Ch. V. 



SOUTH AMERICA. 



251 



the water ; their plumage on their bread and belly is 

 white, but their back, the upper part of their wings 

 and all their neck bjown. As fifh is their whole 

 fubfiftence, they dart down into the water with pro- 

 digious celerity, and continue a long time under it in 

 purfuit of their prey. 



On the 30th, in the latitude of 45deg. 54 min. and 

 28 deg. 43 min. E. of Conception, we again faw 

 fome of the fame birds as on the 27th, befides fome 

 fmall whales near the iliip. During the whole re- 

 mainder of the voyage we had always fight of thefc 

 kind of birds, and another very nearly refembling the 

 Penguin but the bill was black, very large, and of 

 a fquare form. Both kinds fwarm on the bank, but 

 without it they are not fo frequent. On our approach 

 to the bank we alfo faw great numbers of cavallas, 

 which abound all along the coafts. We likewile faw 

 fome fhoals of tunny fifh. About the edge of the 

 bank there is always a great fwell : but on coming 

 within the foundings, even in a hard gale of wind, 

 though attended with a high fea, it does not continue 

 any longer than the wind ; the one fubfiding as the 

 other abates. 



If I have been fo very circumftantial in my ac- 

 count of the voyage from Conception, and given a 

 detail not only of the winds and times of the year, 

 but alfo of the agitation of the fea, in ftorms and 

 hard gales, the courfe, the colour of the water, and 

 the figns of birds and fifhes, I hope it will be attri- 

 buted to my zeal for the improvement of naviga- 

 tion, and my defire that m.ariners who are Grangers 

 to this voyage, might be acquainted with the!C 

 things, which are certainly of real utility ; as by thus 

 acquiring a knowledge of the latitudes and longi- 

 tudes, which are pundually fet down at every fign or 

 an extraordinary occurrence, they might be acquain- 

 ted with the particulars of every part and confe- 

 quently the better enabled to take the moft proper 



mea- 



