Monday, June 24, 2019

Captain Cannon: Transcription of the Iris Logbook - Part 6


Monday Martch 25th. [1799]:

Fresh Breezes and Cloudy. At 1 P.M. Handed the foretopsail:--   Saim time reeft the foresail:---  At 4 Ditto. Cloase reeft the foretopsail & Sent Down Main Top Gallan Yard:--    At Midnight wind Drawing round to the No. Sett the T. topsail:--  and Staysails; More moderate  Commadore Bearing ET.E Dy   Lattd. Obsd. 42..26 No.

Dist. 156         Course   N.65E.          Diff. Lat. 67                Dep. 141
Lat. in              Long. in 36..6              Diff. Long. 187

Tuesday Martch 26th. [1799]:

Steaddy Breezes and Cloudy Under Doble reeft topsails and foresail:---  Middle Part More Moderate. People Employed Mending Sails and Sundry Necessaries Latter Part Steaddy and Clear:---  Commadore Bearing NE..Distand one Mile:---  Distand 102     Lattd. Obsd. 43..02 No.

Dist. 102         Course   N69E.           Diff Lat. 36                 Dep. 95
Lat. in.             Long. in. 33..56           Diff. Long. 130

Wedinsday Martch 27th. [1799]:

Steaddy Breezeis and Cl… At Midnight. Down…and Gibb:---  Middle Part Light Eair allmost calm:---    People Employed Mending Sails:---     Lattd. Obsd. 43..27 No.

Dist. 62           Course   N.66E.          Diff. Lat. 25                Dep. 56
Lat. in              Long. in 32..39

Thurdsday Martch 28 [1799]:

Troughout this 24 Hours Strong Gails and frequent Squalls of Heail [hail]:--- At 4 P.M. Cloase reeft the topsails Handed Mizen Ditto.   At 10 Ditto. Handed Main topsail and Foresail: –   At Midnight Heavey Gail Handed Foretopsail:--  Sett main Staysail:--   At 6 A.M. Hove too undor Main and Mizzen Staysail

Dist. 116         Course   N.69E.          Diff Lat. 41                 Dep. 108
Lat. in. 44..08    Long. in. 30..09         Diff. Long. 150

Friday [Martch 29, 1799]:

First Part Strong Gails with heavey Squalls and Hailstone:--   At 7A.M. Sett T.T. mast Staysail:---   At 9 took in Ditto. Saim time hoyed hur with the Storm Mizen:---   Latter Part Strong G[ail] under reeft Main Stay and M. Mizzen    Lattd. Obsd. 43..56 No.

Dist. 75           Course   S.81E.           Diff. Lat. 12                Dep. 74
Lat. in              Long. in 28..26            Diff Long. 103

Sathurday Martch 30th. [1799]:

First Part of this Day Heavey Gail with Showers of heail   At 1 P.M. Got the Spritsail yard In At 3 Ditto.   Saw the frigate Gail Decraising at ½ Past Ditto. Sett the foresail reeft.:---   At 5 P.M. the frigate Hove out a Signal to Hove too furled the foresail;---   The frigate and one Ship one Brigg in Sight:---    At 11 Ditto. More Moderate with a very heavey Cross Sea    At 8 A.M. Made Sail At Meridian vessels in sight    Lattd. Obsd. 44..7 North

Dist. 89           Course   N.82E.          Diff Lat. 11                 Dep. 79
Lat. in.             Long. in. 26..36           Diff. Long. 110
       [underneath 30..15]   

Sunday Martch 31st [1799]:

Steaddy Breezes and Cloudy weather:--   Under Doble reeft topsails &c---   The frigate and 7 Sail in Company[1]:---    At meridian frigate Bore North Distd. ½ Mile:--    Distd. 121 Miles     Lattd. Obsd. 44..48 No.

Dist. 121         Course   N.70E.          Diff. Lat. 41                Dep. 114
Lat. in              Long. in. 23..55           Dyp Lgt 161
                       
Monday Apreal 1st [1799]:

Steaddy Breezes and Cloudy Undor Doble reeft topsails &c:--- At 10 In Staysails:---  At Meridian the frigate Bore E.B.N. Distand 2 Miles   Lattd. Observed 45..50 No.

Dist. 119         Course   N.59E.          Diff. Lat. 62                Dep. 102
Lat. in.             Diff  144                     Long in  21..31           

Tuesday Apreal 2[nd 1799]:

Steaddy Breezes and Heavey weather Under Doble reeft topsails:--  At 9 P.M. In Mizen top At 2 A.M. Clied up Maintopsail:---At 4 Ditto. Cloase reeft foretopsail the frigate Dropping a Staren:--    Lattd. Obsd. Slight 47..18 No.

