After four weeks at sea the poor passengers on the John Pirie and the Duke of York had barely left sight of land. But the capricious spring weather had not finished with them yet, as both vessels continued to battle gale force winds and high seas. The animals on board the John Pirie suffered greatly, and many of the passengers were seasick. The Cygnet meanwhile was just getting underway. By 24 March both Captain Morgan and Captain Rolls of the Cygnet decided to seek the shelter of the land once more. The Cygnet slipped two anchors in its haste, meaning no doubt to retrieve them later. Captain Morgan put in at Torbay, where he ran out 40, then 20 more fathoms of anchor cable, in anticipation of even worse weather. Once again he made use of the enforced delay to go on shore and replenish supplies. The John Pirie was more exposed. About to enter the Atlantic Ocean and much further from the safety of the shore, it bore the full force of the weather.
Ship progress week 5.
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