Sunday 8.
Saturday 14.
Wednèf. 18.
vented her being fo very crank, but it did not feem to have contributed to
her failing, as the Difcovery ftill preferved a great fuperiority in that refpeft.
Not having fuppofed we Ihould have been fo long detained at Tene-
riffe, I took no fteps for making aftronomical obfervations on Ihore;
thofe taken on board (hewed the longitude by the chronometer to be
16017'5", only 50" to the weftward of the true longitude, as laid down
in the fequifite tables: the latitude by our obfervations was 28° 28' 38“,
and the variation, by the mean refult of all our cards and compafles,
was 160 38', differing from 15“ 58' to 17° 17' weftwardly.
For the information of thofe who may be induced to vifit Teneriffe
at this feafon of the year with the hope of procuring refrefhments, I
mult remark, that we found the wine, water, and beef exceedingly good,
and were induced to take fome days fupply of the latter to fea; but fruit,
vegetables, poultry, and all kinds of live (lock were very indifferent, and
moll extravagantly expenfive.
Towards noon o f the 8th, we loft fight of the Canaries. The trade
wind bfew a pleafant gale, the fea was fmooth, and the weather, being
fine, enabled us to make fome excellent lunar obfervations -, thofe I took
fhewed the longitude to be i 6"52' 36"; thofe taken by Mr. Whidbey
i 6 °5 2 '3o" ; and the chronometer fhewed 16" 4 / 45". The latitude, at
this time, was 27* 5' north; and the variation, by three compaffes differing
from 15° 10' to 18" 51', was 17“ 33' 40" weftwardly.
Our courfe from the Canaries was diretted to the weftward of the
cape De Verds, which we gained fight of and paffed on the forenoon of
the 14th. The N.w. extremity of the ifland of St. Antonio appeared,
by our obfervations, to be fituated in 17° 10'north latitude, and 25° 3'22"
weft longitude; the variation of the compafs 12*32' 15" weftwardly. The
frefh beef that we had brought from Teneriffe being exhaufted, on the
18th, portable broth and four krout were again ferved to the fhip’s crews ;
at this time we had reached the latitude of 9*35' north, longitude 230 27'
weft, when the weather, which had been pleafant and attended with a
frefh gale from the N. E. very materially altered; the wind flackened and
veered round to the north, and the atmofphere, though not cloudy, was
encumbered with a bright haze nearly approaching to a fog but without
the
R O U N D T H E W O R L D .
the leaft dampnefs or humidity. Through this medium the heavenly
‘Mi-
May.
bodies were fufficiently vifible whilft terreftrial obje&s were only dif-
•cernible at fmall diftances. This very Angular appearance continued a few
days until the 21ft, when, in latitude 6° 20'north, and longitude 2 2“ 40' Saturday 21.
weft, the northerly breeze died away, the denfe atmofphere difappeared, and
they were fucceeded by calm, cloudy, hot weather, the thermometer (landing
from 8o° to 83°, attended with fome heavy fhowers of rain and gulls
o f wind in various directions, though generally from the eaftern quarter
between N, E. and fouth. Our progrefs, with this kind of weather, was
flow until the 24th, when, in latitude 4“ 25' north, longitude 210 36' weft, Tuefday
we feemed to have paffed the line of thofe unpleafant and frequently unhealthy
regions. The fteadinefs of the gentle gale, and the ferenity of
the weather indicated our having reached the s.E. trade; thefe conjectures
were foon eftablifhed by the wind gradually increafing, fo that, about
midnight on the 27th, we crofted the equator in 25° 15' weft longitude. Friday 27.
The variation to this point had gradually, though not very regularly,
decreafed to about 9“ weftwardly; and the lunar obfervations, lately
taken, had correfponded within a few minutes with the longitude fhewn
by the chronometer.
Crofting the equator fo far to the weftward has been frequently objected
to, as being liable to entangle (hips with the coaft of Bra'zil. I am,
however, of a different opinion, and conceive many advantages are derived
by thus crofting the line; fuch as,1 purfuing a track deftitute of
thofe calms and heavy rains, which are ever attendant On a more eafl-
wardly route. By every information I have been enabled to colMl, it
does not appear that much is to- be gained in point of diflanee by- crofting
the equator in a more eaftwardly longitude ; fince it feeins that veflels
which have purfued their foutherly courfe to croft the line under the
10th, 15th, or 20th meridian o f weft longitude, have, by the trade
wind blowing there in a more foutherly direflion, been driven equally
as far weft, to the 25th, 26th, and 27th degrees of weft longitude before
they have been enabled to gain the variable winds, without the benefit of
a conflant breeze and fair weather, which with the very little interruption
between the 2a ft and 24th, was experienced during this paflage.
C 2 From