Voyage IV · Three-mast Sailing Ship

Louis Philippe

New York → Le Havre · 25 September – 21 October 1845

Daily Log
Date	Conditions & Position
25 Sept	Left New York at noon in tow of the steamboat Samson. It casts us off in the bay; we pass Sandy Hook. We are in open sea at 3 ½; light breeze from the west. All sails out; superb weather.
26	No notes; seasick.
27	Contrary wind. We beat to windward, tacking in company with the three-master Behring of Hamburg and an unknown brig.

The three-master Behring of Hamburg under sail — "Navire Behring d'Hambourg" — the *Behring* of Hamburg

Daily Log
Date	Conditions & Position
28	Contrary wind; we tack; magnificent sky and sea; the three-master Behring still in sight.
29	Wind E; we steer NE; superb weather; we see 4 sperm whales, a kind of small whale that throws from its nostrils jets of water visible from afar. 3 or 4 knots.
30 Sept	Contrary wind, superb weather; we make long tacks.
1 Oct	Wind E, direction E.N.E. Fine weather. At noon the wind freshens; the upper sails are furled; rain at 5 h. The wind rises, 9 knots an hour.
2 Oct	Last night we made ten knots; choppy sea, variable wind, heavy rolling, fog. In the evening 9 knots.

Four passengers seen from behind at the ship's rail, sighting an unexpected coast — The passengers sighting an unexpected coast

3 October. In the morning, calm sea, fine weather. Walking the deck, I see on the horizon a yellow band. It is land. I point it out to the 2nd officer, who looks through the glass while saying it isn't possible. He goes to call (?) the captain, who looks and recognized (?) it. There had been an error in his calculations, and instead of being near Newfoundland, we were in sight of Sable island (île de sable [sand island]), inhabited by a sparse population of fishermen. Everyone in bad humor; we have made hardly any progress.

Daily Log
Date	Conditions & Position
4 Oct	Dead calm. Fine weather. Porpoises play and chase one another all around the ship. In the afternoon, the NE wind rises. We sail on, surrounded by floating weeds.
5	Contrary wind. Fine weather, saw an English three-master and an American ship. Superb sunset.

Two men at the rail, one sighting through a telescope, the other pointing — The telescope watch at the rail

Daily Log
Date	Conditions & Position
6	Wind S.W; sails and studding-sails set; we pass over the banks of Newfoundland in thick fog.
7	Contrary wind. We steer S.E seeking the gulf stream (courant du golfe). Spoke the schooner Clinton of Marblehead, cod-fishing.
8	Dead calm with heavy rolling, the aftermath of the preceding winds. At 8 h. in the evening, a gale with rain.

The three-master becalmed, porpoises breaking the water all around — Becalmed among the porpoises

Daily Log
Date	Conditions & Position
9	Thunder and rain last night; we run at 10 knots. In sight, a ship supposed to be the Sheridan, a Liverpool packet. At noon the wind shifts NE; heavy, agitated sea; calm this morning.
10	Toward evening the wind freshens; 10 knots.

11 October. The night was stormy. Violent gales, the ship runs at 11 to 13 knots. All day, a very high sea. In the evening a tempest; the waves crash onto the deck. A furious sea — a beautiful spectacle.

Daily Log
Date	Conditions & Position
12 Oct	Rolling, hail. Wind NE, heavy sea. Longitude 34.
13	Heavy sea, hard rolling. In the evening beautiful moonlight. long 30.
14	Dead calm. In the evening a light breeze. long 26.30.
15	Light breeze; the ship crowds on sail. lo 22.26, fine moonlight.
16	Good wind; we make good progress. Saw a ship heading west, and a French three-master on the same course as ourselves.
17 Oct	Dark weather. Rolling.
18 Oct	Following wind. Sails, studding-sails, everything that can be carried is set. long. 11.25. All day the cow lowed, sensing the approach of land.
19 Oct	Wind S.W. Overcast. Good sea. We begin to see ships, a sign of the Channel's neighborhood.
20 Oct	Fresh N.W wind. Passed Scilly at 2 in the morning, the Lizard lights at 5. We see the English coast.
21 Oct	We arrive at Le Havre. We enter the port at the hour of the tide.

Original manuscript pages (3)