and lightning on the 23d, o f September 1773, when we difcovered
Harvey’s Iile. T h e fame happened after we had palled Mopeeha
or Howe’s Ifle on June 7th, 17 74 ; when we fell in with the Mar-
quefas and-O-Taheitee, we had fome fudden gulls o f wind with
rain; when we came to Tofooa one.of the Friendly Illes, when we
came into the vicinity o f Whitfuntide ifle, and during a good
while, that we were about the New-Hebrides; when, we came to
Norfolk-Ifle, and near New-Zeeland, we experienced the lame hidden
gulls o f wind with Ihowers of rain; all which feems to have
been likewife noticed by that intelligent- obferver, Mr. de Bougainville
* .
■ !Thirdly, that in the courfe o f our voyage, we Ihould efpecially
to the South have F ogs is very natural, from the nature of the climate,
and the analogy in the Northern hemifphere; nor would it
delerve any further notice, was it not for a very curious, and as far
as I know, quite new obfervation, hrll kindly communicated by that
great and experienced navigator, Capt. Cook, and which I afterwards
had frequent opportunities o f feeing confirmed, by my own
experience
I f after a hard. gale, with a high lea and a fwell, we met with a
calm, and a fog fell in at the fame time, we obferved that-the
fwell, inltead of gradually abating, as Ihould be the natural confequence
* See his voyage, p. 278. and 284 of the Engliih edition.
quence of a calm,, always increafed; which feems to be caufed by
the preflure o f the atmofphere, loaded with fuch a quantity of
aqueous particles,, as is always the cafe in a fog.
Fourthly , Th e repeated approach of our Ihip to the Antardlic circle,
was often announced by the fall o f s n o w , s l e e t , , and h a i l : but
the firlt year in 1772, we had fnow.very early in the latitude o f 510
on December n t h . In the courfe. of the following years,, we never
had fnow, except when we came into the neighbourhood o f that
circle. However,, it mull be obferved,, this happened during the
height o f fummer : what weather then mull not the winter-feafon
alford? W e were happy enough to meet with no land to the South;
which might have feduced us to fpend a cold feafon fomewhere on
it, and to experience the rigors, o f an Antardlic winter,
Fifthly, When we were going into Queen Charlotte’s Sound, in the
year 17 73, May 17th, we found ourfelves nearly abreall o f Cape
Stephens, between three and four o’clock in the afternoon : the wind
abated gradually, and we had almolt a calm. It had rained the day
before, and blew hard all the n igh t ; and in the morning the weather
had been mild, pleafant, and warm, the thermometer Handing
at 561°. A t a quarter after four o’clock, we obferved to the South-
Well fome thick clouds; and to all appearance it rained on the
Southern parts o f the Cape. Immediately we faw a whitilh Ipot
on the furface of the lea,, from whence a Itring or column rofe upwards
;
ATMOSPHERE.