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 xxxii supposed place of the Eight Stones, and crossing the parallel of 34° 45 north, in the longitude of 16° West, you are to spread the Starling to the westward, according to the clearness of the weather, so as to make sure of discovering any broken or discoloured water in the interval between the two vessels.

You are also to get a few deep casts of the lead, when passing the alleged place of that shoal.

You are then to repair to Madeira, to verify the rates of the chronometers by the standard meridian of Funchal, or if that be impractible from the state of the weather, you are to proceed to Teneriffe for this purpose.

Every exertion is then to be made to cross over to America with the least possible delay, and to approach it on the parallel of 16° 55 south, in order to fix the outer limit of the Abrothos Bank. In that latitude you should carry on a series of sea-bottom soundings from 35½° west, till you have arrived fairly on the main bank, or in 37° 30 west, when, crossing the banks to the southwards, with a line of soundings, you are to proceed to Rio de Janeiro.

At that place you will not only obtain satisfactory ratio of the chronometers, but by setting up the transit instruments, a few nights 'observations of moon-culminating stars, will enable you, it may be hoped, to settle finally its longitude.

If, however, the moon should there be unfavourable, the same object may be equally well obtained at Santa Catharina. The coast, between these two places, has been sufficiently surveyed by Le Baron Roussin, but their meridian distance requires confirmation, and your means are fully capable of dispelling all