21st & 22nd June 1771

[With India Fleet, Homeward Bound]

21st. Fresh Gales and Cloudy. In the P.M. saw a Sail astern standing to the South-East, and at 11 o'Clock A.M. saw from the Mast head 13 Sail of Stout Ships, which we took to be the East India Fleet. Wind Northerly; course East by North; distance 128 miles; latitude 40 degrees 33 minutes North, longitude 30 degrees 20 minutes West.

22nd. Fresh Gales, with Squalls, attended with rain. In the Evening had 14 Sail in sight, 13 upon our lee Quarter, and a Snow upon our lee Bow. In the Night split both Topgallant Sails so much that they were obliged to be unbent to repair. In the Morning the Carpenter reported the Maintopmast to be Sprung in the Cap, which we supposed hapned in the P.M., when both the Weather Backstays broke. Our Rigging and Sails are now so bad that something or another is giving way every day. At Noon had 13 Sail in sight, which we are well assured are the India Fleet, and are all now upon our Weather Quarter. Wind North to North-East; course North 81 degrees East; distance 114 miles; latitude 41 degrees 11 minutes, longitude 27 degrees 52 minutes West.

Joseph Banks Journal

21st.  About noon we discoverd a fleet of 13 sail of large ships on our weather quarter; these we doubted not were our consorts the India fleet. One Shearwater was seen.

22nd.  The Fleet held so much better a wind than us that the[y] fairly went out of sight to windward of us, who indeed had split both our Topgallant sails in a squall.