32 cook's second voyage SEPT. 



and at last to the eastward of south, attended with 

 clear serene weather. At length, on the 8th of Sep- 

 tember, we crossed the line in the longitude of 8 

 west ; after which the ceremony of ducking, &c. 

 generally practised on this occasion, was not omitted. 



The wind now veering more and more to the east, 

 and blowing a gentle top-gallant gale, in eight days 

 it carried us into the latitude of 9 30' south, longi- 

 tude 18 west. The weather was pleasant ; and we 

 daily saw some of those birds which are looked upon 

 as signs of the vicinity of land ; such as boobies, 

 men of war, tropic birds, and gannets. We supposed 

 they came from the isle of St. Matthew, or Ascen- 

 sion ; which isles we must have passed at no great 

 distance. 



On the 27th, in the latitude of 25 29', longitude 

 24 54', we discovered a sail to the west, standing 

 after us. She was a snow ; and the colours she 

 showed either a Portuguese or St. George's Ensign, 

 the distance being too great to distinguish the one 

 from the other ; and I did not choose to wait to get 

 nearer, or to speak with her. 



The wind now began to be variable. It first veered 

 to the north, where it remained two days with fair 

 weather. Afterwards it came round by the west to 

 the south, where it remained two days longer, and 

 after a few honrs'caim sprang up at S.W. But here it 

 remained not long before it veered to S. E. E., and to 

 the north of east ; blew fresh, and by squalls, with 

 showers of rain. 



With these winds we advanced but slowly, and 

 without meeting with any thing remarkable till the 

 11th of October, when at 6 h 24 m 12 s , by Mr. Kendal's 

 watch, the moon rose about four digits eclipsed ; and 

 and soon after we prepared to observe the end of the 

 eclipse, as follows, viz. 



