Les vents au so petit frais Gouvernée au nne pour Raprocher La terre nous faisant pres de newyorck a 1 heure vue La tour de Lentre place sur La party du sud de La passe vue aussi plusieur petit Batiment sous voile qui faisait Routte pour Entrer a Sandiwouck a 3 h^r ½ nous avons mouillé a Lentrer de La passe par Le 9 Brasse fond de petit Gravier a La distans d'une Lieue et demy La tour du fanal La terre La plus au sud au sso 5'^d sud les terre La plus à Lest au nE 5^d nord Le tour du fanal au no Vue Baucoup de Batiment Guerre et transport d En dedans le la pointe de la tour—il y a une Espéce de Bar—ou fort Ressaut Le long de Cette Coste et voyant une Riviere que nous Restait au so½s Le General ait descendat Lui Meme Le matin dans cette Riviere avec deux Canost armé pour Reconnoistre Le paye qui nous paraisait Bien-habité Comme nous manquions de vivre frais de toute Especes et meme d'eau ayant trois mois Revolue de mer—il Revint à Bord La provence¹ y il Eut faillut monter fort haut dans Cette Riviere pour y faire de Leau et meme nos chaloupe était trop grand. mais chaque habitation y avait un puis joint à un petit Ruisceau Coulant Le Lendemain matin Le General menvoyit avec un detachement pour Employer Les moyent dy faire de Leau, à puits avons nous par y faire Le journallier nous y avions un detachement de 250 hommes 4 Canons et des perriere monte sur affuts les habitans estant americain mais dans le nombre plusieurs trouvées qui sont des Royalistes nous avions à Craindre que quelques detachement Englais ne vinssint nous attaquer je Returné a Bord Le lendemain dans La nuits il y Eut du vents de no assé fort qui fit sortir du post un senault chargé de poudre et Bombe a jour Etant En dehors de La passe et ne lui voyant point de Canons Le General fit armer deux Canost qui sen Emparer et La mener à Lescadre nous avons aussi le jour matin arrive aresté six Bateau paicheur qui allait porter du poisson a Lescadre Englais qui était En dedans nous avions tous Le jours des fregates sous voile—Le General attendait des pilottes qui Lui était annoncé du Congrès pour Entrer et Combatre Lescadre Englaise ont Lui² [illeg.] assuree En Europe quil y avait de Leau pour son Escadre pour y Entrer Le pilotte Etant arrive, quil ny avait pas assée deau pour Les Gros vaisseau et meme pour Les 74 Canons que En Conséquence il ne se chargerait pas de Lescadre chaque jour nous donnait quelque prise de Batiments marchands qui se presentait pour Entrer Linpossibilité de faire le journalier deau ; et d'avoir des Rafraichissement sufisament 

[Translation] 

[July 1778, Languedoc, at sea]

From Saturday 11 to Sunday 12

The wind in the SW, a little brisk, steered to the NNE in order to reach the land, making for New York. At 1 o'clock saw the tower of the entrance, located south of the pass; saw also several small ships under sail that headed for the entrance at Sandy Hook. At 3:30 o'clock we anchored at the entrance of the pass in 9 fathoms, bottom of small gravel, at the distance of a league and a half from the lighthouse, the land the farthest south at SSW 5° south, the land the farthest east at NE 5° N, the lighthouse to the NW. Saw many warships and transports within the point of the lighthouse. There is a kind of bar or strong projection along this coast and seeing a river that lay to SW½S of us, the General himself went down in the morning into this river with two boats fit out to reconnoiter the country, which appeared to us well peopled, as we lacked fresh victuals of every kind, and even water, having passed three months at sea. He returned on board the Provence,¹ he had failed to mount very high up the river to water there and even our ship's boat was too large. But each habitation there had a well joined to a small flowing brook. The next morning the General sent me with a detachment to employ the means of watering there by wells, to accomplish this daily we had a detachment of 250 men, 4 cannons, and some swivel guns mounted on carriages, the inhabitants being American but in the number several to be found who are Royalists, we feared that some English detachments might come to attack us. I returned on board the next day in the night. There had been winds from the NW, rather strong, that drove from its post a snow laden with powder and bombs, at daybreak being outside the pass and seeing no guns aboard her, the General manned two boats which seized it and brought it to the squadron. In the morning we also stopped six fishing boats that were bringing fish to the English squadron. Every day we had frigates under sail, the General expected pilots that the Congress had announced in order to enter and fight the English squadron that was within,² they having assured him in Europe that there was enough water there for his squadron to enter there. The pilot having arrived, that there was not enough water for the large ships of the line and even for those of 74 guns, that in consequence, he would not take charge of the squadron. Each day gave us a few prizes of merchantmen that came to go in. The impossibility of obtaining the daily supply of water and of having sufficient refreshment.