Towards the Cape.~\ 
TERRA AUSTRALIS. 
27 
north and longitude 23 0 west; when a steady breeze set in from the isoi. 
south-westward, and the weather became more settled and pleasant, siualiyss 
The clouds were sufficiently dense to keep off the intense heat of the 
vertical sun, but did not often prevent us from obtaining daily 
observations for the latitude and longitude. At the same time with 
the south-west wind came a swell from the southward, which made 
the ship plunge considerably; and so far opened her leaks, that she 
again made two inches of water in the hour. 
On the 27th, in latitude 6° north and longitude 17^-° west, a Thursday^, 
noddy was caught, and next day a swallow was found dead in my Friday 2s. 
sleeping cabin. This poor little bird had been our companion for 
three or four days before, and had become a favourite. It was 
generally seen darting past the lee scuttles and ports, apparently 
after the flies which were carried out by the streams of air ; some- 
times it alighted upon the boats which hung on the ship's quarters, 
and more than once rested itself in the cabin where, at length, it was 
found dead. 
The south-western winds continued to blow without intermis- 
sion, and drove us, much against my inclination, far to the eastward, 
towards the coast of Africa. One or two attempts were made to 
go upon the western tack ; but this could not be done with any 
advantage until the 2nd of September, when we were in latitude September. 
3 0 50' north, and longitude 11^° west. The wind had veered gra-^ ec "" d ' 2 ' 
dually round, from south-west to south, as we approached the African 
coast, to the direction of which it kept at nearly a right angle. I 
had not fully adverted to the probability, that the winds blowing upon 
this coast would prevail to a greater extent at this season than at 
any other time of the year ; otherwise, as I wished to avoid Africa, 
I should have passed some degrees to the westward of the Cape- 
Verde Islands, and probably have carried the north-east trade to the 
12th, or perhaps to the 10th degree of north latitude; and in 8°, or 
at furthest in 6\ the south-east trade might have been expected. 
Captain Cook, in his second voyage, experienced the same 
