Ap??f The weather continued pleafant, nearly calm or with light variable
ti—------ > breezes until tuefday, when in latitude g6°, longitude 2190 34', the wind
ueiday 10. ^few a mocjerate ga[Cj an(j feemed fettled in the fouthern quarter ; with
which we made all fell, fleering to the eaftward. Notwithftanding I had, in
cafe o f feparation with the Chatham, appointed our next rendezvous in
Berkley’s found, yet whilft we were fo fortunate as to keep together, it
was my fixed determination to fall in with the coaft of New Albion as far
to the fouthward of that ftation as circumftances would permit.
Several fmall whales and grampuffes had lately been obferved about the
lhip; and this afternoon we paffed within a fewyards of about twenty whales
o f the anvil-headed or fpermaceti kind, that were playing in the water.
The immenfe number of the medufa with which this region abounds, may
probably induce the fpermaceti whale to refort hither in quell o f food.
We now advanced very pleafantly to the eaftward, and gradually loft
fight of the medufa villilia, which had attended us in the greateft abundance
over a fpace of feven degrees of longitude; and, as Mr. Johnftone
of the Chatham paid particular attention to thefe extraordinary creatures,
I Ihall infert his defcription of them.
“ Thefe fmall blubbers are of an oval form, quite flat, and meafuring
about an inch and an half the longeft way ; their under fide is fomewhat
concave; the edges, for near a quarter of an inch in width, are o f a
deep blue colour, changing inwardly to a pale green; the fubftance being
much thinner and more tranfparent there than on the upper fide. Perpendicularly
to the plain of their furface (lands a very thin membrane,
extending nearly the whole length o f its longeft diameter in a diagonal di-
reftion; it is about an inch in height, and forms a fegment of a circle. This
membrane, which feemed to ferve all the purpofes of a fin and a fail, was
-fome times obferved to be ere£l; at others lying flat, which was generally
the cafe in the morning ; but as the day advanced, it became extended.
Whether this was voluntary, or the effeft o f the fun’s influence, was a quef-
ftion not eafily to be decided. When the membrane was down, thefe little
animals were eollefted into compacl clufters, were apparently deftitute
o f any motion, and their colour at that time feemed of a dark green.”
The wind gradually veered round to the s. e . and e . s . e . increafing in
its
its force, attended generally with a very fmooth fea; though fometimes
with a little fwell from the weftward and s.w. accompanied by cloudy and
o-loomy weather. On funday morning I got one fet of lunar diftances,
which at noon gave the longitude 232“ 5 6 f t by the chronometer 2320 7*';
and by the dead reckoning 229* 39': the latitude 37° 55'.
The wind at e . s .e . by two the next morning, increafed with fuch violence
as to make it necelfery that the topfails lhould be clofe reefed; the
fqualls were very heavy, with an appearance of an approaching ftorm. No
foundings Were to be had with 120 fathoms of line; and as I could not depend
upon the longitude o f the coaft of New Albion under this parallel, we
Hood on a wind until day-light, when we again refumed our eourfe to the
n. e. with an increafing gale, attended by thick rainy weather; which, by
two in the afternoon, obliged us to ftrike our top-gallant malls, and
(land to the fouthward under the forefail and ftorm ftayfails. At ten
that night the wind veered round to the fouth, blew a moderate gale,
and brought with it fair and pleafant weather. Our upper canvas was
again fpread; and the neceffary fignals made to the Chatham not being
anfwered, and not feeing her at day-break on the 17 th, we abandoned our
eourfe to the eaftward to go in fearch of her. About five Ihe was
feen from the mall-head to the N.W. ; upon which we bore down to her,
and having joined company, we again direfted our -route to the eaftward.
The fky being tolerably clear, although the wind had again put us under
double-reefed topfails, enabled me to obtain fix fets o f lunar diftances,
whofe mean refult at noon gave the longitude 50' to the eaftward of the
chronometer, the true longitude being 236° 8', and the dead reckoning
231° 30’ ; the obferved latitude was 39 20.
Soon after mid-day we paffed confiderable quantities of drift wood,
grafs, fea weed, &c. Many (hags,- ducks, puffins, and other aquatic
birds'were flying about; and the colour of the water announced our approach
to foundings; Thefe circumftances indicated land not far off,
although we were prevented feeing any objefe more than 3 or 4 miles dif-
tant, by the weather, which had become very thick and rainy. Being
anxious to get fight of the land before night if poflible, we flood to the
eaftward with as much fail as we could carry, and at four in the after-
C c 2 noon
»T92-
April.
Sunday 15.
Monday 16.
Tuefday 17.
I