was from sfeveraT sights, per azimuth* M 48' W. We had:
gained’ sight of the brigv At.rioOn, l ' a t ^ o l f j u d g e d this,
to be the last day we, should be in- north latitude. -Fish-óf va-,
rious, kinds, were! in plenty .round us-: many flying fish lighted
©lithe deck during the night. We caught sOmebönettaf aböut
fpurteen pounds, weight each:- Birds answering’the description
givéiuby Captain Cook, in the run, froth"'St. dago, to thé Cape
of Good Hope, were also, seen in great numbers. The wind
began to freshen gradually abS. by E. to -SWS. E.
A ship and a sloop wërè Stelffi on the 13feh -*stan ding it© fch
W. Found perfs&ns amplitude: a t setting, , variation^tpr?fee,
13* 11' W.
On the. 14th, light winds a t S .JiV E:ufound ,■ by^v-éral sights,
the .variation to b e 13* ."8' W. Saw several Pintado birds^ and
a black bird, called by sailors, hagtebd ’Wdud^fresheUted mtq
strongi-breezës fróm'S. E.„to S.“S. E.
- On the 16th, w^had light weather, but a i^ g ih e a v y i swfe‘M:i
At night much phosphoric matter about uS.im the, waters If4 th e
hands are dipt into, it, thë substance:is*absferwed^on<tkem,.<bu.t.
after 'being exposed' to-the air o jf: it ^ f a?#Utinous,
natut®. Thepeia®^ surrounding the.coast ‘of Afric^isfeeihs<.par-
tieularly impregnated with this luminous appearance. In heavy,
dark rmnye#eather it is not observably b u t .by moon o r js t^
light d - 'i ” ^
We had anobservation on the 17th at naohywhieh gauSfiM&'te
8° ,y JS . and loag$87° 2# W. The wind in g&ieral at 8» E.
and S. E. by S. I followed the directions of- Monsieur D’
Apres, and the observations of Captain. Cook* keeping^ góofl:
point free, as I thdreby expected to get the sooner to the S. and
dear-of the & E.: trader wind, having, drossed the -Equator in
the' long. %Chéö W. by this means w.e did not'see any part of
•flae Coast of Brazil., It. .may be, proper to remark, that we
I found
found a -curreht; drifting'^® fartherdodhe W. than we had any
reason to etfpebty and that.'thesiissel’s head'was never farther to
Ate W. than SilWl b?jblS:‘*and,sor®etimesuS.'W: by’S. f S. which
with AS wW. variatibU ouffhdF’t# Have given uls with* a-S. W. by
S.!’OOtirse, by compassed' S^HSr. W. truefcourse.; instead of which
•we-have’ neuterabeen able *ta make' better)than a S. Wi-dourse.
Gf this I am the’morte certain, because wd have n o t these twenty-
four hours had occasioned'steter on anyp'olnt butb h igS . W .by
‘SEwithia Sg$%wihfl,and with: ekery ^attention I could pay^to
the' steer‘age.i.i#uch is thte.re’sult of ^rnyhobstervatioiiM' Itis-trUe
tHat«afr i?d^§biwritte‘?S'v'#hiO'',hail^ nav'rgated'ddf AlTte business' of
disoaveny^tahtef notice of the differ Snrt Currents about 'the equator,
• Withdufl.ibeing’ ahlp to vredded th&bi within any certain
bouhdsf br date.:1 and I much fear'that -this will always remain
a,source of error,’ These Currents; as already'Observed1, set to
th^itest^ard^therefore -i'thinkfoub’djavigAtorsffn''general^'whO
CrosSfstheiifhe aboub-20- or 21/’ W-. .might do it to more’ advantage'’
at 12?^%s'ibiy-*-that; mddns*they wilf dvoi’chthe' heavy weather
experienbjgd- near the Afriehn - OrffiMy ^return to
Europe, I found the winds as favourable for'crossing" the line in
meylyjlhellhtt *12 o'! nd I did in2€°.Amd'naS the gredf point us to
'get ihtO'th'e variable winds1 between the S:’E f iandLM E. trade,*
fdfTOss^' i ; found - thdrtf'Equally %bither had we" morerain:
•]f^ .fessegl4 therefore-crosses about 12' decrees,; she wilhhot havd
so far-to run to' the W.*before she-'gets clear of the S^E. trade*"
and inbound to1 the Cape or India, whette i'frtrlay beateeep table
to have a sight of the-former, Ob the land near it^shdtvi-ll greatly
shorten-the passage, as it isHvell- known many have fallen in with
Cape St.'Augustine-Or C&ptet Roequte>onHhfe^ CdAsb of Brazil*
hnd by SoidoingAvCtte Obliged to run from^cbntineht *to continent,
1 merely^eciffise the^|udged ibusddss^r ifopractiehble; to
crosst.the Line under 20 deg. W. Independent o f all this,' there
E is