16 L I E U T E N A N T C O O K ’ s VO Y A GE
1768;.
October.
board had the appearance of metal violently heated, and
emitted a white light: with thefe animals were taken fome
very fm.all crabs, of three different fpecies, each of which
gave as much light as a glow-worm, though the creature
was not fo large by,nine tenths: upon examination of thefe
animals Mr. Banks had the fatisfadlion to find that they
were all entirely new.
November.
Wednef. z.
On Wednefday the 2d of November, about noon, being in
the latitude of 10“ 38' S. and longitude 320 13' 43" W. we
paHed the line in which the needle at this time would have
pointed due north and fouth, without any variation: for in
the morning, having decreafed gradually in its deviation for
fome days, it was no more than 18'W. and in the afternoon
it was 34' Eaft.
Sunday 6. On the 6th, being in latitude 1 9 0 3' South, longitude 35°
50' Weft, the colour of the water was obferved to change,
upon which we founded, and found ground at the depth of
32 fathoms; the lead was caft three times within about four
hours, without a foot difference in the depth dr quality of the
bottom, which was coral rock, fine Land, and fhells; we
Monday 7.
therefore fuppofed that we had paired over the tail of the
great fhoal which is laid down in all our charts by the name
of Abrothos, on which Lord Anfon ftruck foundings in his
paffage outwards : at four the next morning we had no
ground with too fathom.
As feveral articles of' our flock and pro.vifions now began
to fall fhort, I determined to put into Rio de Janeiro, rather
than at any port in Brazil or Falkland’s Iflands, knowing
that it could better fupply us with what we' wanted, and
making no doubt but that we fliould be well received.
Taefday 8. On the 8th, at day-brea.k, we faw the coaft of Brazil, and
about ten .o’clock we brought to, and fpoke with a fifhingboat;
boat: the people on board told us that the land which we *768- > r r ^ November.
faw, lay to the fouthward of Sanffo Efpirito, but belonged to \— — t
the captainfhip of that place.
Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went on board this veffe?,
in which they found eleven men, nine o f whom were
Blacks ; they all fifhed with lines, and their frefh cargo, the
chief part of which Mr. Banks bought, confided of dolphins,
large pelagic fcombers of two kinds, fea bream, and
fome of the fifh which in the Weft Indies are called Welfh-
men. Mr. Banks had taken Spanifh filver with him, which
he imagined to be the currency of the continent, but to his
great furprife the people afked him for Englifh ihillings ;
he gave them two which he happened to have about him,
and it was not without fome difpute that they took the reft
of the money in piftereens. Their bufinefs feemed to be to
catch large fifh at a good diftance from the fhore, which
they falted in bulk, in a place made for that purpofe in the
middle of their boat: of this merchandize they had about
two quintals on board, which they offered for about 16 fhil-
lings, and would probably have fold for half the money-.
The frefh fifh, which was bought for about nineteen flail-
lings and fix pence, ferved the whole fhip’s company ; the
fait was not wanted.
The fea provifion of thefe fifliermen confifted of nothing
more than a calk of water, and a bag o f Caffada flour,
which they called Farinha de Pao, or, wooden flour, which
indeed is a name which very well fuits its tafte and appearance.
Their water calk was large, as wide as their boat, and
exactly fitted a place that was made for it in the ballaft; it
was impoflible therefore to draw out any of its contents by
a tap, the fides being, from the bottom to the top, wholly
inacceffible ; neither could any be taken out by dipping a
vefiel