298 A VOYAGE^ TO BookIX. 



a number of fmall black birds, flying fingly, and 

 againfl the current of the water. On the 15th, the 

 weather being fair, but the wind blowing frefh at W. 

 S. V/. wie faw a Quebrantahuefibs, or offifrage and 

 on the 1 6th, being in the latitude of 44°, 31', and 

 11% 24', weft of the meridian of Conception, we 

 faw feveral flights of Curlews and Pardelas and the 

 Quebrantahuefibs kept continually in fight of the ihip : 

 foon after the wind came about to the S. W. and 

 blew fo fl:rong, that the frigates were obliged to hand 

 all their fails except their courfes. On the i&^th the 

 wind abated, the fea, which ran exceeding high, 

 became tolerably fmooth, and the Quebrantahuefibs 

 difappeared at the beginning of this welcome change 

 of weather. 



From the i8th to the 26th our courfe was eaft, 

 one quarter foutherly, and S. E. one quarter eaflerly ; 

 the winds being variable between the S. S. W. and 

 W. S. W. with fome fliort tranfitions to N. W. 

 From the 26th to the 3d of March we fl:eered E, S. E. 

 and E. with the fame winds, but fo very variable, 

 that from W. they fliifted to the S. W. and from 

 thence flew about to the E. fo that in this interval 

 they blew from every point of the compafs, but rarely 

 continued a Angle day in one diredion. Sometimes 

 for three or four hours we had a frefli gale, this foon 

 died away, and was often fucceeded by calms, being 

 regular only in inconfl:ancy. 



On the 20th of February we had a ftrong gale of 

 wind at W. S. W. which obliged us to double reef our 

 topfails. We were then in 48% 2^ latitude. On 

 the 2ifl: the wind abated, and continued fo all the 

 morning with an eafy fea. At noon the wind frefh- 

 ened, and a ftorm came on at W. N. W. W. and W. 

 S. W. fo that we could carry only our reefed courfes. 

 The ftorm continued till the 23d about fun-fet, when 

 we let out the reefs in our courfes, and fet our top- 

 lails, aft^r reefing them. During the whole time we 



had 



