NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 45 



fiiver- coloured birds, and fmall divers. About feven ^ ^jj'^ ^* 

 o'clock the only hen turkey I had flew overboard, but the '^ — — — ' 

 weather being very foggy, and a heavy fwell from the January. 

 Northward, I did not think it fafe to venture my boat "^ *^^'^* 

 from the fhip, though I was forry for the accident ; as I 

 had referved her and a cock, together with fome other 

 poultry, to leave as breeders at any place where I thought 

 there was a probability of their breeding and being taken 

 care of. 



On the 25th, being then in 52° 33' South latitude, wednef. 2^. 

 and 63° \2 Weft longitude, the variation was 23° 6' Eaft. 

 In the evening we founded with lixty fathom of line, but 

 got no bottom. 



At iix o'clock in the afternoon of the 26th we faw Thurfdayze, 

 Staten's Land very high, bearing South, diflant about five 

 or fix leagues ; foon afterwards it came on to blow very 

 ftrong and in fqualls, attended with rain, and the weather 

 fo thick that we loft fight of the land; this brought us 

 under clofe-reefed topfails and reefed courfes ; the tongal- 

 lant-mafts were alfo ftruck. The weather clearing up at 

 half paft feven o'clock, the land again appeared in fight, on 

 which we made fail and run in for it : this however was of 

 fhort continuance, for prefently afterwards there was every 

 appearance of a bad night ; fo that I judged it prudent to 

 fhorten fail, and haul our wind to the Northwc.rd. We 

 founded at eight o'clock in forty-five fathom water, over 

 a muddy bottom : the lead was kep.t going, but did not 

 ftrike the ground with fixty fathom of line. At midnight 

 we tacked, and at two o'clock in the morning cf the 



27 th 



