Part 15
After these trifles, permit the addition of a few general reflections. Navigation, when employed in supplying necessary provisions to a country in want, and thereby preventing famines, which were more frequent and destructive before the invention of that art, is undoubtedly a blessing to mankind. When employed merely in transporting superfluities, it is a question whether the advantage of the employment it affords is equal to the mischief of hazarding so many lives on the ocean. But when employed in pillaging merchants and transporting slaves, it is clearly the means of augmenting the mass of human misery. It is amazing to think of the ships and lives risqued in fetching tea from China, coffee from Arabia, sugar and tobacco from America, all which our ancestors did well without. Sugar employs near one thousand ships, tobacco almost as many. For the utility of tobacco there is little to be said; and for that of sugar, how much more commendable would it be if we could give up the few minutes gratification afforded once or twice a day by the taste of sugar in our tea, rather than encourage the cruelties exercised in producing it. An eminent French moralist says, that when he considers the wars we excite in Africa to obtain slaves, the numbers necessarily slain in those wars, the many prisoners who perish at sea by sickness, bad provisions, foul air, &c. &c. in the transportation, and how many afterwards die from the hardships of slavery, he cannot look on a piece of sugar without conceiving it stained with spots of human blood! Had he added the consideration of the wars we make to take and retake the sugar islands from one another, and the fleets and armies that perish in those expeditions, he might have seen his sugar not merely spotted, but thoroughly dyed scarlet in grain. It is these wars that make the maritime powers of Europe, the inhabitants of London and Paris, pay dearer for sugar than those of Vienna, a thousand miles from the sea; because their sugar costs not only the price they pay for it by the pound, but all they pay in taxes to maintain the fleets and armies that fight for it.
With great esteem, I am, Sir,
Your most obedient humble servant,
B. FRANKLIN.
FOOTNOTES:
[30] This letter and the annexed paper on the Gulph stream, are taken from the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, in which they were read December 2, 1785. _Editor._
[31] The motion of the vessel made it inconvenient to try this simple experiment at sea, when the proposal of it was written. But it has been tried since we came on shore, and succeeded as the other.
[32] Captain Truxton, on board whose ship this was written, has executed this proposed machine; he has given six arms to the umbrella, they are joined to the stem by iron hinges, and the canvas is double. He has taken it with him to China. February, 1786.
[33] Since this paper was read at the Society, an ingenious member, Mr. Patterson, has convinced the writer that the returning voyage would not, from this cause, be retarded.
[34] See the Paper referred to, Vol. I. p. 376. _Editor._
[35] See Vol. II. p. 104. _Editor._
_Remarks upon the Navigation from Newfoundland to New-York, in order to avoid the Gulph Stream on one hand, and on the other the Shoals that lie to the Southward of Nantucket and of St. George's Banks._
After you have passed the banks of Newfoundland in about the 44th degree of latitude, you will meet with nothing, till you draw near the Isle of Sables, which we commonly pass in latitude 43. Southward of this isle, the current is found to extend itself as far north as 41° 20′ or 30′, then it turns towards the E. S. E. or S. E. ¼ E.
Having passed the Isle of Sables, shape your course for the St. George's Banks, so as to pass them in about latitude 40°, because the current southward of those banks reaches as far north as 39°. The shoals of those banks lie in 41° 35′.
After having passed St. George's Banks, you must, to clear Nantucket, form your course so as to pass between the latitudes 38° 30′ and 40° 45′.
The most southern part of the shoals of Nantucket lie in about 40° 45′. The northern part of the current directly to the south of Nantucket is felt in about latitude 38° 30′.
By observing these directions and keeping between the stream and the shoals, the passage from the Banks of Newfoundland to New-York, Delaware, or Virginia, may be considerably shortened; for so you will have the advantage of the eddy current, which moves contrary to the Gulph Stream. Whereas if to avoid the shoals you keep too far to the southward, and get into that stream, you will be retarded by it at the rate of 60 or 70 miles a day.
The Nantucket whale-men being extremely well acquainted with the Gulph Stream, its course, strength, and extent, by their constant practice of whaling on the edges of it, from their island quite down to the Bahamas, this draft of that stream was obtained from one of them, Captain Folges, and caused to be engraved on the old chart in London, for the benefit of navigators, by
B. FRANKLIN.
_Note_, The Nantucket captains who are acquainted with this stream, make their voyages from England to Boston in as short a time generally as others take in going from Boston to England, viz. from twenty to thirty days.
