Ill VOYAGE IN SEARCH 



always far inferior to ours. We then fet the 

 eoaft, bearing from north 3 2 weft to weft 32 

 north. We were ftill too far from it to fee the 

 reefs which He between this ifland and the Iile 

 of Pines. The Efpcrance joined us about eight 

 o'clock in the evening ; we were to have fpent 

 the night in ftanding off and on ; but it falling 

 calm, our fhip would not anfwer her helm. 



The fouth-weft winds had brought us to New 

 Caledonia, although we had expected to meet 

 with the general winds feveral days before we 

 got fight of this land. 



The little change in the variation of the com- 

 pafs, in the run that we had juft made, is very 

 worthy of remark. It may be confidered as no- 

 thing from the 36th degree and a half of fouth 

 latitude, and the 1 54th degree of eaft longitude, 

 where the variation was n| eaft, to the 23d 

 degree of fouth latitude, and 164th degree of 

 -alt longitude, where it was found to be n 4/ 

 eaft; for in this fpace of 13! in latitude, and 

 io{ in longitude, the compafs did not vary a 

 degree ; and it is well known, that at fea its va- 

 riation cannot be afcertained at the neareft to 

 within a degree. 



During the night of the 17th was perceived 

 a fire lighted by the favages on the Ifiand of 

 Pinr 



As 



