1777* two o’clock the next morning, when we had a few hours
^February.^ After which we had a breeze at North ; but here it
wednef. 26. g j g j no{ ]ong5 before it veered to the Eaft, and after that to
Thurfday27. the South. At length, on the 37th, at eight o’clock in the
morning, we took our departure from Cape Paliifer, which,
at this time, bore Weft, feven or eight leagues diftant. We
had a fine gale, and I fleered Eaft by North.
We had no fooner loft fight of the land than our two
New Zealand adventurers, the fea ficknefs they now experienced
giving a turn to their refleétions, repented heartily
o f the ftep they had taken. All the foothing encouragement
we could think of, availed but little. They wept,
both in public and in private ; and made their lamentations
in a kind of fong, which, as far as we could comprehend
the meaning of the words, was expreffive of their praifes
o f their country and people, from which they were to be
feparated for ever. Thus they continued for many days,
till their fea ficknefs wore oft7, and the tumult of their
minds began to fubfide. Then thefe fits of lamentation
became lefs and lefs frequent, and at length entirely
ceafed. Their native country and their friends were, by
degrees, forgot, and they appeared to be as firmly attached
to us, as if they had been born amongft us.
The wind had not remained many hours at South, before
it veered to South Eaft and Eaft ; and, with this, we flood to
F r id a y 28 . the North, till the 28th at noon. Being then in the latitude
of 41° 17', and in the longitude of 177° 17' Eaft, we tacked
and flood to the South Eaft, with a gentle breeze at Eaft
North Eaft. It afterward freihened, and came about to
North Eaft; in which quarter it continued two days, and
fometimes blew a frelh gale with fqualls, accompanied
with fhowers of rain. 3
On the 2d of March at noon, being in the latitude o f
4 2 35 3°''} longitude 180° 8' Eaft, the wind ihifted to North , Mafch- .
Weft; afterward to South Weft; and between this point and *’
North it continued to blow, fometimes a ftrong gale with
hard fqualls, and at, other times very moderate. With this
wind we fleered North Eaft by Eaft and Eaft, under all the
fail we could carry, till the n th at noon, at which time we T«flay
were in the latitude o f 39° 29', longitude 196* 4' Eaft.
The wind now veered to North Eaft and South Eaft, and
I flood to the North, and to the North Eaft, as the wind
would admit, till one o’clock in the morning on the 16th, s«nday,6.
, when having a more favourable gale from the North, I
tacked and flood to the Eaft ; the latitude being 330 40', and
the longitude 198° yo' Eaft. We had light airs and calms
by turns, till noon the next day, when the wind began to Monday ,7*
freihen at Eaft South Eaft, and I again flood to the North
Eaft. But as the wind often veered to Eaft and Eaft North
Eaft, we frequently made no better than a northerly courfe;
nay fometimes to the Weftward o f North. But the hopes
o f the wind coming more Southerly, or of meeting with it
from the Weftward, a little without the Tropic, as I had
experienced in my former vifits to this ocean, encouraged
me to continue this courfe. Indeed it was neceflary that I
ihould run all riiks, as my proceeding to the North this
year, in profecution of the principal object of the voyage,
depended entirely on my making a quick pafiage to Ota-
heite, or the Society Iflands.
The wind continued invariably fixed at Eaft South Eaft,
or feldom ihifting above two points on either fide. It alfo
blew very faint, fo that it was the 27th before we crofted Thm-rdayay.
the Tropic, and then we were only in the longitude of
201° 23' Eaft, which was nine degrees to the Weftward o f
VoL- L . . Z our