NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 93 



for they began to decay, occafioned by. heat ; and in a few ^ ^^^ ^• 

 days would certainly have been fpoiled. »— — — ^ 



June. 



In the forenoon of the 2 2d we faw a great number of Thurfday22. 

 * petrels, about the fize of a pigeon, and of a footy colour; 

 and pafled two large pieces of a fubftance which appeared 

 to be a part of the cuttle-fi£h : they were very much torn, 

 probably by whales, who feed on the cuttle-fifh. Our 

 latitude at that time was 32° 4' North, and 160° 8' lon- 

 gitude. 



The wind now gradually fhifted to the Southward, and P"<^^y ^J* 

 afterwards hauled to Weft and North Weft, with rain and 

 a heavy crofs fwell, which indicated that the trade-wind 

 had left us. 



V 



On the 27th, being in 38* 14' North latitude, and Tuesday 27. 

 155° 56' longitude, we found 15° jo' Eafterly variation. 

 In the year 1778, when nearly in the fame latitude, and 

 about three degrees to the Eaftward of the above longi- 

 tude, the variation was found to be 16° 30' Eafterly ; a 

 difference of one degree, which is very confiderable. In 

 the forenoon of the 28th I went on board the Queen Char- wednef. 28. • 

 lotte, in order to appoint a rendezvous for the ftiips in cafe 

 of feparation, as the weather now was conftantly thick 

 and hazy. We fixed on a fituation in Cook's River, near 

 Cape Bede ; v/hich cape forms the South fide of a deep 

 inlet, and Anchor Point the North fide. This fituation 

 was a very eligible one, not only as there was a great pro- 

 bability of finding a good harbour, but whichfoever veflel 

 arrived there firft, would be able to make fignals to the 



other 



