Observations made at the Sandwich Islands, on the Longitude, Variation of the Compass and Tides.—Prosecution of the Voyage.—Remarks on the Mildness of the Weather, as far as the Latitude 44° North.—Paucity of Sea Birds, in the Northern Hemisphere.—Small Sea Animals described.—Arrival on the Coast of America.—Appearance of the Country.—Unfavourable Winds and boisterous Weather.—Remarks on Martin de Aguilar's River, and Juan de Fuca's pretended Strait.—An Inlet discovered, where the Ships anchor.—Behaviour of the Natives.
After the Discovery had joined us, we stood away to the northward, close hauled, with a gentle gale from the east; and nothing occurring, in this situation, worthy of a place in my narrative, the reader will permit me to insert here the nautical observations which I had opportunities of making relative to the islands we had left; and which we had been fortunate enough to add to the geography of this part of the Pacific Ocean.
The longitude of the Sandwich Islands was determined by seventy-two sets of lunar observations; some of which were made while we were at anchor in the road of Wymoa; others before we arrived, and after we left it, and reduced to it by the watch or time-keeper. By the mean result of these observations, the longitude of the road is
| 200° 13' 0" East. | ||
| Time-keeper | Greenwich rate, | 200° 0' 0" |
| Ulietea rate, | 200° 21' 0" | |
| The latitude of the road, by the | ||
| mean of two meridian observations | 21° 56' 15" North. | |
| of the sun |
The observations for the variation of the compass did not agree very well among themselves. It is true, they were not all made exactly in the same spot. The different situations, however, could make very little difference. But the whole will be seen, by casting an eye on the following table.
| Time. | Latitude. | Longitude. | Compass. | East | Mean |
| variation. | Variation. | ||||
| Jan. 18th. A.M. | 21° 12' | 200° 41' | Gregory's | 10° 10' 10" | |
| Knight's | 9° 20' 5" | 90° 51' 38" | |||
| Martin's | 10° 4' 40" | ||||
| 19th. P.M. | 21° 51' | 200° 20' | Knight's | 10° 2' 10" | 10° 37' 10" |
| Gregory's | 11° 12' 30" | ||||
| 28th. A.M. | 21° 22' | 199° 56' | Gregory's | 9° 1' 20" | |
| Knight's | 9° 1' 25" | 9° 26' 57" | |||
| Martin's | 10° 18' 5" | ||||
| 28th. P.M. | 21° 36' | 199° 50' | Gregory's | 11° 21' 15" | |
| Knight's | 10° 40' 0" | 11° 12' 50" | |||
| Martin's | 11° 37' 50" | ||||
| Means of the | 21° 29' | 200° 12' | 10° 17' 11" | ||
| above |
On January 18. 21° 12' 200° 41' the north end of the needle dipped 42° 1' 7".
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 north-west and south-east, 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 north-west.
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 S. and W. to N.E. and E.N.E. I then tacked and stood to the northward, our latitude being 30° N. and our longitude 206° 15' 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 S.E.; and I was enabled again to steer to the E. inclining to the N. We had, on the 25th, reached the latitude of 42° 30', 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.