The Paffage from Plymouth to Madeira, with fome account H of that Ifland. AVING received my commiffion, which was dated 1768. May. the 25th of May 1768, I went on board on the 27th, which then lay in the bafon in Deptford Yard. She was being taken on board, failed down the river on the 30th of Sat. July 30. July, and on the 13th of August anchored in Plymouth Sat. Aug. 13. Sound. While we lay here waiting for a wind, the articles of war and the act of parliament were read to the ship's company, who were paid two months wages in advance, and told that they were to expect no additional pay for the performance of the voyage. On Friday the 26th of Auguft, the wind becoming fair, Friday 26. we got under fail, and put to fea. On the 31ft, we faw Wednef. 31. feveral of the birds which the failors call Mother Carey's VOL. II. B Chickens, 1768. September. Thursday 1. Friday 2. Monday 5. Chickens, and which they suppose to be the forerunners of a ftorm; and on the next day we had a very hard gale, which brought us under our courfes, washed over-board a small boat belonging to the Boatfwain, and drowned three or four dozen of our poultry, which we regretted still more. On Friday the 2d of September we faw land, between Cape Finister and Cape Ortegal, on the coaft of Gallicia, in Spain; and on the 5th, by an obfervation of the fun and moon, we found the latitude of Cape Finister to be 42° 53′ North, and its longitude 8° 46′ West, our first meridian being always fuppofed to pass through Greenwich; variation of the needle 21° 4′ Weft. During this course, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander had an opportunity of observing many marine animals, of which no naturalift has hitherto taken notice; particularly, a new fpecies of the Onifcus, which was found adhering to the Medufa Pelagica; and an animal of an angular figure, about three inches long and one thick, with a hollow paffing quite through it, and a brown spot on one end, which they conjectured might be its ftomach; four of these adhered together by their fides when they were taken, fo that at first they were thought to be one animal, but upon being put into a glass of water they foon feparated, and swam about very brifkly. These animals are of a new genus, to which Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander gave the name of Dagyfa, from the likeness of one fpecies of them to a gem: feveral fpecimens of them were taken adhering together fometimes to the length of a yard or more, and fhining in the water with very beautiful colours. Another animal of a new genus they alfo difcovered, which fhone in the water with colours ftill more beautiful and vivid, and which indeed exceeded in variety and brightness any thing that we had ever feen: the colouring and fplendour of thefe animals were equal to thofe of of an Opal, and from their resemblance to that gem, the genus was called Carcinium Opalinum. One of them lived feveral hours in a glass of salt water, fwimming about with great agility, and at every motion displaying a change of colours almoft infinitely various. We caught alfo among the rigging of the ship, when we were at the distance of about ten leagues from Cape Finifter, feveral birds which have not been defcribed by Linnæus; they were fuppofed to have come from Spain, and our gentlemen called the fpecies Motacilla velificans, as they faid none but failors would venture themfelves on board a ship that was going round the world: one of them was fo exhaufted that it died in Mr. Banks's hand, almost as soon as it was brought to him. It was thought extraordinary that no naturalift had hitherto taken notice of the Dagyfa, as the sea abounds with them not twenty leagues from the coaft of Spain; but, unfortunately for the cause of science, there are but very few of those who traverse the sea, that are either difpofed or qualified to remark the curiofities of which Nature has made it the repofitory. 1768. September. On the 12th we discovered the islands of Porto Santo and Monday 126 Madeira, and on the next day anchored in Funchiale road, and moored with the ftream-anchor: but, in the night, the bend of the hawfer of the ftream-anchor flipped, owing to the negligence of the perfon who had been employed to make it faft. In the morning the anchor was heaved up into the boat, and carried out to the fouthward; but in heaving it again, Mr. Weir, the master's mate, was carried overboard by the buoy-rope, and went to the bottom with the anchor: the people in the fhip faw the accident, and got the anchor with all poffible expedition; it was however too late, the - body came up intangled in the buoy-rope, but it was dead. When up B 2 |