Ch.XI. south AMERICA; n^j 



was in little better condkion, making daily a great 

 deal of water ever fincp our departure from Concep* 

 tipn. But the captain, unwilling to iofe the benefit 

 pf failing in company, and, at the fame time, fearful 

 that his men would leave the ftiip, determined to 

 keep the fea. He alfo apprehended, that as the fhip'^ 

 hull was very old, and greatly fhattered by her late 

 voyage, on being fearched, the necefiary repairs 

 would require a confiderable time ; and thence, be- 

 fidcs the cofts, he would find it difficult to get round 

 Ithe cape that year. Thefe confiderations determined 

 him to continue his voyage, without acquainting the 

 other fliips of the bad condition of his velTel. But 

 this prudence had nearly proved fatal to all on board, 

 as the defedts were greatly increafed during the courfe 

 of the voyage. 



Till the 6th the winds were variable, fometimcs 

 frefh, then dying away \ the fea proportionable, run- 

 ning high in a frefh gale, and abating with the wind. 



From the latitude of 35% 21', we fleered between 

 the S. and S. and on the 12th, bejng in the la- 

 titude of 41% 20', we were obliged again to fleer 

 between S. W. and W. tiJl the eighteenth ; when 

 we found ourfelves in the latitude of 45% 20'. The 

 winds were firil ac W. afterwards N. N. E* from 

 which they changed to the E. N. E. and N. E. and 

 varying continually, at laft fhifted to the S. E. S. and 

 E. During this interval, every change of the winds 

 was auended with calms and violent fhowers ; and at 

 other times the fea was covered with fogs, or the at- 

 mofphere fo clouded with vapours as to intercept the 

 r^3/s of the fun. 



From the time we left Conception till the 7th of 

 February, being then in 36°, 12', and ^% 20', v,^effc 

 of the meridian of Conception, we always faw that 

 kind of birds called Pardelas, but here they left us. 

 On the I ith, in the latitude of 40% 45^, and fome- 

 thing more to die vyefl\yard than on the 7 th, we faw 



