THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
479 
but the rudder of the Refolution having been, for fome 1780. 
time, complaining, and, on being examined, reported to ApriL _ 
be in a dangerous Rate, he refolved to fleer immediately 
for the Cape, as the moft eligible place, both for the re¬ 
covery of his fick, and for procuring a new main-piece to 
the rudder. 
From the 21ft of March, when we were in latitude 
27 0 22 / South, longitude 52 0 25' Eaft, to the 5th of April, Wednef. 5, 
when we had got into latitude 36° 12' South, longitude 
22 0 7 / Eaft, we were ftrongly affected by the currents, which 
fet to the South South Weft, and South Weft by Weft, 
fometimes at the rate of eighty knots a day. On the 6th, xhurfday6. 
having got under the lee of the African coaft, we loft them 
entirely. 
In the morning of the 6th, a fail was feen to the South 
Weft ftanding toward us ; and, as the wind foon after rofe 
from the fame quarter, we cleared our fhips for action. We 
now difcovered, from the maft-head, five fail more on our 
lee-bow, ftanding to the Eaftward; but the weather coming 
on hazy, we loft fight of them all in an hour’s time. Our 
latitude at noon was 35 0 49' South, longitude 21 0 32' Eaft. 
At feven o’clock the next morning (the feventh), we made Friday 7. 
the land to the Northward at a confiderable diftance. 
On the 8th, the weather was fqually, and blew frefh Saturday 8. 
from the North Weft; the following day it fettled to the Sundays 
Weft, and we pafled pretty clofe to the fail feen on the 6th, 
but did not hail her. She was clumfy in figure, and, to 
appearance, unfkilfully managed; yet fhe out-failed us ex¬ 
ceedingly. The colours which fhe hoifted were different 
from any we had feen; fome fuppofed them to be Portu- 
gueze, others Imperial. 
At day-light, the next morning, the land again appeared Monday 10. 
to 
