, ’ 793* In the courfe of the day fome tropic birds were about the (hip; and January: ' . J 1 v 7
I---- ---- I after a few hours calm in the evening, a light breeze fprang up from the
s. e . which gradually veered round to the N. e . yet the N.w. fwell ftill
continued to be very heavy.
The n .-e . wind, proving to be a fteady trade wind, foon incrcafed to a
Monday 28. frelh gale, attended with pleafant weather. On monday morning being
nearly in the latitude affigned to the eafternmoft of the iflands before mentioned,
the Chatham was Tent by fignal to look out on the larboard
beam. A t noon, our obferved latitude, was 21° 12', true longitude 234“
39', and the variation of the compafs 5° 34' eafterly: Kendall’s chronometer
fhewed the longitude to be 235" 22', Arnold’s No. 14, 234“ 59V
Arnold’s No. 176, 235° 1', and Earnlhaw’s 234° 48'. The north-weft-
erly fwell ftill continued to be very heavy.
Thurfday31. On thurfday we pafled through a large quantity o f the medufi. villilia,
like thofe which, in our way to the north the preceding’fpring, we had
found occupying a much largerfpace in the ocean; thefe extended only
a few leagues in the direction we were fteering, and were by no means,
lb numerous.
The trade wind varying between the e . n . e . and N. N. E. increafed
to a frelh gale, and brought with it fqually and unfettled weather, with
fome pafling Ihowers o f heavy rain. Having nearly reached the fitua-
tion afligned to the iflands we were in queft of, though without any of
the ufual indications o f the vicinity of land, I yet judged it expedient to
reduce our fail at night to prevent the poflibility o f pafling any land that
might exift in the neighbourhood. Our latitude at fun-fet 19° 54', longitude
227“ 42'. This and feveral following nights were paffed in fuch a
manner, as that the point of view a-head in the evening, and that a-ftern
the next morning, Ihould meet in the fame horizon unlefs intercepted
by land, though even very moderately elevated. Thus we continued to
proceed in fearch of thefe iflands at night; and in the day time, fpread-
ing as wide as our fignals could be plainly difeerned.
The
The weather being delightfully ferene and pleafant enabled us on the
3d of february to make the following obfervations for the longitude.
Eight fets of diftances of the 1 and O taken by myfelf, 224° 14' 43"
Seven fets ditto ditto Mr. Baker, 224 21 51
Eight fets ditto ditto Mr. Whidbey, 224 19 30
Six fets ditto ditto Mr. Orchard, 224 11 20
Eight fets ditto ditto Mr. Ballard, 224 25 32
In all 37 fets, which gave the mean longitude at noon 224 18 35
The true longitude deduced from thefe and fubfequent
obfervations I confidered at this time to be - 224 2
The obferved latitude was - - ' - lg 53
Kendall’s chronometer on "allowing the Nootka rate,
from the time o f its removal at Monterrey to the (hip,
Ihewed the longitude to b e : - - - 224 21
According to its Monterrey rate - - 2 25 13 30
Arnold's No. 14, by ditto - : - - .224 28 15
Ditto No. 176, by ditto - - .- 224 27 16
Earnlhaw’s - - - - '■> - 224 9
The variation of the compafs 5“ if f eaftwardly. A t this juncture we
were pafling over the pofition afligned in a chart I had received from
Sen*- Quadra,. to the center of the eafternmoft of the iflands in quef-
tion. Meflrs. Portlock and Dixon alfo had fearched for them to no pur-
pofe ; but as the track of thefe navigators feemed to have been on the
northern fide, our’s was direfted along the fouthern fide of this fuppofed
clufter of iflands, until the 6th, when the latitude at noon was obferved
to be 19“ 19', the true longitude 21g“ 49'.
During this fearch, the trade wind, having been moderate between
the s. e . and n . e . attended with tolerably pleafant .weather, afforded us
during the day time a confiant, extenfive, and diftinft view all around,
but no indication of them, nor of the vicinity of land, was difeovered ;
nor had I in any of my paffages acrofs this ocean, which have been
many, ever pafled over fo vacant a fpace, as fince our departure from
' P 2 the
Sunday 3.
Wednef. 6.