THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
be farther from the continent than twenty or thirty leagues 
at moil; and perhaps not much lefs, as we neither had 
foundings nor any other figns of land. Dr. Halley, how¬ 
ever, in his voyage, publifhed by Mr. Dalrymple, tells us % 
that he made no more than one hundred and two miles , meri¬ 
dian dijlance^from the ifland [Fernando de Noronha] to the 
coajl of Brafd ; and feems to think that currents could not 
be the whole caufe of his making fo little. But I rather think 
that he was miftaken, and that the currents had hurried 
him far to the Weft ward of his intended courfe. This was, 
in fome meafure, confirmed by our own obfervations ; for 
we had found, during three or four days preceding the 8th, 
that the currents fet to the Weft ward ; and, during the laft 
twenty-four hours, it had fet ftrong to the Northward, as 
we experienced a difference of twenty-nine miles between 
our obferved latitude and that by dead reckoning. Upon 
the whole, till fome better aftronomical obfervations are 
made on fhore on the Eaftern coaft of Brafil, I fliall con¬ 
clude that its longitude is thirty-five degrees and a half, or 
thirty-fix degrees Weft, at moft. 
We proceeded on our voyage, without meeting with any 
thing of note, till the 6th of O&ober. Being then in the 
latitude of 35 0 15' South, longitude 7 0 45' Weft, we met with 
light airs and calms by turns, for three days fucceflively. 
We had, for fome days before, feen albatroffes, pintadoes, 
and other petrels ; and here we faw three penguins, which 
occafioned us to found; but we found no ground with a line 
of one hundred and fifty fathoms.' We put a boat in the 
water, and fhot a few birds; one of which was a black pe¬ 
trel, about the fize of a crow, and, except as to the bill and 
feet, very like one. It had a few white feathers under the 
* P. n, 
F 2 throat; 
35 
1776. 
September. 
u— - > 
O&ober. 
Sunday 6t> 