Dist. 146         Course   N.53E.          Diff. Lat. 88                Dep. 116
Lat. in              Long. in 18..33            Diff Long. 170

Wedinsday Apreal 3d [1799]:

First Parts of this 24 Hours Squally with rain:---  At 1 P.M. in Main topsail   Blowing Strong Breezes:---   At 4 Ditto. Got the Main top Gallan Mast Down:-  Ship Liaboring Heavey. Scud undor Cloase reeft. Foretopsail:---   At Meridian Commadore Bore EBS one Mile    This Day No. Obs

Dist. 150         Course   N53E.           Diff. Lat. 90                Dep. 120
Lat. in  48..48  Long. in. 15..33          Diff. Long. 180

Thurdsday Apreal 4th. [1799]:

First Part Squally with rain:---   At 3 P.M. in Staysails out one reef T. and Main topsail:---   At 5 A.M. Hove too at 7 Ditto. Made Sail:---  Latter Part Ditto. weather   People Employed Plassing the Cables &c---   At Meridian Commadore Bore E.S.E. Distd about 1 Mile:--   No. Obs. This Day

Dist. 111         Course   N67E.           Diff. Lat. 43                Dep. 102
Lat. in. 49..31    Long. in. 12..58         Diff. Long. 155

Friday Apreal 5th [1799]:

First Part Steaddy Breez and Clear:---   At 3 P.M. Saw a Sti… Sail in the N.E. Quartor Standing to the Westward    In topsails Blowing Strong with Squalls:--   At ½ Past 3 Strong Gail with Hail Hove too h[ead] to the N.Erd.:---   Latter Part Ditto. weather:--  At Meridian the frig[ate] E.B.N. Distd one Mile:---     Dist. 96 Miles    Lattd. Obsd. 49..40

Dist. 86           Course   N.84E.          Diff. Lat. 9                  Dep. 85
Lat. in.             Long. in. 10..46           Diff. Long. 132

Sathurday Martch [Apreal] 6th. [1799]:          April 6, 1799 was a Saturday

First Part Fresh Breezes Squalls and rain:---   Middle and Latter Part More Moderate:---   At ½ Past 5 made Sail    At 8 out 2 reefs Eatch [each] topsail:---   People Employed Clianing [cleaning] the Main Deck and P..ing [painting?] the Guns:---   Slight Obs. In 49..24

[Sunday Apreal 7th 1799]:

Light Breezes and Clear. People Employed Blacking the reails Gunnerwells  &c    Got the Small Bowen anchor on the Gunnwell –   and Cleaning the Main Deck:---   At 1 A.M. a Breeze Spring up from the SSE: Made Sail:---   At 10 Ditto. in Stiff Gail Took in Main and Mizen topsail:---    Dist. Pr. Loog 71 mls   This Day No. Obs

Monday [Apreal] 8th [1799]:

First Part fresh gails and Squally:---  Undor Cl reeft Main topsail and foresail:---   At 4 P.M. Spoke the Ship Diannah [Diana][2]   Latter Part Strong Breezes undor reeft foresail and Cloase reeft Main topsail      Distd. Pr. Loog    Lattd. Obsd. 51..06 No.

Tuesday Apreal 9th [1799]:

First Part of this Day Strong Breezes and Squally Undor Cloase reeft M. Tops[ail] and reeft foresail:---   At 2 P.M. Frigate Made a Signell [signal] for us to Mak[e] the Best of our way:--   Saim time Sett Cloase reeft M. and Fore topsail:---   At 6 Hove a Cast of the Lead Sounded in 63 fathom fine Sand and Shells:---   the Ship Diannah in Company    At 11 A.M. Saw the Land Soposed [supposed] to Bee [be] High Land of Dungavr   Lattd. Obsd. 51..45 No.

The Iris landed in Liverpool on April 12, 1799 after an absence of ten months.[3] It appears it was in convoy with the Lottery, the Louisa, the Alexander, the Earl Liverpool, the Diana and the Brothers, all having traveled from Jamaica and arriving in Liverpool about the same time.[4]

After less than three months at home, George Cannon was out to sea again. He was on the same ship, the Iris, as captain with 43 crew. The Iris left Liverpool on July 5, 1799 for Angola, to pick up slaves, then to Jamaica, to drop them off, and then to return to Liverpool.[5]

Sathurday Augost  17[, 1799]:

Through out this 24 Hours Light Breezes and Clear:    Broatched one Pkt. Wator No. 5 and remains:---   Lattd. Obsd 17..03 No.

