Global Sea Routes: A Historical Geodatabase of European Global Navigation (1500-1900)

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Blessing 16-03-1630 22-04-1633

  • Ship name
    Blessing
    Departure place
    The Downs
    Departure Date
    16-03-1630
    Outbound destination place
    Surat, Suratte,Surett,Suratt,SirrattBantamIndiaIndonesia
    Outbound arrival Date
    14-10-1630
    End of Voyage
    22-04-1633
    Itinerary
    The Downs-Johanna-Surat-Bandar Abbas-Sumatra-Surat-Mauritius-St. Helena-The Downs
    Captain
    Green, Michael
    Nationality
    Great Britain
    Fleet
    EEIC
    Voyage Typology
    Commercial
    Places
    EuropeIndiaEngland
    Collected Places
    AfricaAugusten Bay, Augustin Bay,Bay of AugusteinBantamBrazilCanariesCape Good Hope, Cape Bona EsperanceComoro Islands, ComorosEast AfricaEnglandErithGombroon, Gomberoone,Comoronn,Gombaroon,Gombaron,ComorooneGravesendGreat BritainGujaratIndiaIndonesiaIsle of WightJavaJoanna, Johana,Johanney,Iohana,JohannaKentLondonMadagascar, St. Lawrence Island,Ilha de São Lourenço,Île de Saint LaurenceMauritiusPersian GulfPoullamben, Pollumbane,Palimbam,PoullambeineSalldayna Bay, Saldany Bay,Saldinia Bay,Saldanah Bay,Sardinia BaySouth AfricaSouth AsiaSt. Helena, Santta Lena,St. Hellena,St. AlenaSurat, Suratte,Surett,Suratt,SirrattSwally (Surat), SuvaliThe DownsTrindade island, Trinidada,Trindada,TrinidadoWestern India
    Part of Associated Voyages
    East India Company - Second Persian Voyage
    Total Voyage Duration
    1134
    Total days of actual navigation
    393
    Outbound Navigation Days
    213
    Homeward Navigation Days
    362
    Departure seasonality
    February-May
    Primary sources
    Warden, Andrew Blessing : Journal, Andrew Warden', British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MAR/A/LVI, in Qatar Digital Library [accessed 26 April 2021], (1633)
    Bibliographical references
    Farrington, Anthony Catalogue of East India Company Ships' Journals and Logs 1600-1834, (London, The British Library 1999)Foster, William The English factories in India, 1630-1633. A calendar of documents in the India Office, Bombay Record Office, etc., (Oxford, Clarendon Press 1910) Blessing : Journal, British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MAR/A/LVIII, in Qatar Digital Library [accessed 26 April 2021], (1633)
    Notes

    The Blessing is one of three ships of captain Matthew Morton’s Second Persian Voyage fleet – also called Second General Voyage –, departed from England on March 1630. The Blessing sailed from the Downs (March 16) towards India and Persia under the command of captain Michael Green, reaching these locations on the way out: Canaries (April 11-13); Trindade Island (May 20-25); Cape of Good Hope (June 22); St. Augustin Bay – Madagascar (July 14); Johanna Island – Comoros (August 6-23), where the fleet met the Discovery and the Reformation, two other EIC ships. All five ships decided to head directly towards Surat before reaching Persia and they arrived at the “Swally bar” on September 22. When they arrived, they found more than twenty Portuguese frigates blocking the passage. The logbooks and the EIC accounts record that the English fleet fired at the enemy but could not get near enough to prevail, even if they were able to capture a fireboat with «two Portuguese, seven blacks» and other «escaped» on board. On October 14, the English ships decided to proceed and to anchor in Swally Hole: the Discovery going ahead into the road; the William anchoring next to the Discovery, and then the Reformation, the James and the Blessing, trying to «frustrate any attack by the enemy’s fireboats». On January 22, 1631, all five ships bound for Persia where the Blessing arrived on February 7 e sailed again to Surat on March 19, anchoring in Swally Hole on April 5. After that, the Blessing with the James headed to their second destination, Bantam on Java Island. On their way towards Bantam, the ships lost the monsoons and met many strong streams that delayed their course, also jeopardizing their cargos. The ships finally managed to reach the South-West coast of Java Island on July 30 [Palimban]. On August 7, the Blessing’s logbook records a consultation «aboard of the James for shee and the small ship [the Dove] to take in our goods into them and sent us back to Surat». The ships had lost their monsoon for Bantam and agreed to separate: the Blessing going back to join captain Slade’s fleet (EIC – Third Persian (General) Voyage), while the James struggling on to Bantam, which reached with much difficulty on August 24. On August 8, the ships headed north to another bay «to get smooth water for transferring the cargo». After that, on August 16, the Blessing finally «parted with the James and the Dove, they for Bantam and wee for Surrat», where the Blessing arrived on October 14 with the Third Voyage fleet of captain James Slade, met ten days before on the way towards India. The Blessing sailed again towards Gombroon with this fleet on January 23, 1632, and on March 19 they sailed back together to Surat, anchoring in Swally Hole on April 8. At the end of the month the Blessing sailed for England, reaching these locations on the way back: Mauritius Islands (July 04), where the Blessing stayed for three months, leaving on October 2; Salldayna Bay (November 12-22); St. Helena (December 10, 1632-January 8, 1633); Isle of Wight (April 8-20). The Blessing finally reached the Downs on April 22 and came to an anchor in Erith on April 30, 1633, when the logbook ends.

    Special remarks
    Encounters at seaFlights and fightsMeteorological eventsShip maintenanceCommercial transactions
    View an interactive contemporary globe from the David Rumsey Map Collection
    [url=https://www.davidrumsey.com/globes/urbano-monte]Link to Urbano Monte, (Map of the World) (60 Sheets Joined), 1587[/url] – [url=https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~303644~90074313:Composite--Tavola-1-60---Map-of-the?qvq=q%3Aurbano%20monte%3Bsort%3APub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No%3Blc%3ARUMSEY%7E8%7E1&sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&mi=87&trs=96&cic=RUMSEY%7E8%7E1]Link to the globe metadata[/url]
    Nautical computings
    Blessing 16-03-1630 22-04-1633 The Downs Swally (Surat), Suvali 171Blessing 16-03-1630 22-04-1633 The Downs Cape Good Hope, Cape Bona Esperance 94Blessing 16-03-1630 22-04-1633 Cape Good Hope, Cape Bona Esperance Swally (Surat), Suvali 77Blessing 16-03-1630 22-04-1633 Swally (Surat), Suvali The Downs 222Blessing 16-03-1630 22-04-1633 Swally (Surat), Suvali Salldayna Bay, Saldany Bay,Saldinia Bay,Saldanah Bay,Sardinia Bay 109Blessing 16-03-1630 22-04-1633 Salldayna Bay, Saldany Bay,Saldinia Bay,Saldanah Bay,Sardinia Bay The Downs 113
    Nautical miles - total according to log
    23895.98
    Nautical miles - total according to GSR plotting
    27899.30
    Average speed - overall according to log
    2.53
    Average speed - overall according to GSR plotting
    2.96
    Record First Author(s)
    Erica Grossi
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