484 cook's voyage to no v. 



o'clock, we lost sight of her, and did not see her again 

 till eight the next morning. At ten, she joined us; and, 

 as the height of the gale was now over, and the wind 

 had veered back to W.N. W., we made sail, and re- 

 sumed our course to the southward. 



The 6th, in the evening, being in the latitude of 

 42 12', and in the longitude of 201 26', the vari- 

 ation was 17 15' E. The next morning, our lati- 

 tude being 41 20', and our longitude 20f , a shag, 

 or cormorant, flew several times round the ship. As 

 these birds are seldom, if ever, known to fly far out of 

 sight of land, I judged that some was not far distant. 

 However, we could see none. In the afternoon, 

 there being but little wind, Captain Clerke came on 

 board, and informed me of a melancholy accident 

 that happened on board his ship, the second night 

 after we left Samganoodha. The main tack gave way, 

 killed one man, and wounded the boatswain and two 

 or three more. In addition to this misfortune, I now 

 learned, that on the evening of the 3d, his sails and 

 rigging received considerable damage ; and that the 

 guns which he fired were the signal to bring to. 



On the 8th, the wind was at north; a gentle breeze, 

 with clear weather. On the 9th, in the latitude of 

 39|- > we had eight hours calm. This was succeeded 

 by the wind from the south, attended with fair 

 weather. Availing ourselves of this, as many of our 

 people as could handle a needle, were set to work to 

 repair the sails ; and the carpenters were employed 

 to put the boats in order. 



On the 12th at noon, being then in the latitude of 

 38 14', and in the longitude of 206 17', the wind 

 returned back to the northward ; and, on the 15th, 

 in the latitude of 33 3(X, it veered to the east. At 

 this time, we saw a tropic bird, and a dolphin ; the 

 first that we had observed during the passage. On 

 the l?th, the wind veered to the southward, where it 

 continued till the afternoon of the 9th, when a squall 

 of wind and rain brought it at once round b) the 