A stranger may know when he is in the Gulph Stream, by the warmth of the water, which is much greater than that of the water on each side of it. If then he is bound to the westward, he should cross the stream to get out of it as soon as possible.
B. FRANKLIN.
OBSERVATIONS _of the Warmth of the_ SEA-WATER, &c. _by Fahrenheit's Thermometer, in crossing the Gulph Stream; with other Remarks made on board the Pennsylvania Packet, Capt. Osborne, bound from London to Philadelphia, in April and May, 1775_.
|Date| Hour |Temp|Temp |Wind|Course|Dist-| Lat |Long | Remarks. | | | | of | of | | |ance | N. | W. | | | | | Air|Water| | | | | | | |----+-------+----+-----+----+------+-----+-----+-----+------------------| | Apr| | | | | | | | | | | 10| | | 62 | | | | | | | | 11| | | 61 | | | | | | | | 12| | | 64 | | | | | | | | 13| | | 65 | | | | | | | | 14| | | 65 | | | | ° ′| ° ′| | | 26| | 60 | 70 | | | |37 39|60 38|Much gulph weed; | | | | | | | | | | | saw a whale. | | 27| | 60 | 70 | SSE| WbS | |37 13|62 29|Colour of water | | | | | | | | | | | changed. | | 28| 8 A.M.| 70 | 64 | SW | WNW | |37 48|64 35|No gulph weed. | | --| 6 P.M.| 67 | 60 | | | 34 | | |Sounded, no bottom| | 29| 8 A.M.| 63 | 71 | N | W | 44 |37 26|66 0|Much light in the | | | | | | | | | | | water last night.| | --| 5 P.M.| 65 | 72 | NE | | 57 | | |Water again of the| | --|11 dit.| 66 | 66 |NWbN| WbS | 57 | | | usual deep sea | | 30| 8 A.M.| 64 | 70 | NE | WbN | 69 | | | colour, little or| | | | | | | | | | | no light in it at| | | | | | | | | | | night. | | --|12 | 62 | 70 | | EbS | 24 |37 20|68 53|Freq. gulph weed, | | --| 6 P.M.| 64 | 72 | ESE| WbN | 43 | | | water continues of | | | | | | | | | | sea colour, little | | | | | | | | | | light. | | --|10 dit.| 65 | 65 | S | | 25 | | |Much light. | | May| | | | | | | | | | | 1| 7 A.M.| 68 | 63 | | | 60 | | |Much light all | | | | | | | | | | | last night. | | --|12 | 65 | 56 | SSW| WNW | 44 |38 13|72 2 |Colour of water | | | | | | | | | | | changed. | | --| 4 P.M.| 64 | 56 | | WbN | 21 | | | | | --|10 dit.| 64 | 57 | SW | WNW | 31 | | |Much light. | | 2| 8 A.M.| 62 | 53 | | | 18 |38 43|74 3|Much light. Thunder | | | | | | | | | | -gust. | | --|12 | 60 | 53 | WSW| NW | 18 | | | | | --| 6 P.M.| 64 | 55 | NW| WSW | 15 | | | | | --|10 | 65 | 55 | NbW| WbN | 10 | | | | | 3| 7 A.M.| 62 | 54 | | | 30 |38 30|75 0| | ------------------------------------------------------------------------
OBSERVATIONS _of the Warmth of the_ SEA-WATER, &c. _by Fahrenheit's Thermometer; with other Remarks made on board the Reprisal, Capt. Wycks, bound from Philadelphia to France, in October and November, 1776_.
