241 cook's second voyage march, 



ville steered to the east, between the latitude of 85° 

 and 41° south, until he arrived on the coast of Ame- 

 rica ; where, in the port of CaJIao, in attempting to 

 land, he was drowned. 



These voyages of the French, though undertaken 

 by private adventurers, have contributed something 

 towards exploring the Southern Ocean. That of Cap- 

 tain Surviile, clears up a mistake, which I was led into, 

 in imagining the shoals off the west end of New Cale- 

 donia to extend to the west, as far as New Holland. 

 It proves that there is an open sea in that space, and 

 that we saw the N. W. extremity of that country. 



From the same gentleman we learnt, that the ship 

 which had been at Otaheite before our first arrival 

 there this voyage, was from New Spain ; and that, 

 in her return, she had discovered some islands in the 

 latitude of 32° S. and under the meridian of 130° W. 

 Some other islands, said to be discovered by the 

 Spaniards, appeared on this chart ; but Captain Cro- 

 zet seemed to think, they were inserted from no good 

 authorities. 



We were likewise informed of a later voyage un- 

 dertaken by the French, under the command of 

 Captain Kerguelen, which had ended much to the 

 disgrace of that commander. 



While we lay in Table Bay, several foreign ships 

 put in and out, bound to and from India, viz. English, 

 French, Danes, Swedes, and three Spanish frigates, 

 two of them going to, and one coming from, Manilla. 

 It is but very lately that the Spanish ships have 

 touched here ; and these were the first that were al- 

 lowed the same privileges as other European friendly 

 nations. 



On examining our rudder, the pintles were found 

 to be loose, and we were obliged to unhang it, and 

 take it on shore to repair. We were also delayed 

 for want of calkers to calk the ship, which was ab- 

 solutely necessary to be done, before we put to sea. 

 At length I obtained two workmen from one of the 



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