276 FROM GUAHON TO ST. HELENA. 



but here the wind became faint, the current car- 

 ried us towards the rocks, which were close by ; 

 and our situation would have become hazardous, 

 had not a fresh wind, which suddenly arose, res- 

 cued us from the danger. The number of the 

 Zupften islands is laid down on the chart as five, 

 but we counted eight of them. My plan to sail 

 between the islands of Crocotoa and Tamarin, was 

 frustrated by the unfavourable wind, which obliged 

 us to tack. At noon, the pier on the island of 

 Crocotoa lay S.W. 60°, and the pier on the island 

 of Tamarin N.W. 20°. At six o'clock, at noon, 

 we had reached the Strait ; I did not w^ait longer 

 for the Eglantine, which sailed too slow, and had 

 now passed all danger, and therefore continued my 

 voyage without delay. 



The 15th. At eight o'clock in the evening, we 

 succeeded in sailing entirely through the strait. 



The l6th. The wind became steady from the 

 east, and began to blow high, with which I steered 

 to S.W. and S.W. by W., to leave the Cocoa Island 

 to the south. 



The 2d of March we had reached, with a fresh 

 monsoon, the latitude of 22° 2' ; and longitude 

 289° 40'. At six o'clock in the evening the ship 

 was so illuminated by a large globe of fire that we 

 could distinguish every object as in the day ; it 

 proceeded from the eastern side of the Pleiades, 

 and descended perpendicularly to the horizon : the 

 whole appearance lasted only three seconds. 



