292 STRENGTH OF THE CURRENTS. 
Equator, would be important to us. I ap- 
pointed Otdia, belonging to this chain of islands, 
for our residence, as affording the most con- 
venient anchorage for large ships. 
We were so much delayed by calms, that 
we could not till the 19th of April reach the 
ninth degree of south latitude. Here we en- 
countered gusts of wind and torrents of rain, 
and a current carried us daily from twenty to 
thirty miles westward. When we were under 
three degrees south latitude, and one hundred 
and eighty degrees longitude, the current sud- 
denly changed, and we were driven just as 
strongly to the East,—a circumstance too re- 
markable to be passed over in silence. Ata 
distance from land in the vicinity of the Equa- 
tor, the currents are always westerly. Here it 
was precisely contrary ; from what cause I am 
unable to explain. 
From the fifth degree of south latitude to 
the Equator, we daily perceived signs of the 
neighbourhood of land. When we were ex- 
actly in 4° 15° latitude, and 178° longitude, 
heavy gales brought swarms of butterflies and 
small land-birds to the ship; we must therefore 
