Fine Weather: July 31st-August 4th, 1811

By the end of July, the Resolution was as far south as mainland Scotland, and making good progress down the east coast. The starboard side of the ship was painted, and there were coastal vessels nearby, as well as the whaler, Volunteer. On August 1st Scoresby guessed that the coast he saw through the gathering gloom was Kinnairds Head, Fraserburgh, and on the 2nd they “fetched in with land close by Peterhead saw the Enterprise and two Fishing Brigs in the Roads”. There were many fishing boats nearby now, and it was warm. Scoresby recorded 72 degrees Fahrenheit on the 31st.

On August 3rd, strong southeasterly winds meant that the Resolution spent the morning tacking and getting almost nowhere, but by noon on Sunday the Cheviot hills, in the borders, were in sight. There was also news of the whale fishery in the Davis Straits:

The Leviathan [Hull] came up from astern got a list of the Streights Ships from him he has 10. On the whole the fishery in that quarter has been very bad many Ships having but one or two fish each. Two or three clean. One lost and another under Ice three Days and got into harbour where a piece of Ice 10 Tons in weight was taken out of the hold.