4 o8 A VOYAGE' TO 



"779- remarkable occurrence, till the 12th, when we had a mod 

 v._!^!!L-J violent gale of wind from the fame quarter, which reduced 

 Friday 12. us ro ^ f OTC .fa\\ t anc j m i ze n ftay-fail ; and, as the weather 



was fo hazy, that we were not able to fee a cable's length 

 before us, and many fhoals and fmall iflands are laid down 

 in our charts, in this part of the ocean, we brought to, with 

 our heads to the South Weft. At noon, the latitude, by ac- 

 count, was 27 36', longitude 144 25'. In the morning of 

 Saturday 13. t h c 13th, the wind fhifting round to the North Weft, 

 brought with it fair weather; but though we were at this 

 time nearly in the fituation given to the ifland of St. Juan, 

 we faw no appearance of land. We now bore away to the 

 South Weft, and fet the top-fails, the gale ftill continuing 

 with great violence. At noon, the latitude, by observation, 

 was 26 o\ longitude 143 40', and variation 3 50' Eaft. In 

 the afternoon, we faw flying fifh, and dolphins, alfo tropic 

 birds, and albatrofTes. We ftill continued to pafs much 

 pumice ftone : indeed, the prodigious quantities of this fub- 

 ftance, which float in the fea, between Japan and the Bafhee 

 Iflands, fecm to indicate, that fome great volcanic convul- 

 fion mud have happened in this part of the Pacific Ocean; 

 and, confequently, give fome degree of probability to the 

 opinion of Mr. Muller, which I have already had occafion 

 to mention, refpecYmg the feparation of the continent of 

 Jefo, and the difappearance of Company's Land, and Staten 

 Ifland. 



At fix in the afternoon, we altered our courfe to the Weft 



South Weft, Captain Gore judging it ufelefs to fleer any longer 



to the South South Weft, as we were near the meridian of the 



Ladrones, or Marianne Iflands, and at no great diflance from 



Sunday h the track of the Manilla fhips. In the morning of the 14th, 



the 



