rated however on the 25th and allowed us to keep our Christmas
with cheerfulness; but the following day it blew a severe storm of wind
from the eastward, which continued till the 29th, in the course of which
we suffered greatly. One sea broke away the spare yards and spars out of
the starboard main chains. Another heavy sea broke into the ship and
stove all the boats. Several casks of beer that had been lashed upon deck
were broke loose and washed overboard, and it was not without great
difficulty and risk that we were able to secure the boats from being
washed away entirely.

Saturday 29.

On the 29th we were in latitude 39 degrees 35 minutes north and longitude
14 degrees 26 minutes west when the gale abated and the weather became
fair. Besides other mischief done to us by the storm, a large quantity of
our bread was damaged and rendered useless, for the sea had stove in our
stern and filled the cabin with water. From this time to our arrival at
Tenerife we had moderate weather and winds mostly from the northward.

1788. January.

January 4.

This forenoon we spoke a French ship bound to the Mauritius.

Saturday 5. Tenerife.

The next day at nine in the forenoon we saw the island of Tenerife
bearing west-south-west half west about twelve leagues distant. It was
covered with a thick haze except the north-westernmost part which is a
remarkable headland, resembling a horse's head, the ears very distinct.
To the eastward of this head* lie two round rocks, the northern boundary
of Tenerife. I had a good observation at noon by which I make the
latitude of the two rocks 28 degrees 44 minutes north and their longitude
by our timekeeper 16 degrees 5 minutes west. To the southward of these
and near the shore is a high needle rock: about four leagues farther to
the southward the coast inclines towards the west to the road of Santa
Cruz, where we anchored at half-past nine on Sunday morning in
twenty-five fathoms water, and moored along shore in the same depth, with
the cupola tower of the church of St. Francis bearing west half north one
mile, the east part of the road east by north, the castle on the south
point south-west, and the west part of the Grand Canary south-south-east.
A Spanish packet bound to Corunna, an American brig, and several other
vessels, were lying here.

(*Footnote. South 82 degrees east by the compass.)

As soon as the ship was anchored I sent an officer (Mr. Christian) to
wait on the governor a