Southings: July 19th-24th, 1811

Over the next five days, Scoresby records very little in his journal besides the ship’s position, and their rate of progress. Starting on Friday at Lat 70 deg 12N, by the following Wednesday they had reached Lat 66 deg 12N, and were heading mostly South and West, towards the Faroes, Shetland, and Orkney.

On Monday, in fog, Scoresby fired a gun to signal the convoy to tack, and he recordes that the Aimwell answered. The Enterprise was discovered to be no more than 50 yards away, which was dangerously close in “impenetrable Fog”. Progress was often slow, the ship travelling at around 2 to 4 knots for most of the week, but in Tuesday the fog cleared, the wind increased, and Scoresby noted that they had “Made 90 Miles Southing”.

On the 24th, Scoresby’s journal records that with coal supplies running low “the fire is extinguished immediately after the Dinner is cooked”. It was also discovered, in these damp, foggy latitudes, that some of the sails were becoming mildewed, and they made an effort to “loose them at all opportunities”. Later in the day, as the weather turned fine: “Loosed all sails to dry began to suspend two Boats lines in the Suns rays”.