THEPACIFICOCEAN. 169 



On the 2cl of March at noon, being in the latitude of '777- 

 42° 5S' so", longitude 180° 8' Eaft, the wind fliifted to North 



Weft; afterward to South Weft; and between this point and ^"""^^y'' 



North it continued to blow, fometimes a ftrong gale with 



hard fqualls, and at other times very moderate. With this 



wind we fteered North Eaft by Eaft and Eaft, under all the 



fail we could carry, till the nth at noon, at which time we Tuefaay n. 



were in the latitude of 39° 29', longitude 196° 4' Eaft. 



The wind now veered to North Eaft and South Eaft, and 

 I ftood to the North, and to the North Eaft, as the wind 

 would admit, till one o'clock in the morning on the i6th, Sunday i6. 

 when having a more favourable gale from the North, I 

 tacked and ftood to the Eaft ; the latitude being 33° 40', and 

 the longitude 198° 50' Eaft. We had light airs and calms 

 by turns, till noon the next day, when the wind began to Monday 17, 

 frefhen at Eaft South Eaft, and I again ftood to the North 

 Eaft. But as the wind often veered to Eaft and Eaft North 

 Eaft, we frequently made no better than a northerly courfe; 

 nay fometimes to the Weftward of North. But the hopes 

 of the wind coming more Southerly, or of meeting with it 

 from the Weftward, a little without the Tropic, as I had 

 experienced in my former vifits to this ocean, encouraged 

 me to continue this courfe. hideed it was neceftary that I 

 fliould run all rifks, as my proceeding to the North this 

 year, in profccution of the principal objed of the voyage, 

 depended entirely on my making a quick pafTage to Ota- 

 heite, or the Society Iflands. 



The wind continued invariably fixed at Eaft South Eaft, 

 or feldom fhifting above two points on either fide. It alfo 

 blew very faint, fo that it was the 27th before wc crofTcd Thurfdayz;. 

 the Tropic, and then we were only in the longitude of 

 301° 23' Eaft, which was nine degrees to the Weftward of 



Vol. I. Z our 



