112 cook's voyage to march 



an article of their common diet ; and our people also 

 found it very palatable and wholesome. We could 

 not learn to what species of plant it belonged, having 

 never been able to procure the leaves 5 but it was 

 supposed by our botanists to be the root of some kind 

 of fern. 



Agreeably to the practice of Captain Cook, I shall 

 subjoin an abstract of the astronomical observations 

 which were made at the observatory in Karakakooa 

 Bay, for determining its latitude and longitude, and 

 for finding the rate and error of the time-keeper. 

 To these are subjoined the mean variation of the 

 compass, the dip of the magnetic needle, and a table 

 of the latitude and longitude of the Sandwich Islands. 

 The latitude of the observatory, 

 deduced from meridian zenith 

 distances of the sun, eleven 

 stars to the south, and four 

 stars to the north of the zenith 1Q° 28' 0" north. 

 The longitude of the observ- 

 atory, deduced from 253 sets of 

 lunar observations ; each set 

 consisting of six observed dis- 

 tances of the sun from the 

 moon, or stars ; fourteen of 

 the above sets were only taken 

 at the observatory, 105 sets 

 being taken whilst cruizing off 

 Owhyhee ; and 134 sets, when 

 at Atooi and Oneeheow ; all 

 these being reduced to the ob- 

 servatory, by means of the 

 time-keeper - - - 204° 0' 0" east. 



The longitude of the observa- 

 tory, by the time-keeper, on the 

 19th January, 1779, accord- 

 ing to its rate, as found at 

 Greenwich - - 214° 7' 15" east. 



