THE PACIFIC OCEAN, 317 



from the effects of intenfe cold, as the thermometer was "Vt?- 



Odlobcr. 



very little below the freezing point. As foon as the difco- 

 very was made, I confulted with Captain Clerk, what courfe 

 it was belt to purfue; whether to let it remain as it was, 

 intirely ufelefs to us, for the purpofe of fads tying the cu- 

 rious at home, where it was fure of being examined by 

 proper judges, or fuffer it to be infpected by a feaman on 

 board, who had ferved a regular apprenticefhip to a watch- 

 maker in London ; and appeared fufficiently knowing in the 

 bufinefs, from his fuccefs in cleaning and repairing feveral 

 watches fince we had been out. The advantages we had 

 derived from its accuracy made us extremely unwilling to 

 be deprived of its ufe during the remaining part of the 

 voyage ; and that object appeared to us of much greater 

 importance than the fmall degree of probability, which We 

 underftood was all that could be expected, of obtaining any 

 material knowledge reflecting its mechanifm, by deferring 

 the infpection of it. At the fame time, it mould be remem- 

 bered, that the watch had already had a fufficient trial, both 

 in the former voyage, and during the three years we had 

 now had it on board, to afcertain its utility. On thefc con- 

 fiderations, we took the opportunity of the firfl clear day, 

 after our arrival in Awatfka Bay, of opening the watch, 

 which was done in the Captain's cabin, and in our prefence. 

 The watchmaker found no part of the work broken ; but, 

 not being able to fet it a-going, he proceeded to take off the 

 cock and balance, and cleaned both the pivot-holes, which 

 he found very foul, and the reft of the work rather dirty ; 

 he alfo took off the dial-plate ; and, between two teeth of 

 the wheel that carries the fecond-hand, found a piece of 

 dirt which he imagined to be the principal caufe of irs flop- 

 ping. Having afterward put the work together, and oiled 



it 



