MAR. 1769 SUPPOSED SOUTHERN CONTINENT 67 
water sufficiently disproves this, and teaches me at least, 
that till we know how this globe is fixed in that place 
which has been since its creation assigned to it in the 
general system, we need not be anxious to give reasons how 
any one part of it counterbalances the rest. 
21st. Took Turbo fluitans, floating on the water in the 
same manner as Helix ianthina, Medusa porpita, exactly like 
that taken on the other side of the continent, and a small 
Cimex, which had also been taken before. This last appears 
to be a larva; if so, it is probably of some animal that lives 
under water, as I saw many, but none that appeared 
perfect. 
On Phaéton erubescens were plenty of a very curious kind 
of Acarus phaétonis, which either was or appeared to be 
viviparous. Besides what was shot to day, there were seen 
man-of-war birds (Pelecanus aquilus), and a small bird of the 
Sterna kind, called by the seamen egg-birds; they were 
white with red beaks, and about the size of Sterna hirundo. 
Of these I saw several just at nightfall, flying very high and 
following one another, all standing towards the N.N.W.; 
probably there is land in that direction, as we were not far 
from the spot where Quiros saw his southernmost islands, 
Incarnation and St. John Baptist. 
24th. The officer of the watch reported that in the 
middle watch the water, from being roughish, became suddenly 
as smooth as a mill pond, so that the ship, from going only 
four knots, at once increased to six, though there was little 
or no more wind than before. A log of wood also which 
was seen by several people to pass the ship made them 
believe that there was land to windward. When I came on 
deck at eight o’clock the signs were all gone. I saw, how- 
ever, two birds which seemed to be of the Sterna kind, both 
very small, one quite white and the other quite black, which 
from their appearance could not venture far from land. 
To-day by our reckoning we crossed the tropic. 
25th. This evening one of our marines threw himself 
overboard, and was not missed until it was much too late 
even to attempt to recover him. He was a very young man, 
