acceptable. We -were now nearly in the fituation where
the ifles which we were in fearcli of, are faid to lie ; however,
we faw nothing that could give us the leaf! hope of
finding them.
Monday.13. The calm continued till five o'clock of the next morning,
when it was fucceeded by a breeze at W. by S., with which
we flood to N. N. W., and at noon obferved in latitude 38°
51' S. This was upwards of thirty miles more to the North
than our log gave us j and the watch fhewed that we had
been fet to the Eaft alfo. If thefe differences did not arife
from fome ftrong current, I know not how to account for
them. Very ftrong currents have been found on the African
coaft, between Madagafcar and the Cape of Good Hope,
but 1 never heard of their extending fo far from the land ;
nor is it probable they do. I rather fuppofe that this current
has no connection with that on the coaft; and that we happened
to fall into fome ftream which is neither lafting nor
regular. But thefe are points which require much time to
inveftigate, and muft therefore be left to the induftry of
future navigators.
We were now two degrees to the North of the parallel in
which the ifles of Denia andMarfeveen are faid to lie. We
had feen nothing to encourage us ,to perfevere in looking
after them; and it muft have taken up fome time longer to
find them, or to prove their non-exiftence. Every one was
impatient to get into port, and for good reafons; as for a
long time we had had nothing but ftale and fait provifioas, for
which every one on.board had loft all reliffi. Thefe reafons
induced me to yield to the general wilh, and to fleer for the
Cape of Gbod Hope, being at this time in the latitude of
38° 38' S., longitude 230 37' E.
The
The next day the obferved latitude at noon was only feven-
teen mile's to the North of that given by the log ; fo that
we had either got out o f the ftrength of the current, or it
had ceafed.
On the 13th the obferved latitude at noon, together with Wcdnef. 15.
the watch, Ihewed that we had had a ftrong current fetting
to the S. W., the contrary direction to what we had experienced
on fome of the preceding days, as hath been mentioned.
At day-light, on the 16th, we faw two fail in the N. W. Thurfia>’ ,6‘
quarter {landing to the weftward, and one of them {hewing
Dutch colours. At ten o’clock, we tacked and. flood to the
Weft alfo, being at this time in the latitude of 33° 9' S., longitude
32° 38' E.
I now, in purfuance of my inftruCtions, demanded of the
officers and petty officers, the log-books and journals they
had kept ; which were delivered to me accordingly, and
fealed up for- the infpe&ion of the Admiralty. I alfo enjoined
them, and the whole crew, not to divulge where we
had been, till they had their lordftiips permiffion fo to do.
In the afternoon, the wind veered to the Weft, and increafed
to a hard gale, which was of fhort duration ; for, the next Fruay 1 Tv-
day, it fell, and at noon veered to S. E. At this time we
were in the latitude of 34° 49' S., longitude 220 E. and, on
founding, found fifty-fix fathoms water. In the evening,
we faw the land in the direction of E. N. E. about fix leagues
- diftant; and, during the fore part of the night, there was a
great fire or light upon it.
At day-break on the 18 th, we faw the land again, bearing saturdafis.
N. N. W., fix or feven leagues diftant, and the depth of wa-
6 ter