R E M A ; ; R. K ,'_S • o n ' t h e
.trill affert truth,,-by' which fcience will be benefited, and human
knowledge enlarged. I f on the contrary, the arguments alledged in
Rehalf-of my-aflertions are found incontrovertible, they probably
will give my arguments new fupport and ftrength, and place beyond
the reach o f doubt; what I have endeavoured to hint at, as the only
truth. In either cafe, I have endeavoured to do my part, I have repre-
fented fadts as they really oceured to me, and-on that account I hope
my prolixity will be Jefs offenfive. ■ . ■
I might here have fubjoined many other particulars relative to the
ocean; I might have givenibme account o f its, currents, and o f the
different oonftitution o f its bottom, where we had any, foundings;
of the. yarious.tides; and of the dipping and variation o f the magnetical
needle; but I forbear to fpeak on thefe fubjedts, as they are partly the
objedts.of the nautical obfervations; made by the officers ;of fhips fent
on this expedition, which have been prefented to the Lords Commif-
fioners of the Admiralty, and by their command are publifhed in Captain
Cook’s nautical account; and as the board of-longitude, had
likewife charged two aftronomers, to make accurate obferyatiqns on
magnetifm and the tides, it would therefore be very improper, to
attempt a bufinefs lb ably difcharged By others,; who with proper
inftruments for that purpofe, more leifure, and with more command
o f affiftance, had better opportunities o f making more perfeft obfervations
on thefe fubjedts..
5 C H A P .
A T M O S P H E R E, 10
C H A P . I I I .
Remarks on the Atmofphere, and its Changes, Meteors, and
Rhtznomena.
MUJJD-I PARS ES.T AER. QUIDEM NECE&SARIA.
- Senecas
S E C T, I.
A QHJ E O U S M E T E O R S . .
E proceed noW'to’thecdnfideratibrx o f a lefs denfe’ele'ment,
and its various changes and phenomena, and iliall treat
firft,- o f the aqueous-meteors-; becaUfe more clofely connedted with
the -former fedlionv
Firji, T h e climate within the tropics being very warm, and the
nights rather long, the vapours raifed in the day time by the heat o f
the fun, are condenfed towards night, and fall frequently, as a dew
on.every part o f the fhip: and this we fometimes obferved in the
midft o f the atlantic ocean, though at a great diffetnee' from any land;1
We had a few inflances o f a throng dew falling in the higher latitudes,
o f which I will only feledt one on January Shh, at 10 P. M .
177 S ; when we were failing between 50° and 60° and far enough
from land, we found the whole deck and all the rigging moiftened
by
ATMOSPHERE