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while reaching back one year and I was then at sea.
Tuesday, Dec. 30. Spoke British ship Solent (iron), 75 days from
Shanghai for London. Dec.31, about 6 P.M. Passed 60
miles to the westward of Ascension I. [1]
Thursday, Jan 1, 1863. Fine. Lat. 8°30’ S., long. 16°30 W.
Wednesday, Jan 7. Lat. 2’ N., long. 24.°45’ W. Mate and four
men board the Br. ship Hippogriff, on the Line, 32 days from
Cardiff for Calcutta; brought off papers (Gen. McCln superseded) [2] and a bbl of flour.
Lost my chance to go and bail the boat, by being asleep. Met
several ships here. After 3 days of calm and light wind with
little rain, catch a strong N.E trade at 4 P.M., Jan 10.
Jan 20. Lat. of Cape de Verde Islands. 15°8’ N. Friday, Jan 30.
Mate boards Barq. Flora, 84 days out from Peru for Hamburg.
Got sea biscuit [3] and flour. Feb 3. Board American brigantine ”Hercules,”
33 days from N.Y. for Cadiz. News of Burnside’s reverse [4].
Yankee Captain took us for privateer [5], and at first refused
to leave his cabin. Thursday, Feb. 5. Lat. 39°N, long. 35°W.
Splendid breeze and weather. Caught both at Tuesday midnight after
a week of nearly solid calm. Full moon. Sunday, Feb 15.
Landfall 50 miles west of Cape Clear, under lee of Skellig
Rocks [6]; tack ship. Drifted 120 m. too far north by the current.
Feb 16. Sight Bantry Bay lighthouse, Mizen Head, and Cape Clear [7] Beating still. 1/2 past 12 A.M. Tuesday
wind shifts. At daylight running up the St. Georges Channel [8] 
with fair wind.