Ch. IL south AMERICA. 309 



which I had two reafons. The firft, that I might be 

 able to judge of the diftance the currents had carried 

 us to the eaftward. The fecond, was an unwillingnefs 

 to commit a freíh error by making an uncertain cor- 

 redion, as I was not fatisfied that there were any cur- 

 rents, and confequently unable to guefs at their velo- 

 city J fome affirming they had found them very vio- 

 lent; and others as pofirively aficrting, that they had 

 never met with any. This was the cafe of the three 

 frigates when they entered the South-Sea: and the cap- 

 tain of the Delivrance informed me, that without at> 

 tending to the currents in going round the Cape, in the 

 latitude of 62 degrees, his refkoning pcrfeftiy agreed 

 with the time of making land; and that fcveral French- 

 men had done the like: but, on the other hand, it has 

 happened to fome, that when they imagined themfelves 

 in the South' Sea by the place of tlie fliip according to 

 their reckoning, fleered N. E. till from the- difappoint- 

 ment of not fiilling in with the land, at the time expell- 

 ed, had convinced them that they had not weathered 

 the Cape; and accordingly iteering towards the W. they 

 have found their fufpicions confirmed by making the 

 coaft of Brafil, or Buenos Ayres. 



On the 21ÍI of May, at one in the afternoon, we 

 were under the Meridian of Fernando de Norona, and 

 at above tiiree quarters of a league diftant to the north- 

 ward of it. Whereas, according to my computation, 

 the frigate was only lif 56' E. of the meridian of 

 Concej.)tion; but by the modern French map, laid down 

 from the obfervations fcnt to the academy of fciences, 

 in which the longitudes of all places are marked with 

 all the accuracy which diiVinguifhes the v^orks of that 

 learned body, this ifland lies no lefs than 42*^, 32, 30'^ 

 E. of the meridian of Conception ; confequently the 

 difference between my reckoning, and the true longi- 

 tude of the ifland, being 12°, 36', 30", is the diilancc 

 which the currents carried our frigate to the eaflward, 

 exciufivc of her lee-way. 



X 3 On 



