212 



A VOYAGE TO 



Book VIIL 



courfe is to the northwards : but from between the 

 parallels of fixteen and twenty degrees, their courfe is 

 imperceptible ; while in higher latitudes they run 

 with fome force S. and S. W. and with a greater 

 velocity in winter than in fummer ; as 1 know from 

 my own experience, having in my fecond voyage to 

 Chili, in the year 1 744, at the end of Odober, and 

 beginning of November, taken the greateft care, that 

 the diftanccs between the knots on the log line Ihould 

 be 47 Paris feet and a half, for mcafuring the Ihip's 

 way ; but every day found that the obferved latitude 

 exceeded the latitude by account ten or fifteen mi- 

 nutes. The fame obfervation was made by Don George 

 Juan, in both his voyages : as well as by the captain, 

 and officers of the French fliip, in which I returned ^ 

 fo that the reality of ,the courfe of the fea is proved 

 beyond exception ; and in this manner it continues 

 to the 38th or 40th degree of latitude. 



In the latitude of 34° 30^ and 4° 10' V/. of Cal- 

 lao, you meet with a track of green water, extend- 

 ing N. and S. and along which you fail above thirty 

 leagues. Probably it runs to a great diftance in that 

 fea, being found in every latitude to the coaft of 

 Guatemala ^ but not always under the fame meridian, 

 winding away N. W. It is alfo met with in a 

 higher latitude than that of Juan Fernandes ; and it 

 has alfo been obferved by Ihips in their courfe to 

 Chiloe, or Baldivia. 



In this pafTage, tho' part of it be at fuch a great 

 diftance from the land, we meet with a kind of birds 

 called Pardelas, which diftinguiih themfelves from all 

 other fpecies, by venturing fo far from the land. 

 They are fomething larger than a pigeon ; their bodies 

 long their necks (hort their tails of a proper propor- 

 tion, and their wings long and flender. There are 

 two forts of thefe birds, and of different colours, one 

 parda or brown, from whence they derive their name j 

 the other black, and called pardela gallinera^ but in 



other 



