Ch. IV. SOUTH AMERICA. 339 



with black, refembüng on the whole tlie Cormorant. 

 On the 1 8th we alio faw great numbers of the fame 

 birds; but from the 19th, when we were in 42 deg. 

 53 min. latitude, and 39 deg. 23 min. E. of Concep- 

 tion, they gradually decreafed, fo that we faw very 

 few of them. 



From the time of our leaving the ifland of Fer- 

 nando de Norona, till we reached the equinoóVia!, 

 the S. latitude by obiervation every day exceeded 

 that by account ten or eleven minutes, that is, the (hip 

 did not in reality, make fo much way as fhe fcemed 

 to do by the log-line. But after pafiing the equa- 

 tor, the latitude, by obfervation continued flill to 

 exceed that of the reckoning taken from the log- 

 line : and as we flood directly north, it appeared 

 that the ihip's real way exceeded the diftance mea- 

 fured ; whence this corollary may be deduced, that 

 in the fouthern hemilphere near the equinoclial, the 

 waters tend fouthward ; and that, on the contrary, in 

 the northern hemifphere the current runs northward ; 

 which agrees with the accounts given of thofe, who 

 in the voyages to the Eaft-Indies have feveral times 

 had occafion to crofs the lines. Till the 24th of June 

 the courle of the waters continued northward 10 or 

 1 1 min. a day ; but when v/e reached 14 deg. 22 min. 

 the Latitude by obfervation began to correipond with 

 that by account. 



The differences between the latitudes by account 

 and obfervation can only be attributed to the courle 

 of the water in the two hcmifpheresj and not to any 

 deftfb in the meafurement by the log-line: for were 

 that the cafe, how can it be reconciled with this 

 known circumflance, that the way of the íhip whilft 

 in the fouthern hemifphere was in reality lefs than 

 it appeared by the log-line : and on coming into the 

 northern hemifphere, ic was quite the reverfe. As 

 little can it be charged on any defed in the inftru- 

 mcnts i for befidcs the daily agreement of all con- 

 Z 2 cerning 



