October 1775 Tuesday 3
Moord in Pensacola harbour Fresh breezes and cloudy Wr .Received on board orders to proceed to Sea At 6 oc Weighed and came to Sail Came on board a pilot past the Bar in safety At 9 blockhouse on Rose Island NbW 4 or 5 Leagues ー Schooner very leaky ー makes 6 Inches of Water Pr hour ー Received on board Captain Hunt his mate and Negroes who were cast a way at the Entrance of the Misissippi River a Vessel belonging to Providence & requested a passage by the Governor Gales and cloudy ー Came up and spoke with a Sloop from Dalphisse Island bound to Pensacola ー find the Vessel to make much Water At 2 PM parted Company with the said Sloop
Wednesdy 4
Reefed the mainsail a great head Sea Hard Gales and dark cloudy wr at ½ past 2 PM discoverd the Vessel to be much by the head, and found the water was over the platform in the Hould found she was water Logged; Got the Iron ballast and every thing that could be removed aft haud down the head sails ー Ripped up the platform and some of the Ceiling ー got the buckets down the fore hatchway and Keep bailing her, and both pumps Continually going. At 4 begin to gain a little on her ー at 6 oc the Officers and Men under my Command represented to me by Letter the dangerous situation of the Vessel, the Impossibility of keeping her to the Wind for regaining the Barr of Pensacola and requesting of me to bear a way for some place thats most convenient to get her repaird; Being thus Cir[cums]tanced the water running in the hould like Streams, and having sprung our main and fore boomb, and carryed part of our Rigging, Sails, blocks, [a]nd &c and being destitute of every Kind of Store ー thought it most prudent for the Safety of our schooner to Keep her easy as the wind would permit the people constantly bailing ー
Thursday 5
Wt. Key of the Portugasses So 37 East 106 Leagues At 11 [A.M.] she rather gaind on us ー Shortnd sail to bail her ー At 12 Strong gales and Hard rain with thick Weather handed the Topsails Shortned sail [so] much Water forward and it having no passage aft to the pumps baild her. ー Shipped much Water.2
1. PRO, Admiralty 51/4330.
2. Ibid., the St. John finally reached New Providence in the Bahamas on October 23, 1775, where she was under repair through the balance of the year.
