Time.Latitude.Longitude. Compass.East Variation. Mean Variation.
Jan. Gregory’s10° 10ʹ 10ʺ
18th. A. M.21° 12ʹ200° 41ʹKnight’s9 20 59° 51ʹ 38ʺ
Martin’s10 4 40
19th. P. M.21 51200 20 Knight’s10 2 10 10 37 20
Gregory’s11 12 30
28th. A. M.21 22199 56 Gregory’s9 1 20 9 26 57
Knight’s9 1 25
Martin’s10 18 5
28th. P. M.21 36199 50 Gregory’s11 21 15 11 12 50
Knight’s10 40 0
Martin’s11 37 50
Means of the above21 29200 12 -- 10 17 11
On Jan. 18th.21 12200 41 the north end of the needle dipped 42° 1ʹ 7ʺ.

The tides at the Sandwich Islands are so inconsiderable, that with the great surf which broke against the shore, it was hardly possible to tell at any time whether we had high or low water, or whether it ebbed or flowed. On the south side of Atooi, we generally found a current setting to the westward or north-westward; but when we were at anchor off Oneeheow, the current set nearly N. W. and S. E., six hours one way, and six the other, and so strong as to make the ships tend, though the wind blew fresh. This was certainly a regular tide, and as far as I could judge, the flood came from the N. W.

I now return to the progress of our voyage. On the 7th, being in the latitude of 29° N., and in the longitude of 200° E., the wind veered to S. E. This enabled us to steer N. E. and E.; which course we continued till the 12th, when the wind had veered round by the south and west, to north-east and east north-east. I then tacked, and stood to the northward, our latitude being 30° N. and our longitude 206° 15ʹ E. Notwithstanding our advanced latitude, and its being the winter season, we had only begun, for a few days past, to feel a sensation of cold in the mornings and evenings. This is a sign of the equal and lasting influence of the sun’s heat, at all seasons, to 30° on each side the line. The disproportion is known to become very great after that. This must be attributed, almost entirely, to the direction of the rays of the sun, independent of the bare distance, which is, by no means, equal to the effect.

On the 19th, being now in the latitude of 37° N., and in the longitude of 206° E., the wind veered to south-east; and I was enabled again to steer to the east, inclining to the north. We had, on the 25th, reached the latitude of 42° 30ʹ, and the longitude of 219°; and then we began to meet with the rock-weed, mentioned by the writer of Lord Anson’s voyage, under the name of sea-leek, which the Manilla ships generally fall in with. Now and then a piece of wood also appeared. But if we had not known that the continent of North America was not far distant, we might, from the few signs of the vicinity of land hitherto met with, have concluded, that there was none within some thousand leagues of us. We had hardly seen a bird, or any other oceanic animal, since we left Sandwich Islands.

On the 1st of March, our latitude being now 44° 49ʹ N., and our longitude 228° E., we had one calm day. This was succeeded by a wind from the north, with which I stood to the east close hauled, in order to make the land. According to the charts, it ought not to have been far from us. It was remarkable that we should still be attended with such moderate and mild weather, so far to the northward, and so near the coast of an extensive continent, at this time of the year. The present season either must be uncommon for its mildness, or we can assign no reason why Sir Francis Drake should have met with such severe cold, about this latitude, in the month of June.[[31]] Viscaino, indeed, who was near the same place in the depth of winter, says little of the cold, and speaks of a ridge of snowy mountains, somewhere on the coast, as a thing rather remarkable.[[32]] Our seeing so few birds, in comparison of what we met with in the same latitudes to the south of the line, is another singular circumstance which must either proceed from a scarcity of the different sorts, or from a deficiency of places to rest upon. From hence we may conclude, that beyond 40° in the southern hemisphere, the species are much more numerous and the isles where they inhabit also more plentifully scattered about, than any where between the coast of California and Japan, in or near that latitude.

