THEPACIFICOCEAN. 255 



the Weftward, or North Weflward. But when we were at ^778- 



Februar)'. 



anchor off Oneeheow, the current fet nearly North Weft ' \ 



and South Eaft, fix hours one way, and fix the other, and fo 

 ftrong as to make the fhips tend, though the wind blew 

 frefli. This was certainly a regular tide; and, as far as I 

 could judge, the flood came from the North Weft. 



I now return to the progrefs of our voyage. On the 7th, Saturday/. 

 being in the latitude of 2/ North, and in the longitude of 

 200" Eaft, the wind veered to South Eaft. This enabled us 

 to fteer North Eaft and Eaft ; which courfe wc continued till 

 the 1 2th, when the wind had veered round by the South and Thurfdayiz. 

 Weft, to North Eaft and Eaft North Eaft. I then tacked, and 

 flood to the Northward, our latitude being 30" North, and 

 our longitude 206° 15' Eaft. Notwithftanding our advanced 

 latitude, and its being the winter fcafon, we had only be- 

 gun, for a few days paft, to feel a fenfation of cold in the 

 mornings and evenings. This is a fign of the equal and laft- 

 ing influence of the fun's heat, at all fcafons, to 30° on each 

 fide the line. The difproportion is known to become very 

 great after that. This muft be attributed, almoft entirely, 

 to the direcSlion of the rays of the fun, independent of the 

 bare diftance, which is, by no means, equal to the efTedt. 



On the 19th, being now in the latitude of 37" North, and Tiiurfdayi9. 

 in the longitude of qo6° Eaft, the wind veered to South Eaft j 

 and I was enabled again to fteer to the Eaft, inclining to the 

 North. We had, on the 25th, reached the latitude of 42° 30', 

 and the longitude of 219°; and then we began to meet with 

 the rock-weed, mentioned by the writer of Lord Anfon's 

 voyage, under the name of fea-leek, which the Manilla 

 fliips generally fall in with. Now and then, a piece of wood 

 alfo appeared. But, if we had not known, that the continent 



of 



