37?6- THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 133 



and observations, might very well happen without the 

 assistance of currents ; as will appear by the Table 

 of Days' Works. 



In the account of my last voyage *, I remarked, 

 that the currents one meets with in this passage 

 generally balance each other. It happened so then; 

 because we crossed the line about 20 more to the 

 eastward than we did now ; so that we were, of 

 consequence, longer under the influence of the east- 

 erly current, which made up for the westerly one. 

 And this, I apprehend, will generally be the case, 

 if you cross the line 10 or 15 to the east of the 

 meridian of St. Jago. 



From these remarks I shall draw the following 

 conclusion, that, after passing the Cape de Verde 

 Island, if you do not make above 4 or 5 easting, 

 and cross the line in, or to the westward of, the 

 meridian of St. Jago, you may expect to find your 

 ship 3 or 4 to the westward of her reckoning, by 

 the time you get into the latitude of 10 S. If, 

 on the other hand, you keep well to the east, and 

 cross the line 15 or 20 to the east of St. Jago, you 

 will be then as much to the east of your reckoning; 

 and the more you keep to the eastward, the greater 

 will be your error ; as has been experienced by some 

 India ships, whose people have found themselves 

 close upon the coast of Angola, when they thought 

 its distance w r as above two hundred leagues. 



During the whole of our passage from England, no 

 opportunity was admitted of observing, with all the 

 attention and accuracy that circumstances would 

 permit, the variation of the compass, which I have 

 inserted in a table, with the latitude and longitude 

 of the ship at the time of observation. As the lon- 

 gitude may be depended upon, to a quarter or half a 

 degree at most, this table will be of use to those 

 navigators who correct their reckoning by the varia- 



* Vol. III. p. 35. 



k 3 



