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His Majesty's Ship Comus at Sea | H | K | F | Courses | Winds | No. Sig | Remarks &c Monday 13th Feb'y 1815 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 3 | " | E b S. | N NE. | | AM/. Light breezes & fine | | 2 | 3 | 2 | | | | at 2 & 3 sounded 50 to 60 fms. | | 3 | 2 | 4 | | | | trimmed sail on the Larb'd tack | | 4 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | 5 | " | 6 | | | | 4 Light airs. Convoy in Co. | | 6 | " | } | Head to the | | | | | 7 | " | } | Eastward | Calm | | at 6 Calm | | 8 | " | } | S B N. | | | 8 Light airs W'r. 8:10 a huge Northerly | | 9 | 2 | " | | | | | | 10 | 1 | 4 | | | | Noon light airs Convoy in Co. | | 11 | 1 | 4 | | Northerly | | | | 12 | 1 | 4 | | | | Long. by Chron. 6°00' W't | [[5 Columned Table]] | Course | Dist'ce | Lat'de in | Long'de in | Bearings and distance at Noon | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | S 73 E't | 62 Miles | 4°11' N | 7°19" W't | Devils Rock 15°W't 31 Miles | [[7 Columned Table]] | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 2 | 2 | E. b N. | Vble. | | PM/. Light airs. Trimmed sails, occ'ly | | 2 | 2 | · | | | | | | 3 | 1 | 4 | | | | | | 4 | 2 | 4 | | | | Light airs W'r. set top gall't sails | | 5 | 2 | 4 | | | | | | 6 | 3 | 2 | | | | Light airs Weather. | | 7 | 3 | 4 | | | | Sounded occasionally, but found | | 8 | 2 | 4 | | | | no bottom | | 9 | 2 | 4 | | | | 8 Light airs W'r. Convoy in Company | | 10 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | 11 | 2 | 6 | | | | Mid't light breeses. Convoy in Co. | | 12 | 2 | 6 | | Vble. | | | [[7 Columned Table]] | H | K | F | Courses | Winds | No. Sig | Remarks &c Tuesday 14th Feb'y 1815 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 3 | " | E B N. | Vble. | | AM/. Light breeses & fine | | 2 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 3 | 2 | " | | | | | | 4 | 1 | 4 | | | | 4 Light breeses & fine W'r. Convoy in Co. | | 5 | 1 | 6 | E NE. | | | | | 6 | 1 | 4 | NE b E. | | | at 6 set foresail & royals. | | 7 | 1 | 4 | | | | 7 set studding sails | | 8 | 2 | " | N.E. | N.W. | | 8 Light breeses & fine. Convoy in Co. | | 9 | | | | | | | | 10 | | | | | | at 10 saw the Land North | | 11 | | | | | | Noon light airs & fine | | 12 | | | | | | Extremes of Land from NNE. to NNW. | [[5 Columned Table]] | Course | Dist'ce | Lat'de in | Long'de in | Bearings and distance at Noon | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | N 45°E. | 60 Miles. | 4° 36' N | 6° 28' W't | Lahou N 11° W't 14 Miles | [[7 Columned Table]] | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 1 | 4 | E. N.E. | West | | PM/. Light airs & fine | | 2 | 1 | 4 | | | | at 2 made all sail | | 3 | 2 | " | | | | | | 4 | 2 | " | | Vble. | | 4 Light airs & fine W'r. 5:30 Shortened sail & | | 5 | 1 | 2 | | | | | | 6 | 1 | 4 | E b S. | | | 6 Light airs. Convoy in Co. | | 7 | " | } | | | | | | 8 | " | } | Calm | | | 8 Calm & fine. Sounded occasionally | | 9 | " | 6 | E. b. S | | | in from 30 to 40 fathoms, soft | | 10 | 2 | 4 | | | | blue mud. trimmed sails occa'lly | | 11 | 2 | 4 | | | | light airs with thunder & lightening | | 12 | 1 | 2 | E NE. | S.E. | | Mid't Light airs with thunder & lightening | His Majesty's Ship Comus at Sea [[7 Columned Table]] | H | K | F | Courses | Winds | No. Sig | Remarks &c Wednesday 15th Feb'y 1815 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 3 | " | East | S S E. | | AM/. Light airs & fine | | 2 | 2 | 4 | | | | at 2 burnt a blue light | | 3 | 1 | " | | | | 4 Light airs & fine W'r. Convoy in Co. 4:30 set | | 4 | 1 | 4 | | | | top gall't Sails. at Daylight | | 5 | 1 | 6 | | | | the Extremes of Land from NNE. | | 6 | 2 | 4 | E.B.N. | | | to N. NW. made Sail | | 7 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | 8 | 2 | 4 | | | | at 8 Light airs. 9:30 Red Cliffs | | 9 | 2 | " | | Vble. | | from N NW. to NE. out Gig and | | 10 | 1 | 6 | | | | Jolly Boat. | | 11 | 1 | " | E. S.E. | | | | | 12 | 1 | " | E 1/2 N. | | | Noon Light airs. W'r. up Gig & Jolly Boat. Convoy in Co. | [[5 Columned Table]] | Course | Dist'ce | Lat'de in | Long'de in | Bearings and distance at Noon | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | N65°E't | 41 Miles | 5°00' N | 5°21' West | Cape Lahou NE B E. 10 Miles | [[7 Columned Table]] | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 1 | " | E. b N. | Vble. | | PM/. Light airs & fine | | 2 | 1 | " | | | | | | 3 | 1 | " | | | | 4 Light airs & fine Weather. trimmed sails occas'lly | | 4 | 1 | " | E. N.E. | | | 5:30 Extremes of Land from NW B W | | 5 | 1 | 2 | | | | to East | | 6 | | | | | | at 6 Calm & Cloudy, with thunder and | | 7 | | | | | | lightening in Royals & flying Jib | | 8 | 3 | 4 | S.E. b. E. | | | at 6:16 Came on a heavy squall | | 9 | 3 | " | S.E. | | | with thunder & lightening reef'd | | 10 | 2 | " | E SE. | | | the Topsails and heaved trim up | | 11 | 1 | 2 | E b S. | Vble. | | 7:30 set them again. 8 More mod'te | | 12 | 1 | " | E b N. | Sounded in 58 fathoms | | 9:20 set foresail. 9:50 set Jib | | | | | | | | Trimmed sails occasionally | | | | | | | | Mid't Light airs Vble. Convoy in Co. | [[7 Columned Table]] | H | K | F | Courses | Winds | No. Sig | Remarks &c Thursday 16th Feb'y 1815 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | " | " | Head to the | Vble. | | AM/. inclinable to Calm | | 2 | " | " | S.W. | | | 2:30 a breese from the SS E. word and | | 3 | / 1 | / " | / E. N.E. | Sounded in | | set Mainsail Vble. | | 4 | 5 | 2 | East | 57 fms. blue | | 4 Mod'te & fine. Spoke to the Convoy. | | 5 | 3 | " | E. B. N. | Mud. | | | | 6 | 1 | " | | | | at 6 Made sail | | 7 | 2 | 2 | E. N.E. | | | | | 8 | 3 | 4 | | | | Mod'te & fine. Cape Lahoo NE b N. | | 9 | 2 | 4 | | | | Light winds. Vble. | | 10 | 2 | " | | | | Mustered in Divisions | | 11 | 1 | 2 | | | | Noon Light airs. | | 12 | 1 | " | | | | Convoy in Company | [[5 Columned Table]] | Course | Dist'ce | Lat'de in | Long'de in | Bearings and distance at Noon | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | Piccanninny Cape Lahoo [[Lahou]] N b E | [[7 Columned Table]] | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | 1 | 6 | E 1/2 N. | NW. | | PM/. Light airs & fine set Studding | | 2 | 2 | 2 | E 1/2 S. | | | Sails. trimming sails occasionally | | 3 | 2 | 2 | E b. S 1/2 S | | | 3:30 in larb'd | | 4 | 3 | 2 | E.S.E. | | | 4 Mod'te & fine. Convoy in Company | | 5 | 4 | 2 | | | | 4:50 Shortened Sail & in 3d reef Topsails | | 6 | 1 | 6 | S.E. b. E. | Vble. | | 5:30 Cape Lahoo N.E. B. E. 11 or 12 Miles | | 7 | 2 | " | | | | 6 Squally & Cloudy. | | 8 | 1 / 1 | " / " | / E S E. | | | 6:15 up foresail | | 9 | 3 | " | | | | 8 Light breezes & fine. Convoy in Co. | | 10 | 3 | " | | | | set foresail & Main top gall't Sail | | 11 | 3 | " | | Vble. | | 9:30 out 3d reefs. & set T.G. & Fore topgl't Sail | | 12 | 3 | 6 | | | | 11:30 set Mainsail. | | | | | | | | Mid't Mod'te & fine. Convoy in Co. |
Transcription Notes:
larb'd = Larboard - not Starboard. "Port" used to be called "larboard".
Piccanninny Cape Lahoo - found on West Coast of Africa. Sometimes seen as Lahou. It was by far the most important slaving port for Dutch free traders in West Africa. The Comus was trying to find the slave-trading ships. The Comus was also the first man-of-war to ascend the Old Calabar River to Duke Town (Nigeria), where in March 1814, her armed boats captured seven Portuguese and Spanish vessels with 550 enslaved on board.
Blue mud = a marine sediment that owes its color to organic matter and iron sulfide.
"gig" - a light, fast, narrow boat adapted for rowing or sailing.
"jolly boat" a lapstraked ship's boat that is smaller than a cutter, typically hoisted at the stern of the ship.