away at once; fo that within lefs than two minutes

1766.

the fhip had no motion, though we were at least four September. leagues diftant from the shore. Palma lies in lat. 28°

40′ N, longitude 17° 48′ W.

On the 20th we tried the current, and found it set Satur. 20. S. W. by W. one mile an hour: this day we saw two herons flying to the eastward, and a great number of bonettas about the ship, of which we caught eight.

Mond. 22.

In the night between the 21 and 22d we lost our Sunday 21. companion the Swallow, and about eight in the morning we saw the island of Sal, bearing S. W. at noon it bore S. W. distant 8 leagues; and at noon on the 23d, the nearest land of the island of Bonavista bore Tuesday 23. from S. to W. S. W. diftant feven or eight miles, the east end, at the fame time, bearing W. diftant two leagues. In this fituation we founded, and had only 15 fathom, with rocky ground; at the fame time we faw a very great rippling, which we supposed to be caused by a reef, ftretching off the point about E. S. E. three miles, and breakers without us, distant alfo about three miles in the direction of S. E. We steered between the rippling and the breakers, but after hauling the fhip off about half a mile, we had no foundings. The Prince Frederick paffed very near the breakers, in the S. E. but had no foundings; yet these breakers are fuppofed to be dangerous. The middle of the ifle of Sal is in latitude 16° 55' N. longitude 21° 59′ W. the middle of Bonavista is in latitude 16° 10' longitude 23. W.

On the next day, at fix in the morning, the isle of Wedn. 24. May bore from W. to S. W. fix leagnes; and foon after the Swallow again joined company. At half an hour after 10 the weft end of the ifle of May bore north at the distance of five miles, and we found a current here, fetting to the fouthward at the rate of twenty miles in four and twenty hours. The latitude of this ifland is 15° 10' N. longitude 220 25' W.

At noon the fouth end of the isle St. Jago bore S. W. by W. diftant four leagues, and the north end N. W. diftant five leagues. At half an hour after three we anchored in Port Praya, in that ifland, in company with the Swallow and Prince Frederick, in eight fathom

I 2

1766. fathom water, upon fandy ground. We had much rain September. and lightning in the night, and early in the morning I fent to the commanding officer at the fort, for leave to get off fome water, and other refreshments, which he granted.

Thurf. 25.

Sunday 28.

October.

We foon learnt that this was the fickly feafon, and that the rains were fo great as to render it extremely difficult to get any thing down from the country to the fhips; it happened also, unfortunately, that the finallpox, which is extremely fatal here, was at this time. epidemic; fo that I permitted no man to go a-fhore who had not had that distemper, and I would not fuffer even thofe that had to go into any house.

We procured, however, a fupply of water and fome cattle from the fhore, and caught abundance of fish with the feine, which was hauled twice every day : we found also in the valley where we got our water, a kind of large purflain, growing wild in amazing quantities: this was a moft welcome refreshment both raw as a fallad, and boiled with broth and pease ; and when we left the place we carried away enough of

it to serve us a week.

On the 28th, at half an hour after twelve we weighed and put to fea; at half an hour after fix in the evening the peak of Fuego bore W. N. W. distant 12 leagues, and in the night the burning mountain was very visible.

This day I ordered hooks and lines to be ferved to all the fhip's company, that they might catch fish for themselves; but at the fame time I alfo ordered that no man fhould keep his fifh more than four and twenty hours before it was eaten, for I had obferved that stale, and even dried fish, had made the people fickly, and tainted the air in the ship.

On the first of October, in lat. 10° 37' N. we loft Wedn. 1. the true trade-wind, and had only light and variable gales; and this day we found that the fhip was fet twelve miles to the northward by a current; on the Friday 3. third we found a current run S. by E. at the rate of fix fathom an hour, or about twenty miles and a half Tuesday 7. a day on the feventh we found the fhip 19 miles to the fouthward of her reckoning.

On

October.

On the 20th, our butter and cheese being all expend- 1766. ed we began to ferve the fhip's company with oil; and I gave orders that they should also be ferved with Monday 20. muftard and vinegar once a fortnight during the reft

of the voyage.

On the 22d we saw an incredible number of birds, Wednef 22. and among the reft a man of war bird, which inclined

us to think that fome land was not more than 60 leagues

:

diftant this day we croffed the equator in longitude 23° 40' W.

On the 24th, I ordered the ship's company to be Friday 24. ferved with brandy, and referved the wine for the fick

and convalefcent. On the 26th the Prince Frederick Sunday 26. made fignals of diftrefs, upon which we bore down to her, and found that she had carried away her fore-topfail-yard. To fupply this lofs we gave her our sprit-failtop-fail-yard, which we could fpare, and the hoifted it immediately.

