August 3 - 5 1862

Private Journal of the Bark Solon’s Voyage to the

Sunday August 3rd 1862

Commences with a very light wind from SW. we laid with out head yards aback1 all night. During the day we have had light winds and calms. the wind steered round to the W & N steering when we had a wind E NE & NE by E. Three sails in sight & have been employed in reading writing letters. taking Lunars and working them. Capt. Baxter allows me the use of this sextant and to day I managed to keep the Sun & Moon together very well with the long telescope I think if I could have some practice quite often I might get to using it very well.

Lat 37 07 N Long 42 21 W

Monday Aug 4th

Had light winds during the first part from W SW. during the latter part steering NE & E. Chased Blackfish and that is all we did to them. Rebent the fore topsail, mended it and rent it again2.

Lat 37 42 N Long 40 59 W

Tuesday Aug 5th

Had fresh gales from W steering NE. Unbent the jib3 and sent it in and mended it. a Sail in sight. at 3 pm double reefed the topsail; at 5pm luffed to the wind heading N NW.

Lat 39 48 N Long 40 29 W

1 Meaning the sails on the front masts were trimmed backward against the wind. This is done to stop making forward progress or lie nearly motionless or keep her head to the wind or to drift slowly without steering.

2 “Rebent the fore topsail” They re-attached the fore topsail to the yard after removing it, usually because it tore again. “Mended it and rent it again” = They patched the sail, but later in the day or during use it ripped again.

3 “Unbent the jib” = took the sail off its stay