On the 22d at noon, being in latitude to’ 28'South, and longitude
104° 14', w e faw great quantities o f boobies, and other
fowls, that feldom go far from land ; from which we con-
jedtured, that we were near fome fmall unknown ifland.
In the evening o f the 25th, the wind changed fuddenly to
the Southward, accompanied with heavy rains, and began
to blow with great violence. During the night, almoft every
fail we had bent gave way, and moil o f them were fplit to
r a g s ; our r ig g in g alfo fuffered materially, and we were,
the next day, obliged to bend our laft fuit o f fails, and to
knot and fplice the rig ging, our cordage being all expended.
This fudden ftorm we attributed to the change from the
monfoon to the regular trade-wind ; our latitude was about
13° 10 'South, and we had made by our reckoning about
4 ° t o f longitude Weil from Java head.
From the 26th o f this month to the 28th o f March, we
had a regular trade-wind from the South Eaft to Eaft by
South, with fine weather; and being in an old beaten track
met no occurrence that deferved the fmalleft notice.
In the morning o f the 28th o f March, being in latitude
31° 42' South, and longitude 35° 26' Eaft, the trade-wind left
us in a violent thunder ftorm. From this time to the 3d o f
April, when our latitude was 350 1' South, and longitude
26° 3' Eaft, the winds were moderate, and generally from
the South quarter. A freih breeze then fprung up from
the Eaftward, which continued till the afternoon o f the
4th ; after which we had a calm that lafted the two followin
g days.
It had hitherto been Captain Gore’s intention to proceed
diredtly to St. Helena, without Hopping at the Cape ; but
4 the
the rudder o f the Refolution having been, for fome time, u n complaining,
and, on being examined, reported to be in a
dangerous ftate, he refolved to fteer immediately for the
Cape, as the moil eligible place, both for the recovery o f
his fick, and for procuring a new main-piece to the rudder.
From the 21ft o f March, when we were in latitude 27° 22'
South, longitude 52° 23'-Eaft, to the 5th o f April, when we W«d«rf>
had got into latitude 36° r2' South, longitude 22" 7' Eaft, we
were ftrongly affedted b y the currents, which fet to the
South South Weft; and South Weft by Weil, fometimes at
the rate o f eighty knots a day. On the 6th, having got Thurfday«.
under the lee.of the African coaft, we loft them intirely.
In the morning o f the 6th, a fail was feen to the South
Weft (landing toward us ; and, as the wind foon after rofe
from the fame quarter, we cleared our fhips for action. We
now difcovered, from the maft-head, five fail more on our
lee-bow, ftanding to the Eaftward ; but the weather coming
on hazy, we loft fight o f them all in an hour’s time. Our
latitude at noon was 35° 49' South, longitude 210 3.2' Eaft.
At feven o’clock the next morning (the feventh), we made Friday 7 ?
the land to the Northward at a confiderable diftance.
On the 8th, the weather was fqually, and blew freih from Saturday a.
the North W e il; the following day it fettled to the Weft,'Sunday9.
and we paffed pretty clofe to the fail feen on the 6th, but
did not hail her. She was clumfy in figure, and, to appearance,
u n ik ilfu lly managed ; yet ihe out-failed us exceedingly.
The colours which ihe hoifted were different from any we
had fe en ; fome fuppoied them, to be Porttigueze, others
Imperial.
At day-light, the next morning, the land again appeared Monday
to the North North W e ft; and, in the forenoon, a fnow was
V o l . IIL 3 Q^. feen