94 cook's second voyage august, 



the mean of the observations which I made about 

 Erromango, and the S. E. part of these islands, the 

 variation of the compass was 10° 5' 48" East ; and the 

 mean of those made about Tierra del Espiritu Santo, 

 gave 10° 5' 30" East. This is considerably more 

 than Mr. Wales found it to be at Tanna. I cannot 

 say what might occasion this difference in the vari- 

 ation observed at sea and on shore, unless it be in- 

 fluenced by the land ; for I must give the preference 

 to that found at sea, as it is agreeable to what we 

 observed before we made the islands, and after we 

 left them. 



