Saturday 27th. 4 AM. Shook the reef out of the three Topsails. 8 to 12 AM set F Topmast Star Sail and bent to new Main Topsail. 11 AM the boom iron carried away from the yard. The Cook hove his Slush Cask overboard because they wanted some out of it to grease Masts. Going 6 knots at noon. Killed a pig in the afternoon it weighed about 10 stone. There was a lark killing him. They shouldered him Fearfully the poor thing was a long time dying, they got it half scalded before it was dead, so the Carpenter said, it was my watch below so I had not the pleasure of seeing it. Raining all night. 12 PM. Stowed all the light sails Going 7 knots at 8 oclock PM. Pumps carefully attended. Lat 39.28
Richard’s ghoulish interest in the killing of the pig may seem shocking but then he did go on to be a butcher in later life. The pig would supply meat for much of the journey home. The cook rather petulantly threw all his saved grease away rather than let the others have any - this crew don’t seem to get on very well.
