l]f> cook's voyage TO AUG. 



island of Bonavista to lie in the latitude of 16 17' N., 

 and in the longitude of 22 5$ W. 



As soon as we were clear of the rocks, we steered 

 S. S. W., till day-break next morning, and then 

 hauled to the westward, to go between Bonavista and 

 the isle of Mayo, intending to look into Port Praya 

 for the Discovery, as I had told Captain Clerke that 

 I should touch there, and did not know how soon he 

 might sail after me. At one in the afternoon, we 

 saw the rocks that lie on the S. W. side of Bonavista, 

 bearing S. E., distant three or four leagues. 



Next morning, at six o'clock, the isle of Mayo bore 

 S. S. E., distant about five leagues. In this situation 

 we sounded, and found ground at sixty fathoms. At 

 the same time the variation, by the mean of several 

 azimuths taken with three different compasses, was 

 9 32i' W. At eleven o'clock, one extreme of 

 Mayo bore E. by N., and the other S. E. by S. In 

 this position, two roundish hills appeared near its N. 

 E. part; farther on, a large and higher hill; and, at 

 about two-thirds of its length, a single one that is 

 peaked. At the distance we now saw this island, 

 which was three or four miles, there was not the least 

 appearance of vegetation, nor any relief to the eye 

 from that lifeless brown which prevails in countries 

 under the torrid zone that are unwooded. 



Here I cannot help remarking that Mr. Nichelson, 

 in his Preface to Sundry Remarks and Observations 

 made in a Voyage to the East Indies * , tells us, that 

 " with eight degrees W. variation, or any thing above 

 that, you may venture to sail by the Cape de Verde 

 Islands night or day, being well assured, with that 

 variation, that you are to the eastward of them." 

 Such an assertion might prove of dangerous conse- 

 quence, were there any that would implicitly trust to 

 it. We also tried the current, and found one setting 



* On board his Majesty's ship Elizabeth, from 1758 to 1764; 

 by William Nichelson, master of the said ship. London, 1773. 



