THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
49 
been experienced by fome India fhips, whofe people have 1776. 
found themfelves clofe upon the coaft of. Angola, when i NQve - mber ‘, 
they thought its diftance was above two hundred leagues; 
During the whole of our palTage from England, no op¬ 
portunity was omitted of obferving, with all the attention 
and accuracy that circumftances would permit, the variation 
of the compafs, which I have inferted in a Table, with the 
latitude and longitude of the fhip at the time of obfervation. 
As the longitude may be depended upon, to a quarter or 
half a degree at moft, this Table will be of ufe to thofe na¬ 
vigators who corredt their reckoning by the variation. It 
will alfo enable Mr. Dun to corredt his new Variation Chart, 
a thing very much wanted. 
It feems ftrange to me, that the advocates for the varia¬ 
tion fhould not agree amongft themfelves. We find one * of 
them telling us, as I have already obferved, that with 8 a 
Weft variation , or any thing above that , you may venture to 
fail by the Cape de Verde Iflands , by night or day , being well 
affured , with that variation , that you are to the Eaflward of . 
them . Another, in his Chart t, lays down this variation 
ninety leagues to the Weftward of them. Such a difagree- 
ment as this, is a ftrong proof of the uncertainty of both. 
However, I have no doubt, the former found here, as well 
as in other places, the variation he mentions. But he fhould 
have confidered, that at fea, nay even on land, the refults 
of the moft accurate obfervations will not always be the 
fame. Different compaffes will give different variations ; 
and even the fame compafs will differ from itfelf two de¬ 
grees, without our being able to difcover, much lefs to re¬ 
move, the caufe. 
Vol. I. 
* Nichelfon. 
■f Mr. Dun. 
H 
Whoever 
