Ch. XL SOUTH A M E R IC A. 293 " 



pleafing, as it was accompanied with a confcioufners 

 that no inconveniences had occafioned us to omit the 

 lead part of our duty. 



During our flay at Mira, Don George Juan ap- 

 plied himfclf to obferve the variation of the magnetic 

 needle, and by four obfervations nearly coincident, 

 he concluded to be nearly 8^, 47', eafterly. 



We now began to deliberate on our return upon 

 the favourable opportunity of the above-mentioned 

 French fhips, which were preparing to fail for Spain ; 

 as we (hould then pais round Cape Horn, and not only 

 complete from our own experience, an account of the 

 South-fea, but be enabled to make obfeyvations on the 

 whole courfe. Another, and indeed our principal mo- 

 tive was, the fafety of our papers, concluding there 

 could be no danger in a neutral fliip, as we thea 

 im.agined thofe to be. The concurrence of fo many 

 advantages immediately determined us ; and leaving 

 Quito we fet out for Lima, where I arrived fird, 

 Don George Juan having fome days been detained at 

 Guayaquil by a frefh commiflion by the vicc-roy, 

 Thefe fhips, not failing fo foon as expelled, I em- 

 ployed the interval in drav/ing up an extraft of all 

 intereding obfervations and remarks, and prefented it 

 to the vice-roy, who was pleafed to order the papers 

 to be preferved in the fecretary's office, that if ^ny 

 misfortune fhould happen to us in the voyage, our 

 fovereign might not be totally difappointed in his ge- 

 nerous views of promoting tl^^e ufeful fciences of geo- 

 graphy and navigation. 



While we were employed in finifhing our obfer- 

 vations at Mira, the univerfity of Lima gave a 

 jemaikable teftimony of their fenfe of Mr. Godin's 

 eminent talents, by chufing him profefibr of mathe^ 

 matics, in the room of Don Pedro de Peraita, 

 dece^fed ; which he accepted of with the greater fa- 

 tisf46lion, as fome indifpenfable affairs of his company 

 WQuld not permit him to gratify his defires of return- 



U 3 ing 



