Page:An account of the natives of the Tonga Islands.djvu/68

2 No circumstances, worth mentioning, occurred during several weeks. The wind continued fair, but variable. On the 20th of March, in the afternoon, the mizen mast gave way by the jerk of a swell, and was found much decayed under the copper, in the way of the mizen gaff: this damage, however, by the next day, was completely repaired. On her arrival (April 9) in lat. 21. 55. S. long. 38. 38. W. a very heavy gale came on. The foretopsail yard, being now discovered to be rotten in the slings, was sent down and replaced by a new one. The gale continued to increase, and from three to five in the morning, continual flashes of lightning came on from different quarters, with loud and repeated claps of thunder, succeeded by very heavy rains.

From this period till the time of her arrival off the river of Plate, the weather was changeable, and for the most part stormy. On the 6th of May she commenced her cruize in this river; nothing particular, however, occurred for several days, except the loss of a boy, who accidentally fell overboard, and was drowned, in spite of every exertion made to save him. On the 13th, being off the island of Lobos, a boat was sent on shore to reconnoitre. In the evening she returned, without having discovered any inhabitants; a number of seals, however, were seen, and proper apparatus for skinning them,