34 cook's SECOND VOYAGE OCT. 



continued so till the 23d, when it veered to N. and 

 N.W. after some hours calm ; in which we put a 

 boat in the water, and Mr. Forster shot some alba- 

 trosses and other birds, on which we feasted the next 

 day, and found them exceedingly good. At the 

 same time we saw a seal, or, as some thought, a sea- 

 lion, which probably might be an inhabitant of one 

 of the isles of Tristian de Cunha, being now nearly 

 in their latitude, and about 5 east of them. 



The wind continued but two days at N.W. and 

 S. W. ; then veered to the S. E., where it remained 

 two days longer ; then fixed at N. W., which carried 

 us to our intended port. As we approached the 

 land, the sea-fowl, which had accompanied us hi- 

 therto, began to leave us ; at least they did not come 

 in such numbers ; nor did we see gannets, or the 

 black bird commonly called the Cape hen, till we 

 were nearly within sight of the Cape ; nor did we 

 strike sounding till Penguin Island bore N.N.E. dis- 

 tant two or three leagues, where we had fifty fathom 

 water. Not but that the soundings may extend far- 

 ther off. However, I am very sure that they do not 

 extend very far west from the Cape ; for we could 

 not find ground with a line of 210 fathoms, 25 leagues 

 west of Table Bay ; the same at 35 leagues, and at 

 64 leagues. I sounded these three times, in order 

 to find a bank, which, I had been told, lies to the 

 west of the Cape ; but how far I never could learn. 



I was told, before I left England, by some gentle- 

 men who were well enough acquainted with the 

 navigation between England and the Cape of Good 

 Hope, that I sailed at an improper season of the 

 year ; and that I should meet with much calm wea- 

 ther near and under the line. This probably may 

 be the case some years ; it is, however, not general ; 

 on the contrary, we hardly met with any calms ; 

 but a brisk S. W. wind in those very latitudes where 

 the calms are expected. Nor did we meet with any 

 of those tornadoes, so much spoken of by other 



