March 2nd [1777]: This morning the wind strong at West, several small birds of different species came on board the vessel, ー from this circumstance we flatter ourselves we cannot be very far from land, two of the birds appeared to be snow birds, and two of them not very unlike a partridge in shape and colour, but somewhat brighter, much smaller, their legs being long, slender and yellow. From yesterday morning about two o'clock, till this morning about four, we had a brisk south westerly wind, by which we have made 70 or 80 miles westing,, the wind is at present Northwest, yet we are not without hopes that we shall be able to fetch some friendly Port on the continent, tho we are still without any proofs from our observation of having got as far towards America as the Gulf Stream, our latitude is today 32°48', which is 20 miles further south, than it should be by our reckoning, instead of being further north.

Every occurrence that we can advent to, which can be considered in our favour, proves little enough to keep our ships crew tolerably in good spirits, they have been long praying to put away before the wind, and try to make some Island in the West Indies, in times of peace any ship would have done so long ago, but our case is singular. Our cargo, consisting of lead, clothing, powder, anns, gimlocks and gun flints is considered as being of the last importance to the Congress, our. Captain is determined if possible to give a good account of it, and is as desirous as man can be to beat it out to the last, but unfortunately is not in good health, and his nerves being affected by his complaints, he sometimes wants that fortitude which otherwise he would possess, at some periods his spirits are like to sink, under such a series of adversities. The officer who is second in command unhappily has not a single ounce of fortitude or manly perseverance, with the fear of perishing constantly before his eyes, he magnifies every molehill into a mountain, wears the countenance of despair and has long been wishing to let the vessel steer any course that might bring him in sight of a plentiful dinner, be the consequence what it might; to his want of discretion we are in some measure indebted for the hardships we now suffer. While the ship was in port, the Captain being sick, the care of the Ship's stores ex officio fell on him, he was either too lazy or too ignorant to make sufficient for provision for so precarious a passage; and during the voyage when provisions were running low, he seems to have been so much afraid of coming to allowance, that he concealed as long as possible from us, and even from the Captain, the real state of our affairs, and from his fear of eating but little, we were in the utmost danger of having nothing at all to eat, long before this time; the first time he gave the least hint of a probability of a want of bread, was not till he had but one cask and an half remaining, and then it was with the greatest difficulty and entreaties that Dr. Williamson and myself could induce them to think of allowance, they seemed so totally deprived of all power of thinking; we were not told of the scarcity of our meat till it was reduced much more than our bread, and I sincerely believe, there would have been no examination into this matter at all, had it not been for our resolutely insisting that it should be done, and that we would see what the ships crew had to depend upon, the mate always on being interrogated on the subject of provisions, answering that he had laid in a sufficiency for an East Indian voyage.

It happens however that neither the fears or entreaties, either of his first mate or sailors make any impression on the Captain while he is encouraged to persevere ,by those of whom he has a better opinion. Another passenger, Dr. Williamson and myself are determined to support the Captain in his attempt to deliver the cargo, in some of the United Colonies, while there is a single ounce of provisions on board the ship, for after they are expended, we apprehend we might eat leather and such other articles as could be found on board, besides we have a dog, cat, pidgeon and some prunes which would probably serve us till we could fetch some of the Maroon Bahama Islands near the Tropic,² where guns and ammunition in abundance would soon procure us a supply of wild £ow[e]l, till we could get in the way of other provisions; as we apprehend we can endure hardships, when there is any necessity for so doing, with as little reluctance as any other persons whatever.

Our other passenger who comes to the continent as an engineer and stiles himself the Chevalier de la Comte Vrecour has long since been praying for the friendly hand of Death to come and rescue him from his suffering and dangers. We have frequently told him his prayers for death are obviously useless, for if the very worst should happen he will only die, and then be sure of the very thing he now prays for. He often lays and sweats in his bed for whole days and nights without rising. We have overheard him talking to his valet, about making use of his pistols, but I apprehend from some specimens I have seen of his fortitude, there is no great danger of his exercising his talent of engineering, by levelling that small piece of ordnance against his own life, tho the want of good soup makes it less comfortable to him at present. He has long since given us to know that America can hardly do without him, yet he certainly would have suffered her to sink under the superior skill of her enemies rather than have brought her deliverance at half so much danger to himself, if his very great ignorance had permitted him to suspect what was to happen during such a tempestuous winter; he often informs me with a great degree of seriousness and gravity that he will [not] return to France by water, but let the expense be what it may, he is determined, after the war is concluded, to go to Europe by land, as the sea is exceedingly disagreeable; I listen to the account he gave me of his resolution and appear highly to approve of his plan; tho I informed him I feared he would meet with unsurmountable difficulties in executing it, he assured me he would be ready to encounter them, however great they might be, for that he was determined nevermore to venture on the ocean; I produced a map of the world, belonging to the Captain, and desired him to point out the particular route he meant to take on his return, as I informed him my knowledge of Geography did not extend so far, as to know the particular point in which the Old and New Worlds were united by terra firma; he avoided doing this, and endeavoured to convince me by a number of arguments that a knowledge of geography and those kind of sciences, tho they might be proper enough for physicians the faculty of colleges and those kind of beings, yet they were certainly too insignificant to be taken notice of by the gentleman and the soldier; I was struck with the profundity of his knowledge and left him determined on a terragueous route to Europe.