found her to be the Sloop Mary Ann of London, Stewart Sutherland, Master, 70 & 21/95 tons burden, copper-bottomed, armed with 4 carriage guns and navigated by 9 persons, trading upon the coast, with a cargo of sundries. She was last from Dick’s Cove, bound to Sierra Leone. Upon examining the Mary Ann and cargo it was not advisable to send her as a prize to America, but to take out of her the most valuable part of her cargo and then set her on fire. Accordingly we received on board the Yankee a quantity of gold dust (value unknown), some ivory, trade muskets, a few Calcutta goods, and sundry small articles of no great value. We then set fire to the Mary Ann and made sail on our course. The probable value of the Mary Ann and her cargo might be $12,000. Lat. Obs. 7°29′ N. Surgeon’s list James Angell, George Gunnerson, Asa Switchell, Joseph Butman, Anson A. Allen, John Briggs, & Samuel Boynton. Slight complaints, none disabled from duty. The weather becomes remarkably hot, with almost continual calms, light winds, thunder, lightning and rain.
42d Day Saturday 28th Nov.
.... All hands employed in stowing away the ivory.... Lat. Obs. 7°33′.
43d Day Sunday 29th Nov.