December ^ l^e ^'^ance ° f about 8 leagues, fomewhere about n. 55 w. or
------> n . 60 w . , . from point de la Loma, by a very uncertain eftimation, is
lituated an illand called St. John’s; between which and the coaft we
palled without feeing it, nor did we obferve it whilft we remained at
anchor; excepting on one very clear evening, when it was feen front
the Prelidio, at a time when I was unprovided with a compafs, or any
other means of afeertaining its direction, and was therefore only able to
guefs at its fituation, It appeared to be low and flat, is but feldom feen
from the Prelidio o f St. Diego, and was undifeovered until feen by Martinez
a few years before in one of his excurfions along this coaft.
The Coronadoes already mentioned conlift o f two iflets and three
rocks, lituated in a fouth direction, four or live leagues from point de
la Loma, occupying the fpace of five miles, and lying n . 35 w . and
s- 35 E- fronl each other. The fouthernmoft, which, in point o f magnitude,
is equal to all the reft colleftively taken, is about a mile broad
and two miles long, and is a good mark to point out the port of St.
Diego, which however is otherwife fufficiently confpicuous not ealily to
be miftaken.
I lhall conclude our tranfaftions at St. Diego, by ftating fuch aftro-
nomical and nautical obfervations as were made there, with thofe that
had been made previoudy to our arrival and after our departure from
that port, for the purpofe o f afeertaining the rates and correfting the
errors of our chronometers ; which, notwithftanding the reftriftive orders
that had been received at St. Diego, I had been enabled to aecom-
plilh to the utmoft of my defires and expectations.
A s t r o n o m i c a l a n d N a u t i c a l O b s e r v a t i o n s .
On the 28th of november Kendall’s chronometer, according
to the laft rate, Ihewed the longitude to be
Arnold’s No. 14, ditto ditto -
Ditto 376, ditto ditto -
2 4 3 ° 22' 15"
2 4 3 7 * §
2 4 4 5 3 °
Longitude,
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 475
Longitude, by 45 fets o f lunar diftances, taken before our > 793-
arrival, and reduced to St. Diego 1 D^c” t>erJ
by Arnold’s No. 14, - 243’ 23' 52"
by 59 fets of ditto, taken in the harbour 243 8 1 3
by X02 fets o f ditto, taken after our departure,
and reduced back to St. Diego by
Arnold’s No. 14, - - 242 58 28
The mean of the whole, colle&ively taken - ~ 243 6 45
Out of the above 206 lets, 38 were made by myfelf ; mean 243 1 1 10
30 by Mr. Baker, ditto 242 53 8
71 by Mr. Whidbey, ditto 243 7 52
67 by Mr. Orchard, ditto 243 6 8
Latitude o f port St. Diego, by 11 meridional altitudes of
the fun, (viz.) 5 with the artificial horizon,
and 6 with the natural, reduced to
the place o f obfervation - 34 42 30
Allowing the true longitude o f port St. Diego to be
243* 6' 45 "’ Kendall’s chronometer was, on
the gth of december, at noon, fall o f mean
time at Greenwich - - 3h 13< 5"
And gaining per day - - 20
Arnold’s No. 14, ditto ditto 3 1 39 t
And gaming per day - - 21 38'"
Idem No. 176, ditto ditto 6 49 26
And gaining per day - “ 36 27
Variation, by 2 compalfes and 6 fets of obfervations, differing
from 8*. 28' to 14*54', the mean - 11 eafterly
3 P 2 The