Dist. 114         Course   S.33W.          Diff. Lat. 96                Dep. 62
Lat. in              Long. in 26.23             Diff. Long. 65


Sunday Augost  18th. [17]99:

First Part Light Breezes and Cloudy Weather:---    Middle and Latter Zarada    Slight Observation 15..38

Dist. 87           Course   S12W.           Diff. Lat. 85                Dep. 18
Lat. in              Long. in. 26..42           Diff. Long. 19

Monday [Augost]  19th . [17]99:

All this 24 Hours Light Breezes and Clear Weather.   People Employed Making a New Main top Gallansail and Making Pilot Spinyarn &c. -  Carpindor Making a Necessary for Slaves:---    Lattd Obsd

Dist. 50           Course   South            Diff. Lat. 50                Dep. 00
Lat.in 14..48    Long. in 26..42           

Tuesday Augost  20th [17]99:

First Part Light Eairs Inclinable to Calm:---   Middle and Latter Part Squally with rain:-- Broatched one Pkt. Wator No. 7   Lattd. Obsd. 13..40 No.

Dist. 62           Course   S ½ E.           Diff. Latt. 62               Dep. 6
Lat. in              Long. in. 26..35           Diff. Long. 7. 6.

Wedinsday Augost  21st [17]99:

First Part Light Breezes and variable   Middle and Latter Part Ditto. weather:--   Lattd. Obsd. 12..22 No.

Dist. 78           Course   South            Diff. Lat. 78                Dep. 00
Lat. in              Long. in 26..35            Diff. Long.


[1] Seven ships arrived together in Liverpool (or at least within the same week), all having traveled from Jamaica. In addition to the Iris, under Captain Cannon (identified in Lloyd’s List as “Connor”), there were the following ships: (a) The Lottery, under Captain John Whittle, which obtained slaves in Bonny and delivered 460 of them to Kingston, Jamaica on December 9, 1798. It left Kingston on February 13, 1799 and arrived in Liverpool on April 13, 1799, one day after the Iris. (b) The Louisa, under Captain William Brown, which obtained slaves in Malembo and delivered 455 of them to Kingston, Jamaica on December 13, 1798. It left Kingston on February 12, 1799 and arrived in Liverpool on April 12, 1799, the same date as the Iris. (c) The Alexander under Captain Coppinger. This is not listed on the Slave Trade CD and was likely a vessel not involved in the slave trade. (d) The Earl of Liverpool under Captain George Barnard, which obtained slaves in Bonny and delivered 347 of them to Montego Bay, Jamaica on December 6, 1798. It left Jamaica on February 6, 1799 and arrived in Liverpool on April 12, 1799. (e) The Diana under Captain John Ainswroth, which obtained slaves in Bonny and delivered 394 of them to Kingston, Jamaica on December 6, 1798. It left Kingston on February 12, 1799 and arrived in Liverpool on April 12, 1799, the same date as the Iris. (f) The Brothers under Captain Redmayne. This is not listed on the Slave Trade CD and was likely a vessel not involved in the slave trade. (Lloyd’s List, dated April 16, 1799 and Slave Trade CD).
[2] The Diana was piloted by Captain John Ainsworth. It originally left Liverpool on June 14, 1798, just six days after the Iris. It also went to Bonny where it obtained slaves. The Diana delivered 394 slaves in Kingston, Jamaica on December 6, 1798, a little more than a month after the Iris had arrived there. It left Kingston on February 12, 1799, the same date as the Iris and arrived in Liverpool on April 12, 1799, the same date as the Iris. (See Lloyd’s List, dated April 16, 1799 and Slave Trade CD). Captain Hugh Crow notes arriving in Bonny in December 1800: “There, the ship Diana, having been cast ashore and become a wreck, we received on board the captain and crew. After completing our cargo we sailed in company, all in good health, and arrived at Jamaica without losing a man.” (Crow Memoirs, p. 73). This ship Diana appears to be the same ship Diana that accompanied the Iris (it was built in the same place, in the same year and had the same owner). It left Liverpool on October 6, 1800 for Bonny with 43 crew on board under Captain Gilbert Wenman. (Slave Trade CD).
[3] First Iris Voyage.
[4] Lloyd’s List, dated April 16, 1799. See also entry for March 31, 1799.
[5] Behrendt Letter (PRO, BT 98/61, No. 135, Liverpool muster roll 1801; Family History Library, Film 870316 (“Second Iris Voyage”).

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