1726 - Diary of Franklin's return passage to PA

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=185 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="040b9c00dduajq.jpg"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="70" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 76 WIDTH="66"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="76" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="66" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Links</B></div> <div> <B> </B></div> <bR> <div> <B>[</B><A HREF="id114_you_have_our_permission___electric_franklin_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Visitor Correspondence"><U><B>consent from</B></U></A><B>]</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/index."><U><B><IMG SRC="2858f220.png" border=0 width="143" height="34" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biography/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biogra"><U>Life of Benjamin Franklin </U></A></div> <div> by </div> <div> Jared Sparks</div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Falmouth Packet Archives 1688-1850</B></FONT>    |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Falmouth Packet Archives 16881850"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id169.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1724 Franklins first voyage, to England"><U>1724 - Franklin's first voyage, to England.</U></A>   |   <B>1726 - Diary of Franklin's return passage to PA</B>   |   <A HREF="id168.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1757 Franklin takes the packet to Falmo"><U>1757 - Franklin takes the packet to Falmouth (England)</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id167.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1762 Franklin sails to PA in convoy"><U>1762 - Franklin sails to PA in convoy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id176.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="March 1775 Franklin Leaves England for "><U>March 1775 - Franklin Leaves England for PA</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id177.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1764 Franklin sails, PA to Portsmouth ("><U>1764 - Franklin sails, PA to Portsmouth (Nov-Dec) </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id178.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Nov. 1776: Franklin sails to France on R"><U>Nov. 1776: Franklin sails to France on 'REPRISAL'</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id166.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="1785 Franklin returns from France to Ph"><U>1785 - Franklin returns from France to Philadelphia</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id180.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Franklins correspondence"><U>Franklin's correspondence</U></A></div> <div> 1726 - Diary of Franklin's return passage to PA</div> <bR> <div> <B>Please note: The following is </B><A HREF="id114_you_have_our_permission___electric_franklin_.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Site Visitor Correspondence"><U><B>published with consent</B></U></A><B> from Independence Hall Association (IHA)</B></div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#990000" FACE="Arial" ><B>of Philadelphia, owners of</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><A HREF="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/index."><U>The Electric Franklin</U></A>.  </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#BF0000" FACE="Arial" >Please </FONT><A HREF="mailto:xjt60@dial.pipex.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:xjt60@dial.pipex.com"><U>e-mail me</U></A> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#990000" FACE="Arial" >if you know of similar resources devoted to the life of Franklin</FONT>  </div> <div> Thank you.  Andrew Campbell, 28 November, 2000.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="1726___franklin_sails_from_gravesend_to_pa"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>1726</B>          Franklin returns to Philadelphia</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1726-1750/franklin/voy.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1726-1750/"><U>Franklin sailed from Gravesend, on July 23rd, in the </U></A><A HREF="http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1726-1750/franklin/voy.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1726-1750/"><U><I>Berkshire</I></U></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >, for Philadelphia, arriving October 11th.1726. </FONT></div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biography/app02.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biogra"><U><I>Journal of Occurrences in my Voyage to Philadelphia</I></U></A></FONT><I> on board the Berkshire, Henry Clark, Master, from London </I>( 22 July - 11 October, 1726)</div> <bR> <div>  <A NAME="_berkshire__delayed_at_spithead__1726_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Delayed by strong westerly winds, the <I>Berkshire </I>put into <B>Spithead</B>. "<I>the place where the fleets commonly anchor, and is a very good riding place." </I></div> <bR> <div> Franklin describes <B>Portsmouth</B>, "<I>during the little time we stayed, I made some observations on the place..</I>[fortifications, history etc.].</div> <div> <I>The English have so many fleets</I> [squadrons]<I> of men-of-war at sea at this time, one gone to the Baltic, one to the Mediterranean, and one to the West Indies. I counted in this harbour above thirty sail of second, third, and fourth rates, that lay by unrigged, but easily fitted out upon occasion, all their masts and rigging lying marked and numbered in storehouses at hand. The King's yards and docks employ abundance of men, who, even in peace time, are constantly building and refitting men-of-war for the King's service."