Adam Cuningham journal, 1728 May 5-October 28

The journal of Adam Cuningham records his voyage to Virginia from Scotland, April 4-October 21, 1728. Cuningham recounts the many adventures of the ship and its crew who were fired upon by a French vessel, lost a man overboard who was killed by sharks, ran out of provisions and liquor (the latter due to theft by the transports), endured a hurricane, suffered from scurvy and were at the mercy of a drunken captain who often failed to leave his cabin for days at a time.

The first two pages of the journal are long since lost.

The journal is published in Whitfield Bell. The colonial physician & other essays. New York : Science History Publications, 1975.

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May 5^th faire clear weather, we steer to the NW
and make pretty good way, running twixt 6 and 7
nots p hour. 6^th The wind due west, so we steer NNW
or NW and by N, about 4 in the afternoon we spy'd a Saile
and the master taking his glass could make nothing of
her, about one hour afterwards she came within one hun-
dred and fifty yards of us, fired a sharp shot which brush'd
our broad side afterwards flying out a white Ensingn
We now thought she took us for a French pyrate or an
Algerine man. Therefore we presently Struck and hald
up our Colours; But when we spoke them we found
they were french men and their Cap^t. drunk who out of
a Bravado had fired at us seeing we were Defeneless
from this time to May 18^th we had generaly calms about
the 22^d we seed a ship on our Larbordside about 4
miles distance from us it being then break of day
and our Cap^t. much in Liquor we did not much care
for speaking to them, but our Cap^t. would speak them
and it being then a very rolling sea as we were coming
very nigh to speake them a heavy wave dash'd our Ship
against her Bolesprit which broke part of it, and we
would not have escapt Damage had it not been by the
Dexterity of our Steersman; the ship was a frenchman
lately come from Newfoundland load with Coadfish
We were then about the Latitude of 47-00 May 23
the winds still proving contrary we resolv'd to steere to
the S. and continued doing so until June the 2^d when
the wind shifted to SW, then we were oblidged to Steer
NW and WNW which we continued for 6 days; about
this time the servants aboard that were to be

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be transported, broke open our wine chest and stole
about 3 doz: of our wines which was a great Loss to us, our
water beginning to smell. They were lasht to the Pump &
whipt with a cat of nine tails. June 8 the wind shifts
to NE and we steer W and so continue so to the 14.
We now plainly see the Captain's humour, for he gets him-
self drunk every night, never minding the course of the
Ship and Seeing our Liquors beginning to runn scarce
the Supercargo & I take our own shares, Leaving the
other to him to do as he pleas'd, which he had not above
8 Days before it was finished. June 14 The wind
at W. and continues from W b N to W b S most part
of this month, here we had more wine stole from us
for which the principal Rogue was hangd up at the
maine yards arm, and then plung'd into y^e for 3
or 4 times successively, the rest were whipt at the main yard.
We are now almost out of Liquor and therfore very sparing
Our water being very loathsome to drink. July 1 exceed-
ing hott weather we being now in the Latitude of 36 15
the weather very calm, Our men are so fatiqued with heat
they can scarce handle the Sails, and our Water very
bad

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bad. July 3 spy’d a Brigg about 2 Leagues ahead
we immediately hoisted our Ensign on purpose to know of
her from whence she came, how far she might be from the
coast of America, whether she had any fresh provisions
to spare or could supply us with any Rum and sugar.
When we came nigh her we found she was an Irish
Ship come from Barbados bound for Cork in Ireland.
We told her our condition and the master desird us to hoist
out our Boat which was immediately done, so our
Mate and 4 of the sailors went on board of her, and were
very kindly entertain’d; but they could not spare us any
fresh provisions, onely they supply’d us with what rum
& sugar we wanted. We understood from them she came
from Barbados on the 4 of June and reckond they were
about 4 hundred Leagues from the coast of America.
they lickeways told us they left the trade wind in the Latt
of 30° - 00. July 4th we immediately steer S on purpose
to make the trade wind, it is now very hot weather but
the saylors can stand it out a litle better, because we gave them
a dram now and then. But our master is very Lazy lying in
his bed and getting himself drunk for 2 or 3 days suc-
cessively without offering to take one observatione or

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or mind the Ships course. We make but slow way
our Ship being very foul. July 5^th about 3 in the
morning our watch cryes for all hands upon deck, at
the same time telling there was one of the Ships com-
pany fall'n over board, immediately there was rop's thrown
over board, but all to no purpose, for ere the ship could
be turnd about he perisht; This poor fellow was one
of the Transports and had a hand in stealing our wine.
This day the hottest we have had yet. July 6^th faire
clear weather, we continue to Steer to the S. We perceive
now a vast many Dolphins and flying fish, which we
frequently catch and make very good food of them they
being the only fresh provisions we can have. July 7th
Stormy Weather we saile all day long under a Reef
main saile, but about 10 at night our Ma^r being in
Liquor to show his courage order'd the Sailors to
hoist the maine top saile, then then the foresaile and
fortopesaile, at which the mates showd him the danger wherto
he expos’d the Ship Cargo and all their Lives, but he
being headstrong order’d them to hoist Topgallant sail
Which they By the supercargos persuasion refus’d and