|Date |Hour|Hour|Temp|Temp |Wind|Course|Dist-| Lat |Long | Remarks | | |A.M.|P.M.| of | of | | |ance | N. | W. | | | | | | Air|Water| | | | | | | |-----+----+----+----+-----+----+------+-----+-----+-----+--------------- | Oct | | | | | | | | | |Left the capes | | 31| 10 | | 76 | 70 |SSE | EbS | 135 |38 12|70 30|Thursday night,| | --| | 4 | | 71 | | | | | |Oct 29, 1776 | | Nov | | | | | | | | | | | | 1| 10 | | | 78 |WSW | E½N | 109 |No ob|68 12| | | --| | 4 | 71 | 81 | | | | | | | | 2| 8 | | 71 | 75 | N | | | | |Some sparks in | | --| 12 | | | 78 | | | 141 |ditto|65 23|the water these| | --| | 4 | 67 | 76 | | | | | |two last nights| | 3| 8 | | | 76 | NW | ESE½E| | | | | | --| 12 | | | 76 | | EbS | 160 |37 0|62 7| | | --| | 4 | 70 | 76 | | | | | | | | 4| 9 | | 68 | 76 | | NbE | | | |Ditto. | | --| | 1 | | 76 | | | 194 |36 26|58 8| | | --| | 4 | 68 | 76 | | | | | | | | --| | 8 | | 78 | | | | | | | | 5| 8 | | 68 | 76 | | NE | | | |Ditto. | | --| 12 | | 70 | 75 | | | 163 |35 21|55 3| | | --| | 4 | | 75 | | | | | | | | --| | 8 | | 75 | | | | | | | | 6| 8 | | | 76 |EbN | S50E | | | | | | --| 12 | | | 77 | | | 7 |35 33|53 52| | | 7| 8 | | | 78 |SEbE| N30W | | | | | | --| 12 | | | 77 | | | 108 |36 6|52 46| | | --| | 4 | | 77 | | | | | | | | 8| 9 | | 75 | 77 |SbE | N49E | | | | | | --| 12 | | | 77 | | | 175 |38 2|50 1| | | --| | 4 | | 77 | | | | | | | | 9| 9 | | 75 | 77 | | | | | | | | --| 12 | | 75 | 70 | SW | N33E | 175 |39 39|46 55| | ------------------------------------------------------------------------
OBSERVATIONS MADE ON BOARD THE REPRISAL, CONTINUED.
|Date.|Hour|Hour|Temp|Temp |Wind|Course|Dist-| Lat |Long |Remarks. | | |A.M.|P.M.| of | of | | |ance | N. | W. | | | | | | Air|Water| | | | | | | |-----+----+----+----+-----+----+------+-----+-----+-----+--------------- | Nov | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | | 4 | | 71 | | | | | | | | 10 | 8 | | 70 | 68 | | | | | | | | -- | 12 | | | 64 | E |N 17 E| 64 |40 39|46 27| | | 11 | 8 | | | 63 | | | | | | | | -- | 12 | | | 61 |S E |N 8 E | 41 |41 19|46 19| | | 12 | 8 | | 56 | 59 | | | | | | | | -- | | 4 | | 69 |NNW |N 80 E| 120 |41 39|43 42| | | 13 | all day | | 68 | E |S 82 E| 69 |41 29|42 10| | | 14 | 8 | | 70 | 70 | |N 74 E| 111 |42 0|39 57| | | -- | |Noon| | 72 |ESE | | | | | | | -- | | 4 | | 71 | | | | | | | | 15 | 8 | | 61 | 69 | | | | | | | | -- | |Noon| | 68 |WSW |N 70 E| 186 |43 3|35 51| | | -- | | 4 | | 67 | | | | | | | | 16 | |Noon| 65 | 67 |S W |N 67 W| 48 |43 22|34 50| | | -- | | 4 | | 63 | | | | | | | | 17 | 8 | | | 63 |ESE |N 19 E| 56 |44 15|34 25| | | 18 | all day | | 65 |SbW |N 75 E| 210 |45 6|29 43|Some gulph weed| | 19 | |Noon| 65 | 64 |S W |N 80 E| 238 |45 46|24 2| | | 20 | 8 | | | 62 | N |S 80 E| 155 |45 19|20 30| | | -- | | 4 | | 60 | | | | | | | | 21 | 9 | | | 62 | S |N 88 E| 94 |45 22|18 17| | | 22 | 10 | | 60 | 62 |SSW |S 89 E| 133 |45 19|15 19| | | 23 | |Noon| | 61 |WSW |S 86 E| 194 |45 6|10 35| | | 24 | | do.| | 60 |NNE |N 78 E| 191 |45 46| 6 10| | | 25 | | do.| | 60 |N E |S 76 E| 125 |45 4| 3 23| | | 26 | | do.| 56 | 60 | E |N 73 E| 31 |45 13| 2 20| | | 27 | | do.| | 58 | | | | | |Soundings off | | 28 | | do.| 54 | 56 | | | | | | Bellisle. | ------------------------------------------------------------------------
_A Journal of a Voyage from the Channel between France and England towards America._