</I></div> <bR> <div> He comments on the fortifications at Portsmouth, Gosport and <B>Cowes</B>, "<I>There is a fort built in an oval form, on which there are eight or ten guns mounted for the defense of the road. They have a post-office, a custom-house, and a chapel of ease; and a good harbour for ships to ride in, in easterly and westerly winds."</I></div> <bR> <div> Friday, July 29. [1762] "..<I> the wind continuing adverse still, we went ashore again this morning, and took a walk to </I><I><B>Newport</B></I><I>, which is about four miles distant from </I><I><B>Cowes</B></I><I>, and is the metropolis of the island. Thence we walked to </I><I><B>Carisbrooke</B></I><I>, about a mile further, out of curiosity to see that castle, which King Charles the First was confined in; and so returned to Cowes in the afternoon."</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="2beb8420.jpg" border=0 width="440" height="322" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Gateway was built around the time of Edward IV., by Anthony Woodville, Lord Scales and Rivers, then Lord and Captain of the Wight.  Charles I was confined here for a year prior to his execution.</div> <div>  </div> <div> <I>One Hundred Gems of English Scenery</I>, <I>A Collection of Permanent Photographs</I>,  p.20 published by The Graphtone Co. Enfield. (circa 1900)</div> <bR> <div> <B>Carisbrooke Castle</B>; "<I>Cadogan, the last governor, who succeeded General Webb, refusing to purchase it, Webb stripped it clear of all, even the hangings, and left nothing but bare walls.  The castle stands upon a very high and steep hill, and there are the remains of a deep ditch round it; the walls are thick, and seemingly well contrived; and certainly it has been a very strong bold in its time, at least before the invention of great guns. It is divided into the lower and the upper castle, the lower enclosing the upper, which is of a round form, and stands upon a promontory, to which you must ascend by near a hundred stone steps; this upper castle was designed for a retreat in case the lower castle should be won.  There are but seven pieces of ordnance mounted upon the walls, and those in no very good order; and the old man, who is the gunner and </I><I><B>keeper of the castle</B></I><I>, and who </I><I><B>sells ale in a little house at the gate</B></I><I>, has in his possession but six muskets, which hang up at his wall, and one of them wants a look. He told us that the castle, which had now been built 1203 years </I>[523 AD]<I>, was first founded by one Whitgert, a Saxon, who conquered the island, and that it was called Whitgertsburg for many ages. That particular piece of building, which King Charles lodged in during his confinement here, is suffered to go entirely to ruin. </I></div> <bR> <div> Complimenting  <B>Newport</B>, Isle of Wight, Franklin noted, <I>I think Newport is chiefly remarkable for </I> <A NAME="oysters__newport_isle_of_wight__1726_ref_by_franklin_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><I><B>oysters</B></I><I>, which they send to London and other places, where they are very much esteemed, being </I><I><B>thought the best in England.</B></I><I> The oyster-merchants fetch them, as I am informed, </I><I><B>from other places, and lay them upon certain beds in the river </B></I><I>(the water of which is it seems excellently adapted for that purpose) </I><I><B>a-fattening;</B></I><I> and when they have lain a suitable time they are </I><I><B>taken up again,</B></I><I> and </I><I><B>made fit for sale</B></I><I>.</I></div> <bR> <div> On  <B>Yarmouth</B>..he wrote; "<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><I>a smaller town than Cowes yet, the buildings being better, it makes a handsomer prospect at a distance, and the streets are clean and neat. There is one monument in the church, which the inhabitants are very proud of, and which we went to see. It was erected to the memory of </I><I><B>Sir Robert Holmes</B></I><I>, who had formerly been governor of the island. It is his statue in armour, somewhat bigger than the life, standing on his tomb, with a truncheon in his hand, between two pillars of porphyry. Indeed, all the marble about it is very fine and good; and they say it was designed by the French King for his palace at Versailles, but was cast away upon this island, and by Sir Robert himself in his lifetime applied to this use, and that the whole monument was finished long before he died, though not fixed up in that place; the inscription likewise, which is very much to his honor, being written by himself.  </I><I><B>One would think either that he had no defect at all, or had a very ill opinion of the world, seeing. He was so careful to make sure of a monument to record his good actions and transmit them to posterity.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> Then aged 20, he recounts a struggle to cross a tidal, shallow, muddy creek...<I>"three of us took a walk up further into the island; and, having gone about two miles, we headed a creek that runs up one end of the town, and then went to </I><I><B>Freshwater Church</B></I><I>, about a mile nearer the town, but on the other side of the creek....it grew dark, ... told that there was a ferry boy that would carry us over to the town. But when we came to the house the lazy whelp was in bed, and refused to rise and put us over; upon which we went down to the waterside, with a design to take his boat, and go over by ourselves. We found it very difficult to get the boat, it being fastened to a stake, and the tide risen near fifty yards beyond it; I stripped all to my shirt to wade up to it; but missing the causeway, which was under water, I got up to my middle in mud. At last I came to the stake; but, to my great disappointment, found she was locked and chained. I endeavoured to draw the staple with one of the hole-pins, but in vain; I tried to pull up the stake, but to no purpose; so that, after an hour's fatigue and trouble in the wet and mud, I was forced to return without the boat. We had no money in our pockets, and therefore began to conclude to pass the night in some haystack,</I> ...... <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biography/app02.