177& THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 115 



CHAP. III. 



DEPARTURE FROM TENERIFFE. DANGER OF THE SHIP NEAR 



BONAVISTA. ISLE OF MAYO. PORT PRAYA. PRECAU- 

 tions aganst the rain and sultry weather in the 



neighbourhood of the equator. position of the 



coast of brazil. arrival at the cape of good hope. 



transactions there. junction of the discovery. 



mr. Anderson's journey up the country. astron- 

 omical OBSERVATIONS. NAUTICAL REMARKS ON THE PASS- 

 AGE FROM ENGLAND TO THE CAPE, WITH REGARD TO THE 

 CURRENTS AND THE VARIATION. 



Having completed our water, and got on board 

 every other thing we wanted at Teneriffe, we weighed 

 anchor on the 4th of August, and proceeded on our 

 voyage, with a fine gale at north-east. 



At nine o'clock in the evening on the 10th*, we 

 saw the island of Bonavista bearing S., distant little 

 more than a league; though, at this time, we thought 

 ourselves much farther off; but this proved a mistake. 

 For, after hauling to the east-ward till twelve o'clock, 

 to clear the sunken rocks that lie about a league from 

 the S. E. point of the island, we found ourselves, at 

 that time, close upon them, and did but just weather 

 the breakers. Our situation, for a few minutes, was 

 very alarming. I did not choose to sound, as that 

 might have heightened the danger without any pos- 

 sibility of lessening it. I make the N. end of the 



* As a proof of Captain Cook's attention, both to the discipline 

 and to the health of his ship's company, it may be worth while to 

 obseve here, that it appears from his log-book, he exercised them at 

 great guns and small arms, and cleared and smoked the ship belotv 

 decks, twice in the interval between the 4th and the 10th of August. 



I ^ 



