August 5, 1834
Like yesterday. The wind already very brisk early. Sunshine. About eight o’clock, nine knots. A ship [was visible] in the north. Porpoises. Still nice weather at noon, favorable wind; we made eight to nine knots. Seabirds. We left the [other] ship far behind us. With this wind we could [not?] take soundings in the evening. The seas were very high and wild because of the brisk wind, magnificently dark blue with white foam. About noon, latitude 49°4′, longitude 12°38′. At four o’clock [the ship’s speed was] eight and a half knots, [and the] wind [was] very favorable [and] brisk; bright, beautiful sunshine, excellent weather. About five o’clock we saw a three-master in the southeast, which we [overtook]; at six thirty we were alongside it. It was the English ship Isabella, 44 days out of Jamaica, bound for London. Its longitude differed five miles from ours. After we had a long talk with [the Isabella], the sails were hoisted and [that] ship [was soon] far behind [us]. Another attempt was made to harpoon dolphins, but the shaft broke. The iron [instrument] is well designed. In ‘a’ it has some fabric and in ‘b’ a movable ring.
As soon as it hits the animal and penetrates deeply enough, the ring is pushed back by resistance. Then the whole piece of iron cuts horizontally and its point, ‘c’, forms a barb that holds it firmly within the animal. The blade is located in ‘d’. Its back does not cut.
We saw another ship to the southwest. Good, brisk wind in the night. The wind today [from the] southwest.