177«5« ROUND THE WORLD. 225 



N.W. to S.W. caused the mercury in the thermome- 

 ter to fall as suddenly from 62° to 52° ; such was the 

 different state of the air, between a northerly and 

 southerly wind. The next day, having several hours 

 calm, we put a boat in the water, and shot some 

 albatrosses and peterels ; which, at this time, were 

 highly acceptable. We were now nearly in the situ- 

 ation where the isles which we were in search of, are 

 said to lie ; however, we saw nothing that could give 

 us the least hope of finding them. 



The calm continued till five o'clock of the next 

 morning, when it was succeeded by a breeze at W. 

 by S., with which we stood to N. N. W. and at noon 

 observed in latitude 38° 51' S. This was upwards of 

 thirty miles more to the north than our log gave us ; 

 and the watch shewed that we had been set to the 

 east also. If these differences did not arise from 

 some strong current, I know not how to account ior 

 them. Very strong currents have been found on the 

 African coast, between Madagascar and the Cape of 

 Good Hope ; but I never heard of their extending 

 so far from the land ; nor is it probable they do. I 

 rather suppose that this current has no connection 

 with that on the coast ; and that we happened to fall 

 into some stream which is neither lasting nor regular. 

 But these are points which require much time to in- 

 vestigate, and must therefore be left to the industry 

 of future navigators. 



We were now two degrees to the north of the pa- 

 rallel in which the isles of Denia and Marseveen are 

 said to lie. We had seen nothing to encourage us 

 to persevere in looking after them ; and it must have 

 taken up some time longer to find them, or to prove 

 their non-existence. Every one was impatient to get 

 into port, and for good reasons ; as for a long time 

 we had had nothing but stale and salt provisions, for 

 which every one on board had lost all relish. These 

 reasons induced me to yield to the general wish, and 

 to steer for the Cape of Good Hope, being at this 

 time in the latitude of 38° 88' S., longitude 23° 37' E. 



VOL. IV. Q. 



