1770. ROUND THE WORLD. 231 



down in the charts; but there are only two points so 

 far to the south, and I reckoned that we were a de- 

 gree to the westward of them both, and therefore did 

 not see the land, which trends more to the northward. 

 We found the sea here to be in many parts covered 

 with a brown scum, such as sailors generally call 

 spawn. When I first saw it, I was alarmed, fearing 

 that we were among shoals ; but upon sounding, we 

 found the same depth of water as in other places. 

 This scum was examined both by Mr. Banks and Dr. 

 Solander, but they could not determine what it was : 

 it was formed of innumerable small particles, not more 

 than half a line in length, each of which in the mi. 

 croscope appeared to consist of thirty or forty tubes ; 

 and each tube w T as divided through its whole length 

 by small partitions into many cells, like the tubes of 

 the conferva : they were supposed to belong to the 

 vegetable kingdom, because, upon burning them, 

 they produced no smell like that of an animal sub- 

 stance. The same appearance had been observed 

 upon the coast of Brazil and New Holland, but 

 never at anv considerable distance from the shore. 

 In the evening a small bird hovered about the ship, 

 and at night, settling among the rigging, was taken. 

 It proved to be exactly the same bird which Dampier 

 has described, and of which he has given a rude figure, 

 by the name of a Noddy from New Holland. (See 

 his Voyages, vol. iii. p. 98. Tab. of Birds, fig. 5.) 



We continued standing to the northward with afresh 

 gale at E. by S. and S. E. till six in the evening, having 

 very irregular soundings, the depth changing at once 

 from twenty-four fathom to seven. At four, w T e had 

 seen the land from the mast-head, bearing N. W. by 

 N. ; it appeared to be very low, and to stretch from 

 W. N.W. to N. N. E., distant four or five leagues. 

 We now hauled close upon a wind till seven, then 

 tacked and stood to the southward till twelve, at 

 which time we wore and stood to the northward till 

 four in the morning, then laid the head of the vessel off 



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