54 



A VOYAGE TO THE 



^ ^m^ ^' "P ^ ^^^7 ^^^^^y ^^^ °^ ^^^ 15th, which weighed fixty-five 



*— ^' ' pounds, and was caught juft in time for us to celebrate 



April". Eafter, the next day being Eafter Sunday. 



Saturday 15. 



The cyder, which had been regularly ferved to the (hip's 



company for fome time paft, being expended, I ordered 



fome fweet wort to be made, and ferved out at the rate of 



. half a pint per man each day. Our latitude at noon was 



7° 4' South, and iii° 59' longitude. 



We faw a large flock of white birds about the fize of a 

 tern, and which"! am inclined to think are of the fame fpe- 

 cies with thofe we met with in great abundance at Chrift- 

 mas Ifland during captain Cook's laft voyage. Several 

 turtle palTed us, and great numbers of dark-coloured birds 

 were flying about. From thefe appearances I conjectured 

 we were pafling near fome land; but, though the day was 

 clear, we could fee nothing of the kind from the maft 

 head. 



Thurfdayzo. On the 20th wc crolTed the equator, in 115° 10' longi- 

 tude; the variation here was 3° 28' Eaft. 



Saturday 21. j^ ^}^q latitude of 3" 33 North, longitude 116" 35', we 

 found a current fetting to the Eaftward, at the rate of one 

 mile and a half per hour, in which I changed our courfe from 

 North North Weft to North Weft half Weft. A crofs 

 fwell from every dired:ion inclined me to think that we 

 were rather too near the great bay of Panama. However, 

 I was under the neceflity of keeping well to the Eaft- 

 ward, that we might be enabled to fetch the iflands Los 

 Majos, which, fhould they afford good water, and fome 



other 