On the 27th the again made fignals of diftrefs, upon Monday 27. which I brought to, and fent the carpenter on board her, who returned with an account that she had sprung a leak under the larboard cheek forward, and that it was impoffible to do any thing to it till we had better weather. Upon speaking with Lieutenant Brine, who commanded her, he informed me that his crew were fickly; that the fatigue of working the pumps, and conftantly standing by the fails, had worn them down; that their provisions were not good, that they had nothing to drink but water, and that he feared it would be impoffible for him to keep company with me except I could fpare him fome affiftance. For the badnefs of their provifion I had no remedy, but I fent on board a carpenter and fix feamen to affift in pumping and working the ship.

On the eight of November, being in latitude 25° November. 52' S. longitude 39° 38' we founded with 160 fathom Saturday 8. but had no ground: on the ninth, having feen a great number of birds, called albatroffes, we founded again with 180 fathom, but had no ground.

On the 11th, having by fignal brought the ftore- Tuefd, 11, ship under our stern, I fent the carpenter, with proper affiftants, on board to ftop the leak; but they found that very little could be done: we then compleated our

13

provifions,

November.

1766. provifions, and thofe of the Swallow, from her stores, and put on board her all our ftaves, iron hoops, and empty oil jars. The next day I fent a carpenter and fix feamen to relieve the men that had been fent to affift her on the 27th of October, who, by this time, began to fuffer much by their fatigue. Several of her, crew having the appearance of the fcurvy, I fent the furgeon on board her with fome medicines for the fick. This day, having feen fome albatroffes, turtles, and weeds, we founded, but had no ground with 180 fa

Wednef. 12.

thom.

On the 12th, being now in latitude 30 fouth, we began to find it very cold; we therefore got up our quarter cloths, and fitted them to their proper places, and the feamen put on their thick jackets. This day we faw a turtle, and several albatroffes, but still had no ground with 18 fathom.

We continued to fee weeds and birds on board the Thursd. 18. ship, but had no ground till the 18th, when we found a foft muddy bottom at the depth of 54 fathom. We were now in lat. 35° 40′ S. longitude 49° 54′ W. and this was the first founding we had after our coming upon the coaft of Brazil.

Wednef. 19.

On the 19th, about eight o'clock in the evening, we faw a meteor of a very extraordinary appearance in the north-east, which, foon after we had obferved it, flew off in a horizontal line to the fouth-weft, with amazing rapidity: it was near a minute in its progrefs, and it left a train of light behind it fo ftrong, that the deck was not lefs illuminated than at noon-day. This day we saw a great number of feals about the ship, and had foundings at 55 fathom, with a muddy bottom. Thurfd. 20. The next day the feals continued, and we had foundings at 53 fathom, with a dark coloured fand, upon which we bent our cables.

Friday 21.

Saturday22.

On the 21t we had no ground with 150 fathom. Our latitude at noon was 37° 40' S. longitude 51° 24' W.

On the 22d we had foundings again at 70 fathom, with a dark brown fand, and faw many whales and feals about the fhip, with a great number of butterflies and birds, amon which were fnipes and plover.

Our

Our latitude at noon was 38° 55' longitude 560 47' W.

1766. December.

Our foundings continued from oo to 40 fathom, Monday 8. till the eighth of December, when, about fix o'clock in the morning, we faw land bearing from S. W. to W. by S. and appearing like many fmall islands. At noon it bore from W. by S. to S. S. W. diftant 8 leagues; our latitude then bearing 47° 16′ S. longitude 64° 58′ W. About three o'clock Cape Blanco bore W. N. W. diftant fix leagues, and a remarkable double faddle W. S. W. diftant about three leagues. We had now foundings from 20 to 16 fathom, sometimes with coarse sand and gravel, fometimes with small black ftones and fhells. At eight in the evening the Tower rock at Port Defire bore S. W. by W. distant about three leagues; and the extreams of the land from S. by E. to N. W. by N. At nine Penguin Ifland bore S. W. by W. W. distant two leagues; and at four o'clock in the morning of the ninth, the Tuesday 9. land feen from the mast-head bore from S. W. to W. by N.

At noon Penguin Ifland bore S. by E. diftant 57 miles; our latitude being 48° 56' S. longitude 65° 6 W. This day we faw fuch a quantity of red fhrimps about the ship, that the fea was coloured with them.

At noon the next day, Wednesday the 10th, the Wedn. to. extreams of the land bore from S. W. to N. W. and Wood's Mount, near the entrance of Saint Julian's, bore S. W. by W. distant three or four leagues. Our latitude was 49° 16′ our longitude 66° 48′ W. and our foundings were from 40 to 45 fathom, fometimes fine fand, fometimes foft mud.

At noon, on Thurfday the 11th, Penguin Island Thurf. 11. bore N. N. E. diftant 58 leagues. Our latitude was 50° 48' S. our longitude 670 10' W.

We continued our courfe till Saturday the 13th, Saturday13. when our latitude being 50° 34' S. and our longitude 68° 15' W. the extreams of the land bore from N. E. to S. S. W. W. and the fhip was about five or fix miles diftant from the fhore. Cape Beachy-head, the northermoft cape, was found to lie in latitude 500 16' S. and Cape Fair-weather, the fouthermoft cape, in latitude 500 50'S.

On