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by force hal'd him down to his Cabine where they
shut him in all night, they Lower'd the Sails presently yet
notwithstanding the water had got over the gunnel and
damag'd several parcels of goods. July 8^th Faire clear
weather, this day our Supercargo takes a protest against
the master, about noon we catch a Shark 9 foot Long
they having continued about our ship ever since our
man fell overbord. From July 9^th to 26 ditto we still
continue to steere S in which time we catch'd a vast
many Dolphins and Bonettos, which was a great preser-
vative against y^e scurvy, we having nothing but one
Barrell of salt pork aboard, but the greatest want we
labourd under now was the want of water, which tho
stinking as it was had allalong preserv'd our Lives, we
were now reduc'd to almost one English pint p day, untill
July 27 when their fell such a quantity of raine water
as would have filld all the vessels we had, If we could
have gott them shoon enough upon deck. We are now on the
Latitude of 31 – 14. July 28 We are just coming into
the Trade wind, But by the masters orders we are

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are oblidged to tack about, and steer NW
and WNW, by which we could perceive his desing was
to protract the Time as long as he could. Agust 4
pleasant weather, about 8 in the morning we
spy'd a ship to the Windard of us about 2 Leagues
all our water we had being unwholsome and our
Rum gone, we hal'd her to see if she could spare
us any provisions or fresh water; when she came
within speaking we ask't them from whence they
came and to whom they belong'd; they answerd they
belong'd to Boston in New England, came from New
foundland, & were bound for South Carolina. We then
beg'd them to spare us what provisions they could
offering any price for them. But they answerd they
could spare nothing but some salt fish and a litle
Rum, the being very scarce of water and provisions
themselves. Then we gave them what they demanded
and so parted. We understood by them that they
reckond themslv’s but 70 Leagues from the Capes of
Virginia, But to our Experience we found after-
wards we were more than 4 times 70 distant.
From August 5 to the 23d very high winds and

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for the most part contrary, here we find very
strong currents setting sometimes Northerly and then
Southerly so that it was very difficult to keep a due
reckoning. August 26 about 10 in the morning
perceived a ship about 3 Leauges ahead, we hoisted
our Ensign; at which she bore down to us, and came
up with us about 12, she had come from Nevis in
y^e west Indies, had been load with rum sugar &
molasses, but having loast her masts in a hurricane
they were oblidged to throw most of their rum &
suggar overboard, she was steering for new England
to repaire and have new masts; we could gett no
help from them it being then a very high Sea. from
August 26 to September 2 very faire winds, we
are now quite run out of Bread, so that we were
oblidged to eate pease but to our great comfort we
had still water aboard. September 3 spyd a ship
on our starboard quarter but it being then a NW
which is a violent NW wind which continues about
an hour we could not speak her untill it was over
she was a ship come from new York bound for
Suranam in the West Indies. her Cargo being most

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partly horses, having 29 of them when she
came away and now only 12 remaining, being ob-
lidged to throw 17 of them overboard by the violence
of the weather, We gott from them 2 Barrels of
flower which was a considerable help in our great
necessity. We continued until this time in a pretty good state
of health, saving the Scurvy which now began to show
its effects upon our mens Constitutions for there are
scarce 5 able to work the ship; in this condition
we continued untill the 19^th of Septr: which was
a day licke to have cost us all our Lives, it was
a violent Hurricane which begun thus, early in
the morning we perceiv’d a litle black cloud rising
from the NE. about one hour afterward it rose
higher and spread broader. Our mate who knew
what it portended immediately ordered the Sails
to be furled and the yards lowerd; by the time
this was done we could perceive the Cloud coming
with mighty force, and the Sea att a distance ris-
ing licke the Alps in a Map, it grew terrible dark
as it approach’t, with all the other signs of Terror
It was immediatly order’d all hands upon Deck
and with much difficulty 7 came, the rest not being
able or willing, we the shut all the Hatchets [hatches] very
close and Secur’d the boat. The sea now began to
be

