Return and Argo* wals j oined by three ïirdiamen from Benteroe~
gai} two from Bombay, and a whaler from the South Seas.
The variation of the needle at St. Helena was observed
to be then sixteen degrees sixteen minutes west, having
increased two degrees in the ten preceding years.
The fleet steered a north-westerly course to the Equate
®, which was crossed twenty-four degrees of longitude
west of Greenwich. The south-east or trade wind continued,
noi only from St. Helena to the Line, but to the
latitude of twelve degrees north ; where a calm' detained
the ships about ten days. The wind, at length, sprung
up from the northern quarter, aiid veering through the
east, it gradually became more steady from the south
and west. : - - ^ ■
During the passage a party of the gentlemen belonging
to the Embassy went on board the Geres Indiaman,
to try the effect ©f a marine chair, made after a model.
Hid before the Board of Longitude by Sir Joseph Sen-
t'ouséÿ Thé ship was rolling considerably ; yet the chair
maintained its horizontal position ; and distant objects
were Lept with gréât ease within the field of the telescope.
Whether such an instrument will ever be brough t
to such perfection that the satellites of Jupiter maybeob-
Served upon it with a telescope in all kinds of weather,
so as to deduce the longitude from their immersions and
emeriiohs, may Be justly doubted ; as a great difficulty
seems to arise from the effect of a sudden and complicated
motion of the ship1 produced-m/cidss and Canf&sed seas, Retu?s
and to which no Correspondent-adjustmemt;bftttoetinstru- °me'
inent^saetiqg with sufficient- quickn&Ssdto. preserve-it
constantly in an horizontal position, has been yet1 dk'-i
covered. The present-chair, however, in modeMte weab
thcry may afford'-matemlassistahee in making‘stich.bb-
latVationS:; and must/ in thefifeaviest'Seas,; facilitate the
operation oftaking, With sextant, thearigulardast-ahcOs
of tbeffieavenly bodies; which, otherwise,^without g'^eat
practice‘and dexterity; is attended WitfoncPstight? diffi-
Culty-'Onssiich occasions M
^'On the twenty-first of Julyb^a fleet of ships was
ddsgried to the-' north-easts and* | soon *elevbh sail we®0
cdunted'; five of'%MCh appeared to’be -of considerable
magnitude. ThesCtwere observ-ed-Ho have formed a line
of battle-abreast, and to bear-down* towardstlbe convoy,
while -the; OthersTayHo, to windward. T h r Linn,-’Samson,
and A'rgpt; formecba line ahead, and^lhe riaerchant-
men Were directed - to - keep to-leCward- The private
sighals Were* not answeredrand thd strang^r^^ere-comi-
clude'd to be brfemi^Sv The weather- Wa?s--iberyc thick.;
and a heavy cloud- aee.oinpaniedowith rain descended
between the opposite fleets,-and’hid them-»for many
minutes entirely from one another. The distancefebe-
tween them before was- small; and as- they wferWiiarad-
ing directly towards ieach other, it was-te^ry moment
expected that an engagement- would take'tjdace amidst;