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biogra"><U>read the rest of this amusing saga (</U></A></FONT><A HREF="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biography/app02.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biogra"><U>Life of Benjamin Franklin by Jared Sparks</U></A>, <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biography/app02.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/biogra"><U>Appendix II</U></A></FONT>)... Don't worry, they made it to the <I><B>Queen's Head</B></I>, but ...<I>Our boat being gone on board, we were obliged to lie ashore all night; and thus ended our walk.</I>[!]</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="2bfb8670.jpg" border=0 width="440" height="359" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Not the <I>Queen's Head</I>, but the <I>Old Crab Inn</I> at Shanklin (above centre) and nearby properties may resemble those Franklin observed in 1726</div> <div> [<I>One Hundred Gems of English Scenery</I>, <I>A Collection of Permanent Photographs</I>, published by The Graphtone Co. Enfield. (Date unknown)]</div> <bR> <div> <I>Sunday, July 31st. ...The boat came ashore, to hasten us on board. We had no sooner returned and hoisted in our boat, but the wind began again to blow very hard at west, insomuch that, instead of going any further, we were obliged to weigh and run down again to Cowes for the sake of more secure riding, where we came to an anchor again in a very little time; and </I><I><B>the </B></I><I><B> <A NAME="pudding_which_our_mess_made_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I><I><B>pudding</B></I><I>, which our mess made and put into the pot at Yarmouth, </I><I><B>we dined upon at Cowes</B></I><B>.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>Saturday, August 6th. — This morning we had a fair breeze for some hours, and then a calm that lasted all day. In the afternoon I leaped overboard and swam round the ship to wash myself. Saw several porpoises this day. About eight o'clock </I><I><B>we came to an anchor in forty fathom water against the tide of flood, somewhere below Portland, and weighed again about eleven, having a small breeze.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Sunday, August 7th. — Gentle breezes all this day. Spoke with a ship, the </I><I><B>Ruby,</B></I><I> bound for London from Nevis, </I><I><B>off the Start of Plymouth.</B></I><I> This afternoon spoke with Captain Homans in a ship bound for Boston, who came out of the river when we did, and had been beating about in the channel all the time we lay at Cowes in the Wight. </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Monday, August 8th. — Fine weather, but no wind worth mentioning, all this day; in the afternoon </I><I><B>saw the Lizard</B></I><I>.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Tuesday, August 9th. — </I><I><B>Took our leave, of the land this morning. </B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Saturday, August 27th. — Two dolphins followed us this afternoon; we hooked one, and </I><I><B>struck the other with the fizgig</B></I><I>; but they both escaped us, and we saw them no more. </I>[Definition of  '<B>fizgig'</B> -  a spluttering firework, squib, gadget...!]</div> <bR> <div> <I>Friday, September 9th. — This afternoon </I><I><B>we took four large dolphins</B></I><I>, three with a hook and line, and </I><I><B>the fourth we struck with a fizgig</B></I><I>. The</I><I><B> bait was a candle with two feathers stuck in it, one on each side, in imitation of a flying-fish,</B></I><I> which are the common prey of the dolphins. They appeared extremely eager and hungry, and snapped up the hook as soon as ever it touched the water. When we came to open them, we found in the belly of one a small dolphin, half-digested. Certainly they were half-famished, or are naturally very savage, to devour those of their own species.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Saturday, September 10th. — This day we dined upon the dolphins we caught yesterday, three of them sufficing </I><I><B>the whole ship, being twenty-one persons.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Wednesday, September 14th. — This afternoon, </I><I><B>about two o'clock</B></I><I>, it being fair weather and almost calm, as we sat playing drafts upon deck, </I><I><B>we were surprised with a sudden and unusual darkness of the sun</B></I><I>, which, as we could perceive, was only covered with a small, thin cloud; when that was passed by, we discovered that </I><I><B>that glorious luminary labored under a very great </B></I><I><B><U>eclipse</U></B></I><I>. At least ten parts out of twelve of him were hid front our eyes, and we were apprehensive he would have been totally darkened.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Thursday, September 15th. </I><I><B>— </B></I><I>For a week past, we have fed ourselves with the hopes, that the </I><I><B>change of the moon</B></I><I> (which was yesterday) would bring us a fair wind; but, to our great mortification and disappointment, the wind seems now settled in the westward, and </I><I><B>shows as little signs of an alteration as it did a fortnight ago</B></I><I>.