Ship's log of the Hawke, between England and India, 1795-1799

Thursday the 30th April 1795

Strong gales of wind SW the first & latter part fair, the middle rain employed receiving on board bales on acct [account] fo the Honble [Honorable] Company in the hold & setting the rigging up Gumes painting the masts officers on board chief third & sixth

Friday May 1st

Moderate breezes Westerly fair weather received on board two anchors on acct. [account] of the Honble [Honorable] Company a spare anchor & ship's guns employed in the Hold & setting the rigging up came down the [Ci?] [?] Lindsey sailed the [[Francis]] [[Captn Barrows]] Officers on board Cheif 3 & 6th

Saturday the 2d of May

Light Breezes from North to East fair weather, employed in the hold about the rigging. cleared [[Hawke]], received on board some stores & cordage Officers on board Chief third and sixth

Sunday the 3rd of May

Moderate breezes ENE people employed washing decks & cleaning ship at 1 PM came on board Captn [[Captain Edwards]] officers on board 2d 4th & 6th

Monday the 4th

Light airs Easterly received on board part of the stores cordage People employed under the Boatswain officers on board second 4th & 6th

Tuesday the 5th

Light airs Easterly received on board the ships raft of Booms & spars & ships long boat people employed as yesterday officers on board as yesterday

Wednesday the 6th

Wind Easterly & hazey weather, received on board sundry oil stores, flour, canvas & ship's sails & at 4 AM the ship [[Taton of Bristol]] [[John Batter]] Master came athwart hawse & carried away our jib boom & bump- kins & slightly hurt our cutwater, she was bound for [[Petersburgh]] officers on board as yesterday

Thursday the 7th Wind N.N.W cloudy weather people employed in the hold & under the Boatswain Officers on board as yesterday

Friday the 8th

Wind N.N.W cloudy weather recd [received] on board 120 packages on acct [account] of the Captn & officers people employed in the hold & under the boatswain officers on board as yesterday

Saturday the 9th

Wind westerly light breeze received on board 34 [?] of store beer, people employed hold & under the Boatswain cleared Hawse discharged [[Joseph Benfield]] foreman with eighteen lumpers Officers on board as yesterday

Sunday the 10th of May 1795

Wind WNW Strong gales, people employed washing the decks & cleaning the ship Officers on board as yesterday

Monday the 11th

Fresh breezes NNW with a heavy swell received on board on acct [account] of the Honble [Honorable] E. I. [[East India Company]] 993 cakes of battery copper Poeple employed in the hold & under the Boatswain, received on board also sundry old stores Officers on board as yesterday

Tuesday the 12th

Fresh breezes Northerly, the first part fair, the latter rather hazey, employed in the hold & about the rigging Officers on board as yesterday

Wednesday the 13th

Light airs Northerly, the firs part fair, the latter cloudy with some rain received on board sundry stores on the victual- ling Bill; People employed in the hold & under the Boatswain Shipwright firing new bumpkins, received on board a new Jib Boom; hoisted the cutter yawl and jolly boat in Officers on board Chief, second, third, fourht & sixth

Thursday the 14th

Light airs Westerly & calms; received on board some packages of private [Frede?] set the Topmast rigging up fore and aft Officers on board Chief, third, fourth & sixth

Friday the 15th

Strong gales Westerly, fair weather, employed in the hold & about the rigging Officers on board as yesterday

Saturday the 16th

Moderate breezes Easterly & fair weather employed receiving on board stores for the victualling Bill Officers on board as yesterday

Sunday the 17th

Moderate Breezes during the first & latter parts of the day, the middle blowing fresh Easterly with fair weather, Bent sails at noon Captn [[Captain Edwards]] came on board & returned on shore in the evening. Officers on board as yesterday

Monday the 18th

Moderate Breezes ENE received on board on acct [account] of the Honble [Honorable] E. I. [[East India Company]] 4 chests of silver coin & Trunk of wrought plate also 114 packages of private trade for the Captn [Captain] & officers Officers on board second, third, fouth & sixth

Tuesday the 19th

Light airs WSW received on board 69 packages of private trade for the Captain & officers. people employed in the hold & under the Boatswain Officers on board as yesterday

Wednesday th 20th

Light airs WSW People employed under the Boatswain Officers on board as yesterday

Thursday the 21st of May 1795

Light airs WSW received on board 20 casks of red & white [lead?] for the Captain and officers. People employed under the Boatswain Officers on board as yesterday

Friday the 22d

Light airs Westerly; received on board 50 packages of private trade for Captn [Captain] & officers & 6 package of baggage for passengers, 1 chest for a cadet & 10 1/2 barrels of gun powder ships stores. at 6 PM a sloop in coming down the reach got athwart our Hawse & carried away the Bowspirt cap; people employed by the Boatswain Officers on board as yesterday

