1773. ROUND THE WORLD. 151 



indication that there was no land between us and my 

 track to the west in 1769. After this, we had, as is 

 usual in all great oceans, large billows from every di- 

 rection in which the wind blew a fresh gale, but more 

 especially from the S. W. These billows never ceased 

 with the cause that first put them in motion ; a sure 

 indication, that we were not near any large land, and 

 that there is no continent to the south, unless in a 

 very high latitude. But this was too important a 

 point to be left to opinions and conjectures. Facts 

 were to determine it ; and these could only be ob- 

 tained by visiting the southern parts ; which was to 

 be the work of the ensuing summer, agreeably to the 

 plan I had laid down. 



As the winds continued to blow from the N. W. 

 and west, we had no other choice but to stand to the 

 north, inclining more or less every day to the east. 

 In the latitude of 21, we saw flying fish, gannets 

 and egg-birds. On the sixth, I hoisted a boat out 

 and sent for Captain Furneaux to dinner ; from whom 

 I learnt that his people were much better, the flux 

 having left them ; and the scurvy was at a stand. 

 Some cyder which he happened to have, and which 

 he gave to the scorbutic people, contributed not a 

 little to this happy change. The weather to-day was 

 cloudy, and the wind very unsettled. This seemed 

 to announce the approach of the so much-wished-for 

 trade wind ; which, at eight o'clock in the evening, 

 after two hours' calm and some heavy showers of 

 rain, we actually got at S. E. We were, at this time, 

 in the latitude of 19 36' south, longitude 131 32' 

 west. The not meeting with the S. E. trade-wind 

 sooner, is no new thing in this sea. As we had now 

 got it, I directed my course to the W. N. W. as well 

 to keep in the strength of it, as to get to the north 

 of the islands discovered in my former voyage ; that, 

 if any other islands lay in the way, I might have a 

 chance to discover them. During the day-time we 

 made all the sail we could j but in the night, either 



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