Sunday 7.
Monday 8.
Saturday 13»
30. 27, without any fluctuation whatever. As there was no fenfible alteration
in the ftate of the atmofphere, nor any vifible indication of a
change in the weather, I was at a lofs to account for this deviation ;
fince the inftrument did not appear to have received any injury.
Some few fmall albatroffes and petrels had lately been feen about the
flhp ; and in the morning of the 7 th the. wind fluffed fuddenly to the north-
weft, attended withYqualls.and rain, which produced a confiderable alteration
in our climate. : The thermometer now fell from 73 at noon in the
former day, to this day at twelve o’clock.
Our pork and other reflreftiments, procured at the Sandwich iflands,
being all expended, the regular provifions were now ferved, with portable
foup five times a week in the peas for dinner, and three times a week
in the wheat for breakfaft, with a due proportion of four krout. On
our former paffage to the northward, I had been lefs prodigal o f thefe
healthy articles, under the fear that florae accident had befallen the
expefted ftore {hip; but, as our ftock was now replenifhed, I ordered a
double quantity to be regularly ferved,. that we might preferve the excellent
ftate of health we had all acquired by the refrelhments we had
procured in New Albion, and at the Sandwich iflands. The general
ftate of health on board both veffels, on our return to the fouthward laft
autumn, clearly, convinced me, that too much nourilhing and wholesome
food cannot be given to people employed on fuch arduous Services,
as thofe in which we were engaged.
: A fmall flock of curlews, or fome fuch coafting birds, with feveral others
of the petrel tribe, were about the {hip ; on the 8th we alfo faw feveral
whales, and pafled through a large quantity of the medufa villilia. Our ob-
ferved latitude was 330 4'^Jongitude by Kendall’s chronometer, 2010 q-J';
by Arnold’s No. 14, 200° 37A'; Arnold’s No. 176, 201-26'; and Earn-
fhaw’s, 200° 18'. The wind, though generally moderate, was very variable,
as well in force as in direction. The weather gloomy, with fome rain ; the
air {harp and unpleafant. We however made a tolerably good progrefs,
and on the 13th at noon had reached the.latitude of 35" 27' ; longitude by
Kendall’s chronometer, 209° 22-fl'; Arnold’s No. 14, 208°'57'; Arnold’s
No. 176, 210° 1'; and Earnlhaw’s, 208° 45^'; in this fituation we were
vifited
vifited by fome flocks of coafting birds, with albatroffes, and fome va-
riety of the petrel tribe. The fea was covered with abundance of the i. —.—. >
medufa villilia, but we had not lately feen many whales. In the courfe
of the night we pafled over a part of that fpace, where Mr. Meares
ftates that Mr. Douglas of the Iphigenia, in two different paffages,
found the compafs fo affefted, by flying about four or five points in a
moment, as to make it impoflible to fteer the {hip by it.x We however
met with no phenomenon of that nature, either now, or at any former
period o f our voyage, unlefs when the violence of the wind and lea
produced fuch an agitation, as to render it utterly impoflible that any
machine o f that fort could remain fteady.
The wind remaining in the north-weft quarter, and the Iky obfcured
.in one continual denfe haze, or dark heavy gloom, occafioned the weather
to be damp, chilly, and unpleafant. The thermometer fluftuated
between 52 and 55; the barometer, though not altogether regular, was
more uniform than it had lately been, being on an average about 30. 30.
On winding up Earnfttaw’s watch, it flopped; but on applying a little xuefday t6.
gentle horizontal motion it went again, after flopping about two minutes
and a half; I was much concerned at this unexpe&ed circumftance,
having hitherto found this excellent piece o f workmanthip to be highly
intitled to our praife.
Though we were now in a much more weftern fituation, we were advanced
as far to the north as we were on the 16th of april, 1792; and
having no objeft to lead us to the coaft between this parallel and ■ our
appointed rendezvous at Nootka, then lying from us N. 47 E. at the
diftance of 312 leagues, we had reafon to expect we fhould be at that
port as foon as could be neceffary for refuming the examination of the
continent to the northward from Fitzhugh’s found, whence we had
taken our departure in the month of laft auguft. The obferved latitude
was 38° 58’, longitude according to Kendall’s chronometer, 217° 40-5-,
Arnold’s No. 14, 2170 igi', Arnold’s No. 176, 218° 3 i f . Many of
the medufa villilia were ftill about the {hip; a heavy fwell rolled from the
north-weftward; fome few oceanic, birds were feen, but not any whales.
After