J 776. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 101 



CHAP. II. 



PASSAGE OF THE RESOLUTION TO TENERIFFE. RECEPTION 



THERE. DESCRIPTION OF SANTA CRUZ ROAD. REFRESH- 

 MENTS TO BE MET WITH. OBSERVATIONS FOR FIXING 



THE LONGITUDE OF TENERIFFE. SOME ACCOUNT OF THE 



ISLAND. BOTANICAL OBSERVATIONS. CITIES OF SANTA 



CRUZ AND LAGUNA. AGRICULTURE. ' AIR AND CLIMATE. 



COMMERCE. INHABITANTS. 



W e had not been long out of Plymouth Sound, 

 before the wind came more westerly, and blew fresh, 

 so that we were obliged to ply down the Channel ; 

 and it was not till the 14th, at eight in the evening, 

 that we were off the Lizard. 



On the 16th, at noon, St. Agnes's light-house on 

 the Isles of Scilly, bore north-west by west, distant 

 seven or eight miles. Our latitude was now 49 

 53' 30 /7 north, and our longitude, by the watch, 6 

 ll'west. Hence, I reckon that St. Agnes's light- 

 house is in 49 57' 30" north latitude, and in 6 20' 

 of west longitude. 



On the 17th* and 18th we were off Ushant, and 

 found the longitude of the island to be, by the watch, 

 5 18' 37" west. The variation was 23 0' 50", in 

 the same direction. 



With a strong gale at south, on the 19th, we stood 

 to the westward, till eight o'clock in the morning ; 

 when, the wind shifting to the west and north-west, 

 we tacked and stretched to the southward. At this 

 time, we saw nine sail of large ships, which we judged 



* It appears from Captain Cook's log-book, that he began his 

 judicious operations for preserving the health of his crew, very 

 early in the voyage. On the 1 7th, the ship was smoked between 

 decks with gun-powder. The spare sails also were then well aired, 



H 3 



