340 A VOYAGE TO BookIX. 



cerning the difference, when we were got out of thefe 

 oppofite courfes of the water, the latitude by obferva- 

 tion agreed with that by account. The preceding 

 reafons alfo fhev/, that the perfon who tended the 

 iog-iine was not carelefs for if any error had been 

 committed here, the difference would have continued, 

 the management of it having on all occafions been 

 entrulled to the fame perfon, who befides his fobriety 

 and attention, was a complete artid. But the above 

 caufe is further evident from the continual unifor- 

 mity of the diftance, never exceeding ten or twelve 

 minutes or decreafing betv/ixt ten and twelve 

 minutes every day : and that if on any day the lati- 

 tude had not been obferved, on the day following 

 the difference was found double ; a circumftance that 

 not only proves the reality of the currents here, but 

 likewife confirms what we have faid in chapter 2d, 

 concerning thofe in our paffage from Conception to this 

 ifland, exclufive of thofe v/hich will be mentioned 

 in the fequel. 



On the 7th of June, being in 33 deg. 31 min. 

 latitude, and 31 dcg. 37 min. eaft of the meridian 

 of Conception, we fuddenly felt a ftrong motion of a 

 current, which the more furprized us, as we perceived 

 nothing of that kind the day before, tho' in the fame 

 latitude. However, we were confirmed that we were 

 not miftaken by our reckoning the following days, 

 rill the nth, the latitude by obfervation daily ex- 

 ceeding by 13 or 15 min. that by account ; but 

 on the eleventh they again agreed. On the 12 th in 

 39 deg. 44 min. latitude, that by obfervation again 

 proved different to that by account, the former be- 

 ing lefs than the latter, by 13 min. And on the 

 13th the difference continued to be the fame. Thus 

 the courfe of the current continued leffening the 

 Ihip's way, by carrying us fouthward till the i 5th 

 and 1 6th, when the difference became greater, but 

 In an oppofite diredion i that is, the currents car- 



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