During a calm, on the morning of the 2d, some parts of the sea seemed covered with a kind of slime, and some small sea animals were swimming about. The most conspicuous of which were of gelatinous, or medusa kind, almost globular; and another sort smaller, that had a white or shining appearance, and were very numerous. Some of these last were taken up, and put into a glass cup, with some salt water, in which they appeared like small scales, or bits of silver, when at rest, in a prone situation. When they began to swim about, which they did with equal ease, upon their back, sides, or belly, they emitted the brightest colours of the most precious gems, according to their position with respect to the light. Sometimes they appeared quite pellucid, at other times assuming various tints of blue, from a pale sapphirine to a deep violet colour, which were frequently mixed with a ruby, or opaline redness; and glowed with a strength sufficient to illuminate the vessel and water. These colours appeared most vivid when the glass was held to a strong light; and mostly vanished on the subsiding of the animals to the bottom, when they had a brownish cast. But, with candle light, the colour was, chiefly, a beautiful pale green, tinged with a burnished gloss; and, in the dark, it had a faint appearance of glowing fire. They proved to be a new species of oniscus, and, from their properties, were, by Mr. Anderson (to whom we owe this account of them), called oniscus fulgens; being probably an animal which has a share in producing some sorts of that lucid appearance, often observed near ships at sea, in the night. On the same day two large birds settled on the water, near the ship. One of these was the procellaria maxima (the quebrantahuessos), and the other, which was little more than half the size, seemed to be of the albatross kind. The upper part of the wings, and tip of the tail, were black, with the rest white; the bill yellowish; upon the whole, not unlike the sea-gull, though larger.

On the 6th, at noon, being in the latitude of 44° 10ʹ N., and the longitude of 2341⁄2° E., we saw two sails and several whales; and at day-break, the next morning, the long-looked-for coast of New Albion[[33]] was seen, extending from north-east to south-east, distant ten or twelve leagues. At noon our latitude was 44° 33ʹ N., and our longitude 235° 20ʹ E.; and the land extended from north-east half north, to south-east by south, about eight leagues distant. In this situation we had seventy-three fathoms’ water, over a muddy bottom, and about a league farther off found ninety fathoms. The land appeared to be of a moderate height, diversified with hills and valleys, and, almost every where, covered with wood. There was, however, no very striking object on any part of it, except one hill, whose elevated summit was flat. This bore east from us, at noon. At the northern extreme the land formed a point, which I called Cape Foulweather, from the very bad weather that we soon after met with. I judge it to lie in the latitude of 44° 55ʹ N., and in the longitude of 235° 54ʹ E.

We had variable light airs and calms till eight o’clock in the evening, when a breeze sprung up at south-west. With it I stood to the north-west, under an easy sail, waiting for day-light to range along the coast. But at four, next morning, the wind shifted to north-west, and blew in squalls, with rain. Our course was north-east, till near ten o’clock, when, finding that I could make no progress on this tack, and seeing nothing like a harbour, I tacked, and stood off south-west. At this time, Cape Foulweather bore north-east by north, about eight leagues distant. Toward noon the wind veered more to the westward, and the weather became fair and clear, so that we were enabled to make lunar observations. Having reduced all those that we had made since the 19th of last month to the present ones, by the time-keeper, amounting, in the whole, to seventy-two sets, their mean result determined the longitude to be 235° 15ʹ 26ʺ E., which was 14° 11ʹ less than what the time-keeper gave. This longitude is made use of for settling that of the coast, and I have not a doubt of its being within a very few miles of the truth.

Our difficulties now began to increase. In the evening the wind came to the north-west, blowing in squalls with hail and sleet; and the weather being thick and hazy, I stood out to sea till near noon the next day, when I tacked and stood in again for the land, which made its appearance at two in the afternoon, bearing east north-east. The wind and weather continued the same; but, in the evening, the former veered more to the west, and the latter grew worse, which made it necessary to tack and stand off till four the next morning, when I ventured to stand in again.

At four in the afternoon we saw the land, which, at six, extended from north-east half east, to south-east by south, about eight leagues distant. In this situation we tacked and sounded; but a line of a hundred and sixty fathoms did not reach the ground. I stood off till midnight, then stood in again; and at half past six, we were within three leagues of the land, which extended from north by east, half east, to south, half east; each extreme about seven leagues distant. Seeing no signs of a harbour, and the weather being still unsettled, I tacked and stretched off south-west, having then fifty-five fathoms water over a muddy bottom.