^o A V O Y A G E T O T H E 



^ \i^ ^' ^^^^ bear, in order to prevent our being driven to the 



^—^- — ' Eaftward. 



1786. 



February. 



Saturday 25. j^ -^ ^j^^ general opinion of navigators that South Weft 

 winds prevail in this part of the Pacific Ocean conftantly, 

 but we have experimentally found this opinion to be 

 erroneous; the wind for a conliderable time paft has blown 

 from the Northward and Weftward -, generally in ftrong 

 gales attended with fqualls. 



Tuefday28. j^ thc moming of the 28th fome feals were feen about 

 the fhip ; a parcel of rockweed and the branch of a tree 

 were floating in the fea. Our latitude was 52° 20' South, 

 and the longitude 83° 59' Weft ; we here foimd 19° 49' 

 Eafterly variation. The wind ftill continued Wefterly; 

 frequently blowing a frefti gale, with hazy weather ; how- 

 March, ever, the 5 th of March proving very fine, I ordered the 



.un ay 5. ^.^ ^^ ^^ ^^jj clcancd bctwccn decks, and properly aired 



with good fires. At that time we were in 45** 58' South 

 latitude, and 80° 45' Weft longitude*. During the late 

 tempeftuous weather the water had found its way into the 

 ' fail-room, and our fpare fails and canvafs were much wet : 

 Tuefdayy. the wcathcr on the 7th being pretty favourable, they were 

 got upon deck and well aired ; the fame opportunity was 

 taken to repair our rigging, fome of which was much 

 damaged. 



For fome days paft the wind had inclined to the South- 

 ward, and I began to conceive hopes that we ftiould be 



* The longitude being invariably Weft, no diftinftion will be made hereafter, in. 

 ^^ order to avoid repetition. 



favoured 

 10 



