g finished our business at Tenerife on Thursday the 10th we sailed
with the wind at south-east, our ship's company all in good health and
spirits.

I now divided the people into three watches, and gave the charge of the
third watch to Mr. Fletcher Christian, one of the mates. I have always
considered this as a desirable regulation when circumstances will admit
of it on many accounts; and am persuaded that unbroken rest not only
contributes much towards the health of a ship's company but enables them
more readily to exert themselves in cases of sudden emergency.

As it was my wish to proceed to Otaheite without stopping I ordered
everybody to be at two-thirds allowance of bread: I also directed the
water for drinking to be filtered though dripstones that I had bought at
Tenerife for that purpose.

In the evening we passed the south end of Tenerife which is a round lump
of land that, from the lowness of the contiguous land, has at a distance
the appearance of a separate island. By our run from the bay of Santa
Cruz I make the latitude of the south end of Tenerife to be 28 degrees 6
minutes north.

We ran all night towards the south-south-west having the wind at
south-east. The next morning we could see nothing of the land. I now made
the ship's company acquainted with the intent of the voyage and, having
been permitted to hold out this encouragement to them, I gave assurances
of the certainty of promotion to everyone whose endeavours should merit
it.

The winds for some days after leaving Tenerife were mostly from the
southward. Fishing-lines and tackle were distributed amongst the people
and some dolphins were caught.

Thursday 17.

On the 17th the wind came round to the north-east and continued steady in
that quarter till the 25th on which day at noon we were in 3 degrees 54
minutes north. As the cloudiness of the sky gave us reason to expect much
rain we prepared the awnings with hoses for the convenience of saving
water, in which we were not disappointed. From this time to our meeting
with the south-east tradewind we had much wet weather, the air close and
sultry with calms, and light variable winds generally from the southward.

Tuesday 29.

On the 29th there was so heavy a fall of rain that we caught seven
hundred gallons of water.

Thursday 31.

On the 31st, latitude at noon 2 degrees 5 minutes north, found a current
setting to the north-east at the rate of fourteen miles in the
twenty-four hours. Th