€ Cordovans Vol/ age of Discover^/ 



Althovigb it is the ordinary practice to cross the Equinoctial 

 Line about the meridian of TenerifFe, (10° 22' W. from Cadiz;) 

 yet, in order to avoid the calms which ahiiost constantly prevail 

 to the eastward of that point of longitude, we resolved to cross, 

 it more to the westvv^ard, viz. from 14'^ to 15^ W. from Cadiz, 

 and accordingly directed our course to that quarter. 



As soon as we had passed the Tropic of Cancer, we began to 

 distribute to every man of the crew a large plate of gaspachoy 

 or spiced salad, by the use of which, and by regularly sprink- 

 Img vinegar and brine between the decks, we succeeded m 

 maintaining them stout and healthy. 



On the ^4th at night, the breezes for the first time failed 

 in N. latitude 11^. Nothing else noticeable having occurred 

 since we lost sight of the Canaries. 



A briglit unclouded sky; winds regular and moderate, which 

 temper the intense heat of the sun's rays ; and a sea rarely agi- 

 tated to excess : these circumstances have procured to this part 

 of tlie Ocean the appellation of the Ladies' Bay. The sight we 

 enjoyed every day of flying-fish, tunnies, and bonitos, diversi^ 

 lied a little the monotony of this scene. We also had the com- 

 pany of a number of land birds, which, driven by the violence 

 of the winds more than 100 leagues from their native country, 

 hoped to escape unavoidable destruction in the water, by vo- 

 luntarily delivering themselves into the hands of men. 



About noon on the 25th, breezes again sprung up from E., 

 and E.N.E., which, though feeble, still gave us hopes of speed- 

 ily passing the Line, During the night we were assailed by a 

 furious squall, which, leaving us no time to prepare for it,, 

 did some damage to our rigging; but, on the other hand, it 

 furnished an opportunity of knowing the trim of our vessel ; 

 a circumstance which was afterwards of great consequence 

 to us. The storm veered round by the N. to the W,, 

 and, after an hour's duration, it ceased; the heavens clear- 

 ing up, which, during the squall, had a most uoravourable 

 aspect. 



On the morning of the 27th spoke with a Portuguese vessel, 

 the Fez IVIedeo, out 38 days from Lisbon, and bound for Rio 

 Janeiro in Brasil : her reckoning w^as very erroneous ; and 

 she sailed so ill, that we were not surprised at the small advance 

 she had made in her voyage. 



Calms and moderate wn:jds continued successively till the 

 .Slst, when the latter became more constant from the N.E. and 

 N.IN.E. : our latitude beiiig then about 7^ 3o'N. ; and, on the 

 1st November, they changed to S.S.E. 



We were now in lonoitude 1 4^ W'. from Cadiz. Standine: 

 Oil a tack to the eastward, with the wind at S.S.E. we made no 



