NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA, 2j 



The fame day we croffed the equator in the 25th de- *-^ "^j^ ^'• 

 gree of Weft longitude with a moderate trade wind at 



1785. 



South Eaft, and pleafant weather. November. 



^ Wednef. 16. 



In the afternoon of the 24th captain Dixon came on Tharfday24. 

 board the King George, and I Hgnified to him my in- 

 tention of touching at Port Egmont in Falkland's Iflands, 

 in order to refit and water our fliips; as we then fhould 

 be enabled to profecute the voyage without attempting to 

 make any harbour near Cape Horn, a circumftance which 

 would moft probably be attended with difficulty and de- 

 lay. This point being determined on, captain Dixon 

 returned on board his own veffel about five o'clock ; and 

 we ftretched to the Southward with a favourable breeze^ 



Towards evening on the 27th, two fand-pipers of the Sunday 27V 

 ftriated fpecies were feen about the fhip; after ft:aying 

 near an hour, they flew away in the direction of Eaft 

 North Eaft. John Hamilton Moore, in his chart of the 

 Atlantic Ocean, lays down an ifland called Afcencas, 

 about 19° 45'' South latitude, and 35° 25^ Weft longitude; 

 and judging myfelf at this time nearly in the fame latitude, 

 and not being certain of its fituation as to longitude, I 

 brought-to and lay by during the night; at daylight next Monday zzi 

 morning we bore away and ftood South^ Weft till ten 

 o'clock, and afterwards Weft South Weft until noon, when 

 our obfervation giving 20*" i' South latitude, which is 

 more than five leagues to the Southward: of Afcencas, and 

 it being only a needlefs wafte of time to fearch for that 

 ifland, I altered our courfe to South Weft by South, in 

 order to make Port Egmont as fpeedily as pofTible. Se- 

 veral large flocks of boobies and fheerwaters were hovering 



about 



