1768. October.

Monday 10,

an hour. The variation here, by the mean of feveral azimuths, appeared to be 8° 39′ W.

On the 10th, Mr. Banks fhot the black-toed gull, not yet defcribed according to Linnæus's fyftem; he gave it the name of Larus crepidatus: it is remarkable that the dung of this bird is of a lively red, fomewhat like that of the liquor procured from the fhells, only not fo full; its principal food therefore is probably the Helix juft mentioned. A current to the N. W. preMonday 24 Vailed more or lefs till Monday the 24th, when we were in latitude 1° 7 N. and longitude 28° 50,

Tuesday 25:

Friday 28.

Saturd. 29.

On the 25th we croffed the line with the ufual ceremonies in longitude 29° 30', when, by the refult of feveral very good azimuths, the variation was 2° 24'.

On the 28th, at noon, being in the latitude of Ferdinand Noronha, and, by the mean of feveral obfervations by Mr. Green and myself, in longitude 32° 516" W. which is to the weftward of it by fome charts, and to the eastward by others, we expected to fee the island, or some of the fhoals that are laid down in the charts between it and the main, but we faw neither one nor the other

In the evening of the 29th, we observed that luminous appearance of the fea which has been fo often mentioned by navigators, and of which fuch various caufes have been affigned; fome

fuppofing

October.

fuppofing it to be occafioned by fith, which 1768. agitated the water by darting at their prey, fome by the putrefaction of fifh and other ma- Saturd. 29. rine animals, fome by electricity, and others referring it into a great variety of different causes. It appeared to emit flaflies of light exactly refembling those of lightning, only not fo confiderable, but they were fo frequent that' fometimes eight or ten were vifible almost at the fame moment. We were of opinion that they' proceeded from fome luminous animal, and upon throwing out the cafting net our opinion was confirmed: it brought up à fpecies of the Medufa, which when it came on board had the appearance of metal violently heated, and emitted a white light: with these animals were taken some very small crabs, of three different fpecies, each of which gave as much light as a glow-worm, though the creature was not fo large by nine tenths: upon examination of thefe animals Mr. Banks had the fatisfaction to find that they were all 'entirely new.

On Wednesday the 2d of November, about November. noon, being in the latitude of 10 38′ S. and Wednef. 2. longitude 32° 13′ 43′′ W. we paffed the line in which the needle at this time would have pointed due north and fouth, without any variation: for in the morning, having decreafed gradually in its deviation for fome days, it was no more than 18′ W. and in the afternoon it was 34' Eaft.

1768. November.

Sunday 6.

On the 6th, being in latitude 19° 3' South, longitude 35° 50' Weft, the colour of the water was observed to change, upon which we founded, and found ground at the depth of 32 fathoms; the lead was caft three times within about four hours, without a foot difference in the depth or quality of the bottom, which was coral rock, fine fand, and fhells; we therefore fuppofed that we had passed over the tail of the great fhoal which is laid down in all our charts by the name of Abrothos, on which Lord Anfon ftruck foundings in his paffage outwards: at Monday. four the next morning we had no ground with 100 fathom.

As feveral articles of our stock and provifions now began to fall short, I determined to put into Rio de Janeiro, rather than at any port in Brazil or Falkland's Islands, knowing that it could better fupply us with what we wanted, and making no doubt but that we should be well received.

Tuefday & On the 8th, at day-break, we faw the coast of Brazil, and about ten o'clock we brought to, and spoke with a fishing-boat; the people on. board told us that the land which we faw, lay to the fouthward of Sancto Efpirito, but belonged to the captainship of that place.

Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went on board this veffel, in which they found eleven men,

nine of whom were Blacks; they all fifhed with

November.

lines, and their fresh cargo, the chief part of 1768. which Mr. Banks bought, confifted of dolphins, large pelagic scombers of two kinds, sea bream,; and fome of the fish which in the West Indies are called Welfhmen. Mr. Banks had taken Spanish filver with him, which he imagined to be the currency of the continent, but to his great furprise the people asked him for English fhillings; he gave them two, which he happened to have about him, and it was not without fome dispute that they took the reft of the money in piftereens. Their bufinefs feemed to be to catch large fish at a good distance from the fhore, which they falted in bulk, in a place made for that purpose in the middle of their boat: of this merchandise they had about two quintals on board, which they offered for about 15 fhillings, and would probably have fold for half the money. The fresh fish, which was bought for about nineteen fhillings and fix pence, ferved the whole fhip's company; the falt was not wanted.

The fea provision of these fishermen confifted of nothing more than a cafk of water, and a bag of Caffada flour, which they called Farinha de Pao, or wooden flour, which indeed is a name which very well fuits its tafte and appearance. Their water cafk was large, as wide as their boat, and exactly fitted a place that was made for it in the ballaft; it was impoffible

therefore

1768.

November.

Saturd, 12.

therefore to draw out any of its contents by a tap, the fides being, from the bottom to the top, wholly inacceffible; neither could any be taken out by dipping a veffel in at the head, for an opening fufficiently wide for that purpose would have endangered the lofs of great part of it by the rolling of the veffel: their expedient to get at their water, fo fituated, was curious; when one of them wanted to drink, he applied to his neighbour, who accompanied him to the water cafk with a hollow cane about three feet long, which was open at both ends; this he thruft into the cafk through a small hole in the top, and then, ftopping the upper end with the palm of his hand, drew it out; the preffure of the air against the other end keeping in the water which it contained; to this end the perfon who wanted to drink applied his mouth, and the affiftant then taking his hand from the other, and admitting the air above, the cane immediately parted with its contents, which the drinker drew off till he was fatisfied.

We flood off and on along the fhore till the 12th, and fucceffively faw a remarkable hill near Santo Efpirito, then Cape St. Thomas, and then an ifland juft without Cape Frio, which in fome maps is called the island of Frio, and which being high, with a hollow in the middle has the appearance of two islands when feen at a diftance. On this day we ftood along the fhore

for