Saturday the 23rd

Light airs Westerly & calm employed receiving on board private Trade on account of the Captain & officers & passengers baggage worked on the gundeck Officers as yesterday

Sunday the 24th

Fresh gales Easterly received on board a new cap for the Bowsprit came on board Captn [[Captain Edwards]] with [[Mr. Joseph Carr]] Pilot who took charge of the ship; got the cap on the Bowspirt, run the Jib Boom out & bent the Jib at Noon spliced the stream cable to the small Bower & unmoor- ed ship on the flood, on the Ebb weight, tacked & filled down to the lower part of the reach when we brough up with the best bower & served out half a cable All officers on board

Monday the 25th

Strong gales Easterly fair weather at day light moored the ship on the flood a cable each way, best bower to the Eastward people employed in painting a new Main Topsail & about the rigging received on board some stores & passenger's baggage Officers on board Chief, third, fourth, fifth, & sixth

Tuesday th 26th

Strong gales from the NE fair weather; came on board [[Mr. Warren]] from the [[East India House]] & [[John Cordoroy]] paid past of the river paid Officers on board as yesterday

Wednesday the 27th

Fresh gales Northerly fair weather, employed as yesteday, finished paying the river pay sealed the guns loaded & charged them All officers on board Draught of water foreward 21 feet & 2 inches aftr [aftward?] 20 feet & 9 inches

Thursday the 28th

Modearate Breezes from NE to NW at day light drew up the plice of the small Bower, cleared Hawse & on the flood an moored at nine AM came on board Captn [[Captain Edwards]] soon after we weighed dropt down near the Hope, let go the Anchor to wait the tide soon afet we again weighed lacked & filled thro' the Hope made sail down sea reach, the swift yaught [yacht?] a head Captn [[Captain Piper]] at 8 PM the yaught [yacht] making the signal for shoal water on the flats came too with the best Bower near the buoy of the Knows veered out half a cable

Friday the 29th

Strong gales from the Noward [Northward] accompanied with drizzling rain down top gallant yards in the Evening sighted the anchor let it go again & veered half a cable

Saturday the 30th

Fresh breezes Noerly [Northerly] at 8 am weighed anchor at 9 past by the Buoy on the Pansand & stood down the Queen's Channel, up the top gallant yards & out reefs; at 15 minutes before 2 PM came too in the Downs with the best Bower in 9 Fathoms the No [North] Foreland bearing NNE 1/4 E the So [South] Foreland SW 1/2 W & Deal Town WNW; found riding here his majesty's ship [[Jupiter]] of 50 guns [[Admiral Vandisrut]] Commander with several Frigates & other vessels [[Mr. Dovereword]] Mate went on shore in the evening & soon after returned with a message from the Admiral that no convoy had been appointed

In the Downs

Sunday 31st of May 1795

Fresh breezes SW cloudy weather the former part; the latter fair; the Pateral sloop of war made a signal for a convoy to the Westward, sent [[Mr. Dover]] the second officer on board for signals, but they were not made out; washed the gun deck & Quartered the ship's company

Monday June 1st

Moderate breezes Soerly [Southely]; which in the evening veered round to the SE with fair weather; arrived the Honble [Honorable] Company Ships the [[Woodcot]], [[Marquiss of Lansdown]] & [[Lord Walsingham]]; sailed two Frigates & a sloop of war to the Northward received on board Water & Provisions & our signals & instructions from the Paterel sloop of war; arrived a Convoy from the Westward

Tuesday the 2d

Fresh Breezes SW fair weather in the evening less wind & the poeple employed by the Boatswain; Tradesmen at necessary work; arrived the Honble [Honorable] E. I. [[East India Company]] ship [[Earl of Oxford]]

Wednesday the 3d

The first part light airs variable & cloudy towards Noon from the NE fair weather, at 8 AM the Paterel sloop of war made the signal to prepare for sail when we have short at 9 AM made the signal to weigh, weighed in company with the Honble [Honorable] E. I. [[East India Company]] ships the [[Woodcot]], [[Marquiss of Lansdown]], [[Lord Walsingham]] & [[Earl of Oxford]] with several Transport & Coasters stood down against at Noon less wind This log ends at noon

In the Evening a breeze sprung up with rain stood in to the [[Isle of Wight]] at 1/2 before 9 came too on the Motherbank with the B. [best] Bower in 1/2 less 5 F [fathoms] having neigher wind nor tide rode short This log ends at noon

Friday the 9th

Light airs variable & calms the first & middle past at 5 PM wore away & moored ship a cable each way served the small Bower, the extremes of the [[Isle of Wight]] at SSE to NW by W 1/2 W [ryde?] SW by W 1/2 West 1 1/2 miles distant loosened sails to dry