1787. the extremes of Atoui bore from North to North 35 deg. Weft.
arc^', During the day, we had a fine breeze at South Eaft, and clear weather.
Our latitude at noon was 21 deg. 29 min. North, and 159
deg. Weft longitude. At fix o’clock, the North Eaft end of Atoui
bore North 42 deg. Weft, thirteen leagues diftant; and the body
of Whahoo Eaft. The breeze continued fteady all night; and in
the morning of the 16th, being quite clear of all the illands, we
fteered due North, with a brilk Southerly gale.
Thus have we left thefe illands a fecond time, and are now
ftanding for the American Coaft, on the pinnacle of expectation.
My next lhall be an account of our paflage thither. Adieu.
W . B. Off Atoui, 7
16th March. 3
L E T T E R XXVIII.
BE F O R E I proceed with my account of our paflage to the
North Weft Coaft, let me fay a few words relpecting our
departure from Oneehow, at a time when what we had been ftriv-
ing for weeks to obtain, was apparently within our reach.
As the weather in the night of the 14th, and during the 15th
of March, was moderate and clear, attended with a favourable
Eafterly breeze, which would have enabled us to come to at Oneehow
how with eafe; and as a fupply of yams, which we were morally 1787.
certain of procuring there, would have been highly ferviceable, it . MC1
may feem ftrange that Captain Portlock Ihould ftand to the Northward
at the moment when his every wifh appeared eafy to be ac-
complilhed : but it Ihould be remembered, that the weather previous
to this time, had been very unfettled, and indeed we had ever
found it fo at Oneehow; that Ihould we not meet with contrary
winds, there was every probability of our being becalmed under
the land, which would be attended with confequences equally dif-
agreeable, as it began to be high time for us to fail to the Northward,
in order to make up, if poflible, for the deficiencies of laft
feafon : however, be all this as it may, the event proved this ftep to
be extremely judicious, for the wind veering to the Southward, as
I have already related, would have rendered it impracticable for us
to lay at Oneehow. To return now to our Voyage.
During the former part of the 17th, we had a ftrong Southerly
breeze, with frequent fhowers of rain. In the afternoon, the wind
grew light and variable. The night was fqually, attended with
thunder, lightning, and conftant rain.
In the morning of the 18th, we had a heavy gale of wind at
South South Eaft, with a heavy fwell, and conftant rain. This
was the firft fair gale we had met with fince our leaving England.
The gale continued during the day and greateft part of the night,
which being very dark, we lay to, and made fail at five o’clock in the
morning of the 19th, the weather being pretty moderate. Our
latitude at noon was 27 deg. 24 min. North; and the longitude
138 deg. 17 min. Weft.
From