Auguft.' !‘le African coaft, we took leave in the evening, and direfled our
-----■»---- ' courfe to the fouthward. During the night, the wind veered to the
N.w. and blew fo hard a gale that we were obliged to double reave the top-
fails and take in the forefail, as the Chatham was a great diftance aftern;
and not being in light at day-break, we hauled to the wind : about lieven
Ihe was feen to. the weftward, and, having joined company, we fleered
to 'the S.S.E. together. The N.w. wind gradually 'increafed, attended with
Saturday 20. violent fqualls and heavy rain, Until the £Oth; when it became a perfett
florin, Obliging us to flrike the top .gallant mails, and reducing us to the
forefail, which we were neceflitated tó carry, though under great appre-
henfion of its being blown to pieces, in order that we might reach a more
temperate region. The fea ran excelfivefy high, and the wind in violent
flurries raifed the fpray into a kind of fog, or mill, which, at intervals,
Was quite fait when not mixed with the lhowers o f rain, which were frequent,
and very heavy: -in One of thefe we again loft fight o f the Chatham,
and feeing nothing o f her on its clearing kway, the forefail was
furled, and the fhip brought to, under the ftorm ftayfails. In this fitua-
tion, the Difcovery proved much eafier and drier than we had reafon to
expeft, as Ihe was now extremely deep with ftorès and provifions. At
this time, we were vilited b y many albatroffes, and an innumerable va-
Sunday zi. riety of birds of the petrel tribe. About noon our cOnfort whs again
in fight, and, on her joining company, we refumed our Courfe to the
s.E. under the forefail. This very boifterous weather, accompanied
with much thunder and lightning, continued with intèrmiflions fufficient
Only tö teinpt our fpreading fome additional canvas, (which was fcarcely
Monday 22. unfurled before it was again neceflary to take it in) until the 22d; when it
fo fhr moderated as to permit the dole reaved topfailsto be kept feu : In
the afternoon, we palfed the Albemarle and Admiral Barrington. The
fight óf théfe vefféls was very grateful to our feelings, particularly of the
latter, which we had underftood was an old debilitated fhip, for whole
f fafety during the late violent ftormy weather we had been greatly apprè-
Tuefday 23. henfive. The wind, in the morning of the 23d, being moderate, the
top-gallant, and ftucldirig-faiils were let-, ‘the weather, however, was unfettled,
with lhowers-Of hail and rain ; and a'heavy irregular fwell rolled
at
RaJi'
at the fame time from the northward and fouth weft. In the intervals '79'-
o f fine weather, I got fome lunar obfervations which Ihewed the longi- A-fHit‘ ■
tude at noon to be 3 1-55'; the chronometer by the Portfmouth rate
31° 29'; by the Cape rate 31-42'; the latitude 39-8'. Many whales
were now playing about the Ihip, but a lefs number o f oceanic birds attended
us than ufual.
The weather being tolerably fair on the 24th, enahled me to make fome Wedntf. 24.
further lunar obfervations. The mean refult o f thefe, and thofe taken
the preceding day brought forward by the chronometer, Ihewed the longitude
at noon to be 34° 13'. By this expreflion is to be underftood the
fpace eaft or weft, which the lhip may have palfed over in the interval
of time between the taking one fet of lunar obfervations and that of
another; the extent of which fpace is afeertained, not according to the
vague mode of the fhip’s run, as appears by the log, but from the diftance
Ihewn by the chronometer; where by the refult of many obfervations
made in different fituations are reduced to any one particular
point. The chronometer at this time, by the Portfmouth rate, Ihewed
33° 50<> fay »be Cape rate 34° 5', the latitude 39- 28', and the longitude
by account 36° 17'. The weather continued very changeable ; but the
wind befog gentle in the northern quarter afforded an opportunity of
fending on board the Chatham, whence we underftood that, in confe-
quence of a violent fea having ftove in the midlhip ftern window on the
morning of the 20th, it had been neceffary to bring to until that damage
was. repaired.
The wind frefhened, attended with frequent fqualls, on the 26th; Friday 26.
when, having reached latitude 39“- 45', longitude 37- 53', we were able
for the firft time fince our departure from the Cape to obferve the
variation; which, by the mean refult of two compafles, differing from
32" 53' to 35° 5', was found to be 32“ 59' weftwardly. In the fpace we
were now approaching, namely, between the meridians of 38-33' and 43-47'
eaft longitude, and the parallels of 34-24', and 38° 20' fouth latitude, fe-
ven different Ihoals are faid to exift. To acquire fome information
refpecting a circumftance fo interefting to navigation, I had held this
foutherly courfe; but the very ftormy weather we had lately contended
with,