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be very high, and there was nothing but terrour
before us large huge waves breaking over our stern
and Mizn mast. Our Men crying to one another but not
a word to be heard, except they came close to one anothers
ear’s and whisperd, att last there came a wave licke a
mountaine which washt over our maines top [illegible]
and brought the ship one her broad side, at the same
time Ballast Goods and all shifted in the Hould; Our
Ship lying one her Broad side made water very fast
and there was no pumping of her, none being able
to stand upon Deck, att last with much dificulty,
we gott 2 men lasht fast to the pump to relive one
another. We had not now much hope of our lives but
relying on providence the Carpenter was orderd to cut
away the mizn mast, which done we thought to have
lickeways cutt the maine mast, but before they sett
about it the violence of the wind blew it off and the
maineyard, which fell directly upon the Gunnell
and almost shatterd it to pieces; it was indeed very
terrible now to see our ship without either mast or
Sails exposd to the violence of a raging sea and
so few hands able to work; so that had it not been

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been the providence of almighty God we had all cer-
tainly perished. While the carpenter stood ready with
his axe there came a terrible wave which washt he
and 2 others overboard, but they were all 3 taken up
alive. This Tempest continued from 8 in the morning
untill 4 afternoon but the hight of it did not continue
above 3 hours; about 5 we went down to the hold
where we found it much better than expectation, there
being not above 2 foot of water in it, but the goods
were much damag'd; The Ship lay all this time on her
Broad side, so that there was no standing, however we
shifted as well as we could the goods and Ballast
and brought the ship a litle to rights. Next morning
prov’d a fine day, but it was very dismal to see our
ship destitute of masts and sails, we not knowing how
far we might be from any land. In the place of a
maine mast we sett up one ould foretop mast and
fore the mizn one ore we got old rotten remnants of
Sails in the hold and patcht them up as well as we
could ; and after this manner we continued untill the end

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end of our voyage, about 4 days after this we met a Sloop
in as bad a Condition as our selves if not worse, she had met
with a violent storm in the month of Agust, by which she
lost her mast and her upper deck and cabine with the
supercargo in it, they had neither compass nor Quadrant
aboard and having lost theire rudder were oblidged to lett
her drive as the winds permitted; they had come from New
England and bound for Jamaica. We spard them a compas
& quadrant; for which our Capt. gott 8 Barrels of flower.
and 6 firkins of Butter. The Weather continued very
good and on Sunday the 29 September we gott soundings
in 34 fathom water, about 5 afternoon we gott sight of
North Carolina, which was very acceptaple to us, we not
having seen land this 6 months and more. This day one
of our men fell over board and one dyed. Here we anchord
2 days in which time we run a great hazard of our
Lives for there happen'd at this time to be a Bristoll
Ship and a Mariland Ship riding along with us; the
Maryland Ship had come from Jamaica load with
rum sugar and Mollasses. The Bristoll man came from

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from Guinea but had disposd of his Slav’s in Barba-
do’s and was bound homward with a Cargo of Suggar, he had
lost all of his men but 5 hands, and this mariland Ship was
to conduct him to Virginia where he was to get more hands
and provisions. Our Capt. went aboard to see him and
there gott himself very drunk, it being late att night when
he came aboard and high sea we could not gett our Boat
hoisted in which occasioned its being lost, for all night the
Sea was very rough and next morning about 10 She was
stav'd to pieces. The weather continued very Tempestous
all that day which forced the mariland Ship to slip her
Anchor; but the Bristol man and we still kept fast un-
till about 12 att night when the Bristoll ship slipt licke-
ways; now if she had struck on our vessel it had been per-
haps the loss of both Ships, to save which we were just
going to cut our cable, and had already cutt it half throug
when the Ship drove by us about 6 yards, and the wind being
right one shore forc’t the ship against a hard Beach where
she was stav’d to pieces and all in her perish’d, they being fast
asleep when she slipt her Anchor. We had gone the same
way had it not been for the toughness of our Rop’s. next

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next day the wind prov’d faire and we weighd anchor
and saild along the coast toward Virgina but we hapend
in the night time to sail by the Cap’s, and the wind afterward turning
N we could not gett back againe; here we met with one
English ship bound for Mariland, from whom we gott
some fresh provisions but our Gumms were so sweld with
the Scurvy we could scarce eat them, We continued for
about 2 days and the third the wind turning faire we
gott unto the Cap’s, where to Compleat our misfortunes
our Capt. throu his rashness run the Ship aground in
the Bay, where she still continues without any hop’s
of getting her off. Our whole crew were 19 when we came
from Scotland and there are not but 14 alive. Thus ends
this tedious voyage which continues 6 months and 17 days.
We having come from Scotland Aprile 4th 1728 and
entred the cap’s of Virginia October 21. 1728.

Adam Cuninghame

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Ship wreck &
Adam Cuninghame

(son of Sir Wm. Cuninghame
Of Caprington & his wife
Dame Janet Dick of Prestonfield)