152 COOK'S VOYAGE TO APRIL, 



Spanish galleons from the Manillas to Acapulco, we 

 expected to have fallen in with the Island of Rica de 

 Plata, which, according to De Lisle's chart, in which 

 the route of those ships is laid down, ought to have 

 been in sight ; its latitude, as there given, being 

 33° 30' N., and its longitude 166° E. Notwith- 

 standing we were so far advanced to the northward, 

 we saw this day a tropic bird, and also several other 

 kinds of sea-birds ; such as puffins, sea-parrots, sheer- 

 waters, and albatrosses. 



On the eleventh, at noon, we were in latitude 35° 

 30', longitude 165° 45' ; and during the course of the 

 day, had sea-birds, as before, and passed several 

 bunches of sea-weed. About the same time, the 

 Discovery passed a log of wood ; but no other signs 

 of land were seen. 



The next day the wind came gradually round to 

 the east, and increased to so strong a gale, as obliged 

 us to strike our top-gallant yards, and brought us 

 under the lower sails, and the main top-sail close 

 reefed. Unfortunately we were upon that tack, 

 which was the most disadvantageous for our leak. 

 But, as we had always been able to keep it under 

 with the hand-pumps, it gave us no great uneasiness, 

 till the 13th, about six in the afternoon, when we 

 were greatly alarmed by a sudden inundation, that 

 deluged the whole space between decks. The water, 

 which had lodged in the coal-hole, not finding a suffi- 

 cient vent into the well, had forced up the platforms 

 over it, and in a moment set every thing afloat. Our 

 situation was indeed exceedingly distressing ; nor did 

 we immediately see any means of relieving ourselves. 

 A pump, through the upper decks into the coal-hole, 

 could answer no end, as it would very soon have 

 been choked up by the small coals ; and, to bale the 

 water out with buckets, was become impracticable, 

 from the number of bulky materials that were washed 

 out of the gunner's store-room into it, and which, by 

 the ship's motion, were tossed violently from side to 



17 



