OF I. A PE ROUSE. 87 



ofthc^reat utility jf ll'iis plant for our navy. 

 Notuithftanding which, we continued our 

 courfc towards LiiC i'riendly Iflands^ llccnng to 

 the north-cair. 



Bcfidc-;, it v.oi'Kl have been advantageous to 

 touch at liic northern extremity of New Zea- 

 huid, in rrdcr to verify there our obfervations, 

 which n^adc lis place C^ape North 36' more to 

 the cafiward than it is Liiti dov:n. by Wales. It 

 nuifl, ho\\evcr3 be admitted, that we are jiifti- 

 fied in gi\!np; them a decided preference to 

 thofe of that ailronomcr, when it is known that 

 he dctern.fined this noint'only from the longi- 

 tude which he had obferved in the cove v.here 

 the fliip lay, having followed the continuation 

 of tlie coall on the route of Captain Cook ; but 

 it fiioLiId be recollccled, that this celebrated 

 navigator had no time-keeper in his firft voyage; 

 and it is well known that this inftrument is in- 

 difpenlably neccllar}', when it is intended to 

 iix V, ith cxactncfs the continuation of a coafi 

 on '.", liich are met v/ith irregular and very rapid 

 currents. 



On th'^ f6ih, about fouro^clcck in the after- 

 noon, tViC people who were looking out at the 

 mail-head rriliedout, that they faw a large rock 

 to the iiortii noith-eaft. We were furroundecl 

 by a vail !Uiml)er of fea-birds, among which I 

 reniarkcd a great many boobies and gulls. It 

 G 4 was 



