NORTH WEST COAST OF AMERICA. 143 



The fcurvy beginning to make its appearnce on fome of ^ ^^^ ^• 

 the people, the fhip's company were ferved a pint of Port ^-^ — ^— ' 

 wine a-day inftead of fpirits, oaobeV. 



Saturday 14. 



We proceeded towards the Sandwich Iflands without 



meeting with any thing worthy of note. The wind 



hanging from South to South Eaft, and being in general 



"light and very variable between thefe points, rendered our 



progrefs tedious. 



On the 26th, in 32" 36' latitude, and 143° 35'longi- Thurfday26, 

 tude, we faw great numbers of tropic birds, one of which 

 was in purfuit of a fmall land bird, very much like a 

 fnipe. 



In captain Cook's general chart the centre of an ifland,. 

 named Saint Maria la Gorta, is placed in 28° North lati- 

 tude, and 149° 20° Weft longitude. Our latitude at ^g,.^^^^,. 

 noon, on the ift of November, was 28° 14^ North, and Wednef. 1. 

 the longitude 148° 35''; in which Situation, having fine 

 clear weather, we certainly ought to have feen that ifland, 

 but not the leaft appearance of land was to be feen from 

 the maft-head ; and the next forenoon we run diredlly Thurfday 2; 

 over the fpot where Saint Maria la Gorta fhould be fitu- 

 ated y (o that there is great reafon to fuppofe no fuch place 

 exifts. 



In the morning of the 9th the wind blew very frefh Thurfdayg. 

 and in fqualls from the South Eaft, attended with torrents 

 of rain and fierce lightning. At nine o'clock it increafed 

 to a ftrong gale, with violent fqualls, which obliged us to 

 clofe-reef the topfails j but before that could be effeded, 

 7 the 



