‘ 795-
January.
The longitude according to the Monterrey rate was,
By Arnold’s chronometer, No. 14, - , . '•40"
Ditto ditto - 176, . - 274 47 55 •'
And by Kendall’s, "-•> - - '.274 55 10
By which it appeared that No. 14 was 31' 5", No.
176, 42'20", and Kendall’s chronometer, i°49, '3'5”
to the eaft ward of the true longitude;
The variation of the compais by four fets of azi-
muths-differing from 8° 14’ to 70 21', (hewed the mean
fcfuk to be - - : - . _ 7 45 eaftwardly.
The vertical inclination of the magnetic needle, -
Marked End, North Face Eaft, ; - < - . ' 190 47'
Ditto ditto Weft, ■ (fflo - - ' 20 17
Ditto • South Face Eaft, - BW - 19 17
Ditto ditto Weft, - - - 19 40
Mean inclination of the north point of the magnetic dipping
needle, f ,' - • - ! ' ■ - ‘ - 19 45
The rife and fall of the tides were, by the Ihore, found to be very con-
fiderable and regular twice in the twenty-four hours without any apparent
ftream, and were not in the lead influenced by the currents. The
night tides appeared to be the higheft, and were eftimated to rife nearly
ten feet perpendicularly, though the furf was too high to admit of any
correct meafurement. The time of high water was pretty clearly afcer-
tained to be about if" 1 o after the moon paffes the meridian.
Having,- as Before ftated, put to-fea from the illand of Cocos, on the
evening of the 27th of january, ahd having no intention of flopping Ihort
o f the ifland of Juan Fernandez, or fome port on the coaft of Patagonia,
for the purpofe of again recruiting our water and ftöre of fire-wood, the
(hip’s courfe was directed fouthwardly, but with fo gentle a breeze during
the night, that although we had all fail fet, yet, in the morning of the
■ 28th, the ifland continued in fight until about nine in the forenoon,
when-it bore by corapafs N. 30 w., diftant forty-fix miles ; (hortly after
this time we loft fight of it, not from its being beneath the horizon, but
from its being obfcurëd by clouds and an hazinels in the atmofphere. At
noon
noon the obferved latitude was 4« 43', the longitude 2730 i 7 '; 1 by which
it appeared that, fince quitting our anchorage, a current had fet us in a 1---- v----’
direflion s. 12 e ., eighteen miles. In the afternoon fuch immenfe (hoals
of fifties' were playing about on the furface of the water as to be miftaken
at firft for breakers. During the night the wind was very light from
the weftward, and on the following morning: the weather was calm, with Thur&pg.
very heavy rain; but in the forenoon, although the atmofphere continued
very gloomy, we procured the neceflary obfervations to (hew the latitude
to be 3“ 29', the longitude 273° 25, whence we appeared to have been
fet by a current 46 miles, in a direaion s . 5 e. ; a few turtles were this
day about the (hip, fome of which were taken. In the afternoon we had
a light breeze, variable between the eaft and s. s. E., with which we flood
to the fouth-weftward; the night was .nearly calm with very heavy ram,
but the next morning we had again a fouth-eafteriy breeze with fome rain, Friday 30.
which in the forenoon ceafed, and permitted us to obferve the latitude at
noon to be 2° 35', which was 30' to the fouth of what was (hewn by the
log. With a moderate breeze, varying between s. by w. and s. e. we
flood on fuch tacks, as would enable us to make the bed of our way to
the fouthward, and at noon on the 31ft the obferved latitude was 2” 11', Saturdays-,
the longitude 272? 12', from which it appeared that the current during
the laft twenty-four hours had fet us 12 miles fo the fouth, and from the
2gth at noon 41 miles to the weftward. Since leaving the ifland of
Cocos We had obferved many riplings on the water, and had experienced
an uncomfortable irregular fwell from the fouthward. On the il l of Sunday.,
february the weather became more pleafant, and the wind at s. s. e. blew
fp Heady a breeze, that I concluded we .had at length reached the regular
trade wind. In the forenoon we paffed by fome fea weed and drift wood,
a cocoa nut, and a flick of fugar cane about nine feet long;, all of which,
excepting the former, appeared to have been no great length o f time in
the waiter. The obferved latitude at noon was 1» 31', longitude 270° 26'; the
former agreed exaftly with the log, but by the latter we appeared to have
been fet fince the preceding noon 10 miles in a weft direction. The vaft
' numbers-of fi(h that dill attended us afforded us a very profitable amufe-
ment, and many birds were ftill about us. The wind which now hung
Von. HI. 3 c