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Tuesday, September 20th. — The wind is now westerly again, to our great mortification; and </I><I><B>we are come to an allowance of bread, two biscuits and a half a day.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Wednesday, September 21st. — This morning </I><I><B>our steward was brought to the geers and whipped</B></I><I>, for making an </I><I><B>extravagant use of flour in the puddings</B></I><I>, and for several other misdemeanors. </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Friday, September 23d. — This morning we spied a sail to windward of us about two leagues. We showed our jack upon the ensign-staff, and shortened sail for them till about noon, when she came up with us. She was the </I>Snow<I>, from Dublin, bound to New York, having </I><I><B>upwards of</B></I><I> </I><I><B>fifty servants on board, of both sexes</B></I><I>; they all appeared upon deck, and seemed very much pleased at the sight of us.  .....</I></div> <div> <I>I find our messmates in a better humor, and more pleased with their present condition, than they have been since they came out; which I take to proceed from the contemplation of the </I><I><B>miserable circumstances of the passengers on board our neighbour,</B></I><I> and making the comparison. We reckon ourselves in a kind of paradise, when we </I><I><B>consider how they live, confined and stifled up with such a lousy, stinking rabble, in this sultry latitude.</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Friday, September 30th. — I sat up last night to observe an </I><I><B>eclipse of the moon</B></I><I>, which the calendar, calculated for London, informed us would happen at. five o'clock in the morning, September 30th. It began with us about eleven last night, and continued till near two this morning, darkening her body about six digits, or one half; the middle of it being about half an hour after twelve, </I><I><B>by which we may discover that we are in a meridian of about four hours and half from London,</B></I><I> or </I><I><B>67 1/2 degrees of longitude</B></I><I>, and consequently have not much above one hundred leagues to run. This is the second eclipse we have had within these fifteen days. </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Saturday, October 8th. — The fair wind continues still; we ran all night in our course, sounding every four hours, but can find no ground yet, nor is the water changed by all this day's run. This afternoon we saw an</I><I><B> Irish lord,</B></I><I> and a bird which, flying, looked like a yellow duck. These, they say, are not seen far from the coast. Other signs of land have we none. Towards evening we spied a sail ahead", and spoke with her just before dark. She was </I><I><B>bound from New York for Jamaica, </B></I><I>and </I><I><B>left Sandy Hook yesterday about noon</B></I><I>, from which they reckon themselves </I><I><B>forty-five leagues distant</B></I><I>. By this we compute that we are not above thirty leagues from our Capes, and hope to see land tomorrow.</I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Monday, October 10th. </I>— This morning we stood in again for land; and we, that had been here before, all agreed that it was <B>Cape Henlopen</B>; about noon we were come very near, and to our great joy saw the<B> pilot-boat</B> come off to us, which was exceeding welcome. He <B>brought on board about a peck of apples with him</B>; they seemed the most delicious I ever tasted in my life; the salt provisions we had been used to gave them a relish. We had extraordinary fair wind all the afternoon, and ran above a hundred miles up the Delaware before ten at night.  <B>We cast anchor when the tide turned, about two miles below Newcastle, and there lay till the morning tide.</B></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Tuesday, October 11th.</B></I><I> This morning we weighed anchor with a gentle breeze and passed by </I><I><B>Newcastle,</B></I><I> whence they hailed us and bade us welcome. It is extreme fine weather. The sun enlivens our stiff limbs with his glorious rays of warmth and brightness. The sky looks gay, with here and there a silver aloud. The fresh breezes from the woods refresh us; the immediate prospect of liberty, after so long and irksome confinement, ravishes us. In short, all things conspire to make this the 'most joyful day I ever knew. As we passed by </I><I><B>Chester,</B></I><I> some of the company went on shore, impatient once more to tread on terra firma, and designing for Philadelphia by land. Four of us remained on board, not caring for the fatigue of travel when we knew the voyage had much weakened us. About eight at night, the wind failing us, we cast anchor at </I><I><B>Redbank</B></I><I>, six miles from </I><I><B>Philadelphia</B></I><I>, and thought we must be obliged to lie on board that night; but, some young Philadelphians happening to be out upon their pleasure in a boat, they came on board, and offered to take us up with them; we accepted of their kind proposal, and about ten o'clock landed at Philadelphia, heartily congratulating each other upon our having happily completed so tedious and dangerous a voyage. Thank God!</I></div> <bR> <div> It took the <I>Berkshire</I> 64 days, from August 8th until October 11th to reach Philadelphia from the Lizard.  <B>The Falmouth packet service to New York did not commence until late 1754,</B> otherwise, it might have been interesting to compare the regular sailing packet passage duration on the same North Atlantic route.<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>