THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 449 



in latitude 18*57', and longitude 114*13', the wind veering '780. 

 to the North, we directed our courfe half a point more to <~ — »—» 

 the Eaftward, in order to flrike foundings over the Macclef- 

 field Bank. This we effected at eight in the evening of the 

 1 6th, and found the depth of water to be fifty fathoms, Monday 16, 

 over a bottom of white fand and fhells. This part of the 

 Macclesfied Shoals we placed in latitude 15 51', and longi- 

 tude ii4°ao'; which agrees very exactly with the pofition 

 given in Mr. Dalrymple's map, whofe general accuracy, if 

 it flood in need of any fupport, was confirmed, in this in- 

 flance, by a great number of lunar obfervations, which we 

 had an opportunity of making every day fince we left the 

 Typa. The variation was found to be, in the forenoon, 

 o° 39' Weft. 



On the 17th, we had heavy gales from the Eaft by North, TWday 17'. 

 with a rough tumbling fea, and the weather overcaft and 

 boifterous. On the 18th, the wind ftill continued to blow Wcdncf. is. 

 ftrong, and the fea to run high, we altered our courfe to 

 South Weft by South ; and, at noon, being in latitude 12 34', 

 longitude 132°, we began to fleer a point more to the Weft- 

 ward for Pulo Sapata, which we faw on the 19th, at four in Thurfdayi.j. 

 the afternoon, bearing North Weft by Weft, about four 

 leagues diflant. This fmall, high, barren ifland is called 

 Sapata, from its refemblance of a fhoe. Our obfervations, 

 compared with Mr. Bayly's time-keeper, place it in latitude 

 io° 4' North, longitude 109 10' Eaft. The gale had, at this 

 time, increafed with fuch violence, and the fea ran fo high, 

 as to oblige us to clofe-reef the topfails. During the laft 

 three days, the fhips had outrun their reckoning at the rate 

 of twenty miles a day, and, as we could not attribute the 

 whole of this to the effects of a following fea, we imputed 



Vol. III. 3 M it 



