'795' weather. On the 26th, in latitude 19° 44', longitude 2530 45b the veri
Febiuary.^ inclination of the magnetic needle was found to be, |
Thurfday26. ^ ]\4arked End, North Face Eaft, - ; l;.t3 6 1 -2 0 '; -
Ditto Ditto'.! ■. Weft, j-,j -' | 7 ,36 .17 . '
Ditto j Sduth Face.Eaft,; I .... - . 3 -alt 35 ,23 :•
Ditto. - Ditto Weft, ’ -i, it-i/gsr 15. j
Mean inclination o f the fouth. point, 7 35! 49’
Variation o f the compafs, . - - 1 2 '45 eaftwardly.
March. xhe trade wind during the two fuCceeding days was light .and variable
Sunday i. jn theeaftern quarter, and on the lft of march we feemed to have reached
the variable winds, having a frelh breeze,! attended with a very heavy
fwell from; the north-weftward. The obferved latitude at noon was
longitude-by Arnold’s No. 14, - H - : 255° 3
176, - . . ' - I - i-.254.52
Kendall’s, - - - 254 53
And by the. dead reckoning, • 26025
The variation of the .compafs was 4° .eaftwardly. In the afternoon we
again reached the temperate, zone. ; and notwithftanding that fince. our
departure from the Gallipagos illands w.ehad palled under a vertical fun,
the height of the mercury in the thermometer had at no time exceeded
77 degrees. vd ,'a . ,
The north-weft- wind continued with -fair pleafant weather until the
Monday 2. evening of the 2d, when it veered to the north,, and became light and
tVednef. 4. variable between the N. n . e . and. e ._n . e . . On wednefday, in latitude 26°
45', longitude by Arnold’s No. 14, 258° ggV-we.pafled feme drift-woodi.
and we had many:birds;and.fifhes-about the- (hip. . Some good lunar, ob-
fervations had been lately procured by fome of the officers, which ffiewed
the longitude to be about 5' to the weftward of Arnold’s No. 14, 18' to
the eaftward of No.; 176, and.3’ to the. ëaftward of Kendalls.chronometer
; the dead reckoning at the- fame time (hewing 264° lo '; the variation
was 40 eaftwardly, ;and the thermometer fromiygito, 75;
From this time our progrefs was much retarded by th,e.wind being ad-
verfe, and varying 1 between fouth and E.S..E,-;' the weather however
Sunday 8. continued fair and pleafant until the morning of the Sth,, vffiep the breeze
o -V frelher.ed,
Frelhened, attended by fome Ihowers and fmart fqualls ; in one o f thefe,
the heavieft- we had experienced for a great length of time, the head of t---- -— *
the mainmaft was difcovered to have been very badly fprung, about five
feet below the rigging and about (even feet above, and oppofite to its
former defeftive part. The fails On the mainmaft were immediately
taken in, and on further examination of the wound, the head of the maft
was feen to be in a very weak and fhattered condition. No -time was loft
in relieving it of its weight, by getting every thing down upon deck that
was above the top, and the carpenters were immediately employed in
preparing two anchor (locks asßflies .to (upport the maft-head. At noon
the obferved latitude was 8°, the longitude 259" 32'; the variation of the
compafs 50 3' eafierlv, and the thermometer from 70° to 72°. The weather
was tolerably favorable for applying fuch remedies to. the defeft in
the mail as we poffelfed ; and on monday afternoon, it being as well fe- Monday 9.
cured as was in our power, the mizentop-maft was fubftituted for a main-
. top-maft,. that being as much as tbe weak date of the lower mail was capable
o f fuftaining, and the maintop-gallant-maft was got up for a mi-zen-
, top-maft. By this unfortunate accident our quantity of canvas was fo
reduced, that our progrefs towards the appointed rendezvous was rendered
very flow; we however made the bell of our way, with winds very
variable both in refpeftto force and direftion, though generally attended
with moderate pleafant weather.
Without the occurrence of any circumftance worthy of recital, we
palfed on until the 14th, when we found ourfelves in latitude 330 13', Ion- Saturday 14.
gitude 262° 43’, and variation 4° eaftwardly. At this time, to my utter
aftonilhment andfurprizej I was given to underftahd from Mr. Menzies
that the fea fcurvy had made its appearance amongft fome of the crew.
This was a circumftance for which it was hot eafy to account. The high
ftate of health which every individual on board the ftiip (myfelf excepted)
had appeared to enjoy for fome months before,, and the refrelhments we
had been- eonftantly in the-habit of procuring fince our arrival at Monterrey,
together with the very pleafant weather that had attended us fince that
period, all confpired to render the eaufe of this unfortunate malady the
more inexplicable, efpecially as there had not been the fmalleft abatement or
V o l . III. 3E - relaxation