^79'^ with, and the appearance o f its again returning, rendered a fearch for
- - i thefe fhoals not altogether prudent. To attempt the examination of the
whole fpace I confidered as not more neceffary than difcreet; but fince in
the event o f their exiftence, it was highly probable they would he found
connected, I was induced to lhape a .courfe fo as to fall in with the
fouth eaflernmofl, faid to lie in latitude 38° 20', longitude 43° 43', which
had been reported to have been Teen by feveral Dutch velfels. On the
Sunday 28. 28th, in latitude-38°56', longitude 42° 30', the wind at w . s.w. increafing
with great violence obliged me to delift from this enquiry,, and for our
own fafety, in the event o f thefe fhoals having exiftence, to hawl to the
s . e . The gale foon became a ftorm, attended with heavy fqualls, hail,
rain, and a moft tremendous fea, from the weft ward and s.w. which
made it neceffary to ftrike the top-gallant mails, and reduced us to the
forefail; which, with great apprehenlion of loling it, we were obliged to
carry in order to pafs clear o f the fpace afligned to thefe hidden dangers.
It is, however,, worthy o f remark, that, notwithftanding our courfe was
directed fo wide o f the allotted fpot, we certainly paflfed it at no great dif-
Monday 29. tance in the night, as by our obfervations the next day, inftead of making
fourteen miles fouthing, which the reckoning gave, we found ourfelves
twelve miles to the . north o f the latitude we were in the preceding day,
the longitude 450 4'. Whether this difference is to be afcribed to any current
produced by the interruption thefe fhoals may give to the oceanic
waters, when preffed eaftwardly by the prevailing weftwardly winds, or
to the bad fteerage of the fhip, cannot be pofitively determined; but as
the Chatham fleered precifely the fame courfe, the inference feems rather
favorable to our having been influenced by a current occafioned probably
by the exiftence of fuch fhoals. On the violence of the ftorm
abating, we made fail and refumed our eaftwardly courfe, intending to
pafs in light of the iflands of St. Paul and Amfterdam. During the gale
we were vifited by a great number of the various kinds of oceanic birds;
yet thefe by no means feemed to indicate the vicinity of land or fhoals,
fince they are coiiftantly met with throughout the fouthern ocean.
The weather that fucceeded this ftorm being delightfully pleafant,' attended
with a fmooth fea, .and a gentle gale between the north and n.e,
made
made me regret that we had not experienced this favorable change feme- Aug9 ft
what earlier, as it would probably have enabled us to acquire fome >— ,— <
fatisfaftory information as to the exiftence of the fhoals in queftion; but
having now no leifure for this enquiry, I was obliged to reft contented
with having exerted our fruitlefs endeavours in the attempt, and embraced
this valuable opportunity of getting ourfelves and fhip clean, dry, and
comfortable ; which fince our leaving the land had been very ill effefted.
The flux ftill continued amongft us, and fome o f our patients were
yet very much indifpofed; we however were in hopes that the prefent fair
weather would foon reflore to us the bleflings of health. Some good obferva- September,
tions were procured in the courfe of this and of the preceding day with our ThurHay 1.
different compaffes : thofe taken on the 31ft differed from 30°45' to 35°45';
and thofe on the l f t o f feptember from 30° 58'to 350 7 '; the mean refult
o f feven fets of azimuths was 32°47' weftwardly variation; the latitude
at noon 38° 19', and the longitude 51° 21'. We were not long indulged
with a continuance of the fine weather: the wind gradually veered to the
N.w. and weft ward, and increafed to afrefh gale; which, however, did not
reduce us below the top-fails ; although the weather bore a very threatening
appearance; the Iky was obfcured with dark gloomy clouds, from which
fome rain fe ll; yet the fea was fmooth, and the weather altogether was infinitely
more pleafant than we had lately experienced.
A t noon on the 4th, in latitude 38° 6', longitude 6i °36', the firftfeal Sunday 4.
we had feen fince our departure from the Cape amufed itfelf in playing
about the (hip for fome time; but our companions, tire oceanic birds, had
not lately been very numerous ; thefe vifitors were moftly pintadoes, and
other fmall birds o f the petrel tribe.
Four fets o f lunar obfervations were obtained on the 5th, which fhewed Monday 5.
the longitude to be 64° 14'40"; the chronometer by the Portfmouth rate
63° 46', and by the Cape rate 64° 10', the latitude 37° 52'. Thevariation
on the 7th, in latitude 38° tig,' and longitude 69° 33', was obferved to be Wedntf. 7.
25'> 52' weftwardly. The fame gloomy weather continued with a frelh
gale at n . n .w . In the night we had the misfortune to lofe Neil Coil,
one of the marines, who fell a facrifice to the baneful effefis o f the flux
caught at the Cape, which attacked him with much greater violence than
V ol. I. E ' any