262
1774- moved in a few days; and,' at this time, we had not above
I_.— _> one or two on the fick lift.
ThurHay 6. We proceeded N. E. by N. till the 6th, at noon. Being then
in the latitude 520 0' S., longitude 1350 3a' Weft, and about
200 leagues from our track to Otaheite, in which fpace it
was not probable, all circumftances confidered, there is any
extenfive land ; and it being ftill lefs probable any lay to the
Weft, from the great mountainous billows we had had, and
ftill continued to have, from that quarter, I, therefore, fleered
N. E., with a frefh gale at W. S. W.
Friday 7. At eight o’clock in the morning, on the 7th, being in the
latitude of yo° 49' South, we obferved feveral diftances of
the fun and moon, which gave the longitude as follows, viz.
By Mr. Wales, 112ó25° 24' Weft.
Gilbert, 133 10
Gierke, *33 0
Smith, 133 37 25"
Myfelf, 133' 37
Mean, *33 2.1 43
By the Watch, 1-33 44 Weft.
my reckoning, 133 39
Variation of the compafs, 6 2 Eaft.
Thermometer, 50
Saturday 8. The next morning we obferved again ; and the refults
were agreeable to the preceding obfervations, allowing for
the fhip’s run. I mull here take notice that our longitude
can never be erroneous, while we have fo good a guide as
Mr.
AND ROUND THE WORLD. 263
Mr. Kendal’s watch. This day, at noon, we fleered E. N. '7/4- January.
E. 2. E. being then in the latitude of 49° 7' South, longitude c— „— <
131.° 2' Weft.
On the 9th, in the latitude of 48° 17' S., longitude 127° 10' Sunday 9.
Weft, we fleered Eaft, with a fine frefh gale at Weft, attended
with clear, pleafant weather, and a great fwell- from the fame
direction as the wind.
In the morning of the 10th, having but little wind, we put Monday 10.
a boat in the water, in which fome of the officers went and
fhot feveral birds. Thefe afforded us a frefh meal: they
were of the peterel tribe, and fuch as are ufually feen at any
diftance from land. Indeed, neither birds, nor any other
thing was to be feen, that could give us the leaft hopes of
finding any; and, therefore, at noon thé next day, being Tuefday
then in the latitude of 470 51' S., longitude 122° 12'Weft,
and a little more than 200 leagues from my track to Otaheite
in 176.9, I altered the courfe, and fleered S. E. with a frefh
gale at S. W. by W. In the evening, when our latitude was
48° 22'S., longitude 1210 2/ Weft, we found the variation
to be 20 34' Eaft; which is the leaft variation we had found'
without the tropic. In the evening of the next day we found Weinef. u .
it to be 40 30' Eaft; our latitude, at that time, was 50® s' S.
longitude ii9i° Weft.
Our courfe was now more Southerly, till the evening of
the 13th, when we were in the latitude of 53° 0' South, Ion- -mrfday ■ >
gitude n 8° 3' Weft. The wind being then at N. W. a ftrong
gale, with a thick fog and rain, which made it unfafe to
fleer large, I hauled up S. W., and continued this courfe till
noon the next day, when our latitude was 56° 4' S., longi- j?rWay ,4-
tude 1220 1' Weft. The wind having veered to the North,
and