With the start of the morning watch we sent the boat out for water. Later in the forenoon the wind was a normal top gallant breeze from SW. We had good weather. Today our boat, while it was filled with water, got damaged as it smashed into the dock. An English Ships which were usually as long as a ship-of-the-line and were square-rigged on all three masts (full rigged), but were faster and with lighter armament, used for patrolling and escortfrigate passed us here and the English A sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other mastsbarquentine left again. During the first watch Captain Jacob van Bel, commanding the ship The Publicola, left with his slaves for the West-Indies. In the evening and at night a normal top gallant breeze came from SW to NW. We had good weather until the morning.

Why didn’t The Unity leave today for the Americas, just as the captain wrote in his letter?