THE PACIFIC OCEAN* 
3 
appeared to me, that two obfervers might differ more than 1777. 
double that time, in both the beginning and end. And, , ^ uly ' , 
though the times are noted to feconds, no fuch accuracy 
was pretended to. The odd feconds, fet down above, arofe 
by reducing the time, as given by the watch, to apparent 
time. 
I continued to ftretch to the Eafl South Eaft, with the 
wind at North Eaft and North, without meeting with any 
thing worthy of note, till feven o’clock in the evening of 
the 29th ; when we had a fudden and very heavy fquall of Tuefday z 9 . 
wind from the North. At this time, we were under fingle 
reefed topfails, courfes, and ftay-fails. Two of the latter 
were blown to pieces ; and it was with difficulty that we 
faved the other fails. After this fquall, we obferved feveral 
lights moving about on board theX)ifcovery; by which we 
concluded, that fomething had given way ; and, the next 
morning, we faw that her main-top-maft had been loft. Wednef. 30. 
Both wind and weather continued very unfettled till noon, 
this day, when the latter cleared up, and the former fettled 
in the North Weft quarter. At this time, we were in the 
latitude of 28° 6 7 South, and our longitude was 198° 23' Eaft. 
Here we faw fome pintado birds, being the firft fince we 
left the land. 
On the 31ft, at noon. Captain Clerke made a fignal to Thurfday 31. 
fpeak with me. By the return of the boat, which I fent on 
board his fhip, he informed me, that the head of the main- 
maft had been juft difcovered to be fprung, in fuch a man¬ 
ner, as to render the rigging of another top-maft very dan¬ 
gerous ; and that, therefore, he muft rig fomething lighter 
in its place. He alfo informed me, that he had loft his 
main-top-gallant-yard; and that he neither had another, 
nor a fpar to make one, on board. The Kefolution’s fprit- 
B 2 fail 
