A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15: Forming A Complete History Of The Origin And Progress Of Navigation, Discovery, And Commerce, By Sea And Land, From The Earliest Ages To The Present TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 15: Forming A Complete History Of The Origin And Progress Of Navigation, Discovery, And Commerce, By Sea And Land, From The Earliest Ages To The Present Time
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
On the 8th, being in the latitude of 41° 30' S., longitude 26° 51' E.,
the mercury in the thermometer rose to 61, and we found it necessary to
put on lighter clothes. As the wind continued invariably fixed between
N.W. and W., we took every advantage to get to the west, by tacking
whenever it shifted any thing in our favour; but as we had a great swell
against us, our tacks were rather disadvantageous. We daily saw
albatrosses, peterels, and other oceanic birds; but not the least sign
of land.
On the 11th, in the latitude of 40° 40' S., longitude 23° 47' E., the
variation was 20° 48' W. About noon the same day the wind shifted
suddenly from N.W. to S.W., caused the mercury in the thermometer to
fall as suddenly from 62° to 52°; such was the different state of the
air, between a northerly and southerly wind. The next day, having
several hours calm, we put a boat in the water, and shot some
albatrosses and peterels, which, at this time, were highly acceptable.
We were now nearly in the situation where the isles which we were in
search of, are said to lie; however, we saw nothing that could give us
the least hope of finding them.
The calm continued till five o'clock of the next morning, when it was
succeeded by a breeze at W. by S., with which we stood to N.N.W., and at
noon observed in latitude 38° 51' S. This was upwards of thirty miles
more to the north than our log gave us; and the watch shewed that we had
been set to the east also. If these differences did not arise from some
strong current, I know not how to account for them. Very strong currents
have been found on the African coast, between Madagascar and the Cape
of Good Hope, but I never heard of their extending so far from the land;
nor is it probable they do. I rather suppose that this current has no
connection with that on the coast; and that we happened to fall into
some stream which is neither lasting nor regular. But these are points
which require much time to investigate, and must therefore be left to
the industry of future navigators.
We were now two degrees to the north of the parallel in which the isles
of Denia and Marseveen are said to lie. We had seen nothing to encourage
us to persevere in looking after them, and it must have taken up some
time longer to find them, or to prove their non-existence. Every one was
impatient to get into port, and for good reasons: As for a long time we
had had nothing but stale and salt provisions, for which every one on
board had lost all relish. These reasons induced me to yield to the
general wish, and to steer for the Cape of Good Hope, being at this time
in the latitude of 38° 38' S., longitude 23° 37' E.
The next day the observed latitude at noon was only seventeen miles to
the north of that given by the log; so that we had either got out of the
strength of the current, or it had ceased.
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