VOYAGE TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 23 



In consequence of Captain Cook's voyage, now 

 under consideration, we have a thorough knowledge 



reckoning; but that if any error did exist, it must have been of a 

 contrary nature to that which M. Le Monier supposes. 



That M. Le Monier has not given altogether a true represent- 

 ation of the matter, will appear from hence. On the 16th of 

 February, at noon*, the Resolution was in latitude 54? 31' south, 

 which is sufficiently near the parallel of 54 south, to see high 

 land, the northern extremity ot^ which lies to the southward of 

 that parallel; and at that time we were in 6 east of Greenwich, or 

 23f east of the island of Ferro : that is, 4f less than is assigned 

 for our situation by M. Le Monier. On the evening of the same 

 day, the ship being in latitude 54? 24', and longitude 6 30', or 

 24 east of Ferro, the variation was no more than 12 7' west, 

 which also is near a degree and a half less then M. Le Monier 

 says it was, when we first arrived in a proper parallel for seeing 

 Cape Circumcision. It is true, the next morning, in latitude 54 

 21 y south, longitude 8 6' east, we had 13 42' west variation; 

 but this was after we had run more than two degrees within sight 

 of the parallel of 54 south. It is, moreover, highly probable, 

 that both these variations were too great ; for, on the 17th, in 

 the evening, latitude 54 25' south, and longitude 9 20' east ; 

 that is, 1 more to the eastward, and after we had run 34- on the 

 parallel we were then on, the variation was no more than 13 16' 

 west. It is also worthy of remark, that on the 14th, in the even- 

 ing, latitude 56 14' south, and longitude 4 50' east, which is but 

 1 10' to the westward of the point, where the Resolution came 

 first into a proper situation to see land, situated in the parallel of 

 54 south, the variation observed was no more than 6 50' west. 

 And we may further add, that on the 1st of March, 1774, the 

 Adventure had no more than 12f west variation, though she was 

 then considerably both to the northward and eastward of our 

 situation on the 17th of February in the morning, on both which 

 accounts the variation ought to have been greater, instead of a 

 whole degree less. From all these circumstances, there can be 

 little doubt but that the two variations, observed by us on the 16th 

 and 17th of February, were too great ; or that the variation, at the 

 point where the Resolution first came sufficiently near the parallel 

 of 54 south, to see land, the northern extremity of which is 

 situated in that parallel, could not be more than 11 west, in- 

 stead of 13, as AT. le Monier has represented it. 



Under this head of enquiry, I may also observe, that, although 

 the Resolution was too much to the southward of the parallel of 



* I here go by the dates in " The Original Astronomical Observations," 

 printed by order of the Board of Longitude; which, after the 14th of February. 

 1775, differ one day from Captain Cook's date. 



c 4* 



