>774- away to the North, in order to get into the latitude of Eafter
February ‘ ’ ° . . . v — j Ifland: our latitude, at this time, was 370 52, longitude
Friday a; . 1 Q I o IO< We f t>
I was now well allured that the difcovery of Juan Fernandez,
if any fuch was ever made, can be' nothing but a fmall
illand; there being hardly room for a large land, as will
fully appear by the tracksof Captain Wallis, Bougainville,
of the Endeavour, and this of the Refolution. Whoever
wants to fee an account of the difcovery in queftion, will
meet with it in Mr. Dalrymple’s Colledtion of Voyages to the
South Seas. This gentleman places it under the meridian
of 90°, where I think it cannot be; for M. de Bougainville
feems to have run down under that meridian ; and we had
now examined the latitude in which it is faid to lie, from the
meridian of 940 to 101'. It is not probable it can lie to the
Eaft of 90°; becaufe if it did, it mull have been feen, at one
time or other, by fhips bound from the northern to the
fouthern parts, of America. Mr. Pengre, in a little treatife
concerning the Tranlit of Venus publilhed in 1768, gives
fome account of land having been difcovered by the Spaniards
in 1 7 1 4 , in the latitude of 38°, and 550 leagues from
the coaft of Chili, which is in the longitude of 1 iaQ or 1 1 1°
Weft, and within a degree or two of my track in the Endeavour;
fo that this can hardly be its fituation. In Ihort, the
only probable fituation it can have, muft be about the meridian
of 1060 or 1080 Weft; and then it can only be a fmall ifle,
as I have already obferved.
I was now taken ill of the bilious colic, which was fo
violent as to confine me to my bed; fo that the management
of the Ihip was left to Mr. Cooper the firft officer, who
conduced her very much to my fatisfaflion. It was feverai
days
days before the moft dangerous fymptoms of my diforder MjiS.
were removed; during which time Mr. Patten the furgeon prjday 2 '
was to me, not only a Ikil-ful phyfician, but an affectionate
nurfe; and I fhould ill deferve the care he bellowed on me,
if I did not make this public acknowledgment. When I
began to recover, a favourite dog belonging to Mr. Forfter
fell a facrifice to my tender ftomach. We had no other frefh
meat whatever on board ; and I could eat of this flefh, as well
as broth made of it, when I could tafte nothing elfe. Thus I
received nourifhment and ftrength, from food which would
have made moft people in Europe fick: fo true it is, that ne-
ceffity is governed by no law.
On the 28th, in the latitude of 330 7' South, longitude Monday 2s.
1020 33' Weft, we began to fee flying-fifh, egg-birds, and
nodies, which are faid not to go above fixty or eighty leagues
from land ; but of this we have no certainty. No one yet
knows to what diftance any, of the oceanic birds go to fea;
for my own part, I do not believe there is one in the whole
tribe that can be relied on, in pointing out the vicinity of
land.
In the latitude of 30° 30' South, longitude 1010 45' Weft, we
began to fee men of war birds. In the latitude of 290 44',
longitude ioo° 45' Weft, we had a calm for near two days
together, during which time the heat was intolerable ; but
what ought to be remarked, Was a very great fwell from the
S. W.
On the 6th of March the calm Was fucceeded by an SM“ are6b;
eafterly wind, with which we fleered N. W. till noon the
8th, when, being in the latitude of 27° 4' South, longitude Tuefdays.
103° 58' Weft, we fleered Weft; meeting every day with
N n‘ 2 great