| | | |Therm. AM|Therm. PM| | | |Varia-| | | | | |---------|---------| | |Dis- |tion | | |Date|Latit.|Long.|Air|Water|Air|Water|Winds|Course|tance |of the| | | | N. | W. | | | | | | | |Needle| | | | | | | | | | | |Miles.| West.| | |----|------|-----|---|-----|---|-----|-----|------|------|------| | |July| | | | | | | | | | | | | 29 | | | 62| 57 | | | {These are taken on an} | | | 30 | | | 62| 58 | 63| 58 | {average of 24 hours. } | | | 31 | | | 60| 58 | 62| 62 | | | | | | |Aug | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |49 15 | 4 15| 63| 62 | 60| 64 |East |SW ½W | 60 |22° 0 | | | 2 |48 28 | 8 58| 64| 64 | 64| 63 |E S E|WbS ½S| 174 | | | | 3 |47 0 |12 13| 60| 67 | omitted |N E |SW bW | 160 | | | | 4 |45 0 |15 43| 66| 66 |do.| 66 |NW bW|SW ½W | 190 | | | | 5 |43 5 |17 25| 67| 65 | 65| 68 |N E |SW bS | 131 |20 0 | | | 6 |41 3 |19 44| 70| 68 | 71| 69 |N E |SW ½S | 166 |16 30 | | | 7 |38 45 |21 34| 70| 70 | 68| 70 |N E |SSW ¾W| 165 |11 30 | | | 8 |36 42 |23 10| 72| 71 | 73| 72 |N E |SSW ¾W| 149 |11 15 | | | 9 |35 40 |25 40| 73| 73 | 73| 74 |N E |WSW ¼S| 137 | --|--------| | 10 |35 0 |27 0| 71| 73 | 77| 75 |N W |WSW ¾S| 76 | |Therm|Noon| | 11 |33 51 |28 42| 74| 74 | 76| 77 |North|SW ¾W | 112 | |-----|----| | 12 |33 30 |31 30| 76| 75 | 76| 76 |North|W ¾S | 143 | | A. | W. | | 13 |33 17 |33 32| 76| 76 | 78| 77 |N E |W ½ S | 103 | | 77 | 78 | | 14 |33 22 |34 31| 76| 76 | 81| 79 |S S E|W ½ N | 50 | | 81 | 79 | | 15 |33 45 |35 0| 78| 79 | 79| 78 |W N W|SW ¼W | 35 | | 79 | 79 | | 16 |34 14 |35 30| 79| 78 | 81| 80 |West |NW ½N | 38 | | 81 | 80 | | 17 |35 37 |36 4| 80| 79 | 80| 78 |W S W|N N W | 75 | | 80 | 78 | | 18 |36 7 |37 16| 80| 78 | omitted |NW bW|WNW ½N| 65 | | 80 | 79 | | 19 |36 38 |38 0| 78| 77 | 78| 77 |W S W|NW ½W | 49 | | 79 | 77 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------
_Journal of a Voyage, &c. continued._
| | | |Therm. AM|Therm. PM| | | |Varia-|Therm. | | | | |---------|---------| | |Dis- |tion |at Noon.| |Date|Latit.|Long.|Air|Water|Air|Water|Winds|Course|tance |of the|--------| | | N. | W. | | | | | | | |Needle| | | | | | | | | | | | |Miles.| West.| A.| W. | |----|------|-----|---|-----|---|-----|-----|------|------|------|--------| |Aug | | | | | | | | | | / | | 20 |37 38 |38 6| 78| 76 | omitted |West |N ¼ W | 62 | | 77 | 75 | | 21 |36 15 |38 26| 73| 74 | 78| 76 |W N W|S b W | 82 | | 77 | 75 | | 22 |35 40 |38 44| 7 | 76 | 80| 77 |W b S|S S W | 38 | | 80 | 77 | | 23 |35 35 |40 52| 7 | 77 | 78| 75 |North|W ¼ S | 100 | | omitted.| | 24 |35 12 |41 31| 75| 73 | 75| 74 |W N W|S WbW | 41 | | 75 | 74 | | 25 |35 40 |42 33| 79| 76 | 79| 76 |W b N|W NW¾N| 60 | | 80 | 76 | | 26 |35 30 |42 44| 79| 76 | 80| 76 |S WbW|S W½S | 14 | | 80 | 76 | | 27 |35 14 |43 23| 79| 77 | 81| 79 |West |W SW¼S| 38 | | 81 | 78 | | 28 |34 23 |44 0| 7 | 76 | 78| 78 |N N E|S WbS | 60 | | 78 | 78 | | 29 |34 12 |45 52| 77| 78 | 78| 78 |N E |W ¼ S | 94 | 8° 0| 79 | 78 | | 30 |34 5 |48 31| 78| 78 | 78| 78 |East |W ½ S | 134 | | 78 | 78 | | 31 |34 20 |51 4| 80| 79 | 81| 79 |East |W ¾ S | 129 | | 80 | 80 | |Sep | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |34 20 |52 47| 81| 78 | omitted |S S W|W ¼ N | 86 | | 83 | 80 | | 2 |34 55 |55 12| 81| 80 | 83| 80 |S W |WbN ½W| 125 | | 83 | 80 | | 3 |35 30 |57 24| 83| 80 | 83| 80 |S WbS|WbN ½N| 114 | 6° 0| 84 | 81 | | 4 |35 50 |59 1| 82| 80 | 83| 80 |S W½W|WbN ¼N| 82 | | 83 | 81 | | 5 |35 55 |61 0| 81| 80 | 82| 81 |S S W|W ¼ N | 96 | | 82 | 81 | | 6 |36 20 |62 30| 80| 81 | 79| 80 |N WbN|W b N | 75 | | 78 | 80 | | 7 |34 50 |63 10| 87| 80 | 78| 81 |N WbN|S S W | 86 | | 78 | 81 | | 8 |34 45 |64 40| 75| 79 | 75| 79 |North|W ¼ S | 74 | | 75 | 79 | | 9 |35 43 |66 42| 75| 79 | 77| 73 |N E |W N W | 108 | | 78 | 80 | | 10 |37 20 |68 40| 77| 73 | 77| 70 |E N E|N W | 126 | | 78 | 72 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------
N.B. Longitude is reckoned from London, and the Thermometer is according to Fahrenheit.
OBSERVATIONS.
July 31. At one P.M. the Start bore WNW. distant six leagues.
August 1. The water appears luminous in the ship's wake.
---- 2. The temperature of the water is taken at eight in the morning and at eight in the evening.
---- 6. The water appears less luminous.
---- 7. Formegas SW. dist 32½ deg. St. Mary's SW½S. 33 leagues.
---- 8. From this date the temperature of the water is taken at eight in the morning and at six in the evening.
---- 10. Moonlight, which prevents the luminous appearance of the water.
---- 11. A strong southerly current.
---- 12. Ditto. From this date the temperature of the air and water was taken at noon, as well as morning and evening.
---- 16. Northerly current.
---- 19. First saw gulph weed.
---- 21. Southerly current.
---- 22. Again saw gulph weed.
---- 24. The water appeared luminous in a small degree before the moon rose.
---- 29. No moon, yet very little light in the water.
---- 30. Much gulph weed to-day.
---- 31. Ditto.
Sept. 1. Ditto.
---- 2. A little more light in the water.
---- 4. No gulph weed to-day. More light in the water.
---- 5. Some gulph weed again.
---- 6. Little light in the water. A very hard thunder-gust in the night.
---- 7. Little gulph weed.
---- 8. More light in the water. Little gulph weed.
---- 9. Little gulph weed. Little light in the water last evening.
---- 10. Saw some beds of rock-weed; and we were surprised to observe the water six degrees colder by the thermometer than the preceding noon.
This day (10th) the thermometer still kept descending, and at five in the morning of the 11th, it was in water as low as 70, when we struck soundings. The same evening the pilot came on board, and we found our ship about five degrees of longitude a-head of the reckoning, which our captain accounted for by supposing our course to have been near the edge of the gulph stream, and thus an eddy-current always in our favour. By the distance we ran from Sept. 9, in the evening, till we struck soundings, we must have then been at the western edge of the gulph stream, and the change in the temperature of the water was probably owing to our suddenly passing from that current, into the waters of our own climate.
On the 14th of August the following experiment was made. The weather being perfectly calm, an empty bottle, corked very tight, was sent down 20 fathoms, and it was drawn up still empty. It was then sent down again 35 fathoms, when the weight of the water having forced in the cork, it was drawn up full; the water it contained was immediately tried by the thermometer, and found to be 70, which was six degrees colder than at the surface: the lead and bottle were visible, but not very distinctly so, at the depth of 12 fathoms, but when only 7 fathoms deep, they were perfectly seen from the ship. This experiment was thus repeated Sept. 11, when we were in soundings of 18 fathoms. A keg was previously prepared with a valve at each end, one opening inward, the other outward; this was sent to the bottom in expectation that by the valves being both open when going down, and both shut when coming up, it would keep within it the water received at bottom. The upper valve performed its office well, but the under one did not shut quite close, so that much of the water was lost in hauling it up the ship's side. As the water in the keg's passage upwards could not enter at the top, it was concluded that what water remained in it was of that near the ground, and on trying this by the thermometer, it was found to be at 58, which was 12 degrees colder than at the surface.