1780. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 43,5 



latitude 31 c 42' S., and longitude 35° 26' E., the trade- 

 wind left us in a violent thunder-storm. From this 

 time to the 3d of April, when our latitude was 35° V 

 S., and longitude 26° 3' E. the winds were moderate, 

 and generally from the south quarter. A fresh 

 breeze then sprung up from the eastward, which con- 

 tinued till the afternoon of the 4th ; after which, we 

 had a calm that lasted the two following days. 



It had hitherto been Captain Gore's intention to 

 proceed directly to St. Helena, without stopping at 

 the Cape ; but the rudder of the Resolution having 

 been for some time complaining, and, on being ex- 

 amined, reported to be in a dangerous state, he re- 

 solved to steer immediately for the Cape, as the most 

 eligible place, botli for the recovery of his sick, and 

 for procuring a new main-piece to the rudder. 



From the 21st of March, when we were in latitude 

 27° 22' $., longitude 52° 25' E., to the 5th of April, 

 when we had got into latitude 36° 12' S., longitude 

 22° 7' E., we were strongly affected by the currents, 

 which set to the south south-west, and south-west 

 by west, sometimes at the rate of eighty knots a 

 day. On the 6th, having got under the lee of the 

 African coast, we lost them entirely. 



In the morning of the 6th, a sail was seen to the 

 south-west standing toward us ; and, as the wind 

 soon after rose from the same quarter, we cleared 

 our ships for action. We now discovered, from the 

 mast-head, five sail more on our lee-bow, standing 

 to the eastward ; but the weather coming on hazy, 

 we lost sight of them all in an hour's time. Our 

 latitude at noon was 35° 49' S., longitude 21° 32' E. 

 At seven o'clock the next morning (the seventh), 

 we made the land to the northward at a consider- 

 able distance. 



On the 8th, the weather was squally, and blew 

 fresh from the north-west; the following day it 

 settled to the west, and we passed pretty close to 

 the sail seen on the 6th, but did not hail her. She 



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