190 
SURVEY OP THE INTERTROPICAL 
1822 . but was very imperfectly seen, on account of the 
Jan. 27. thick haze that enveloped it. At a quarter be- 
fore seven o’clock we hauled to the wind for 
the night, with a fresh gale from the southward. 
The next morning was cloudy, and the horizon 
tolerably clear ; but towards noon a light 
haze began to spread, which by sunset was so 
thick as entirely to conceal the land. The mer- 
cury fell as low as 29.76 inches, and, although 
the thermometer was at 79° and the sun pow- 
erful, yet the atmosphere was so charged with 
moisture that the decks and every thing out of 
the immediate influence of the sun were quite 
damp. This extraordinary and constant humi- 
dity appeared only to occupy the atmosphere, 
for the sky was always beautifully clear and 
serene. 
During the night the gale blew strong from 
the southward, with a high topping sea from the 
S.W. ; and being occupied in shifting the main 
topsail, which had split during the night, we 
stood off until three o’clock before we tacked 
towards the shore. 
29 . At eight o’clock being in latitude 22° 19' 23", 
the land was visible from N.E. to S. 35° E., 
at the distance of five or six leagues : by its out- 
line, which, from the glare of the sun, was the 
only part at all discernible, it seemed to be 
