JOURNAL, in Navigation, a sort of diary or daily register of the ship's course, winds, and weather, together with a general account of whatever is material to be remarked in the period of a sea-voyage. In all such journals, the day, or what is called the twenty-four hours, terminate at noon, because the errors of the dead reckoning are at that period generally corrected by a solar observation. The daily compact usually contains the state of the weather; the variation, increase, or diminution of the wind; and the suitable shifting, reducing, or enlarging the quantity of sail extended; as also the most material incidents of the voyage, and the condition of the ship and her crew; together with the discovery of other ships or fleets, land, shoals, breakers, soundings, and the like.
JOURNAL is also a common name of weekly essays, newspapers, and also of several books which come out at stated times, and give abstracts, accounts, or criticisms of the new books that are published, and the improvements daily made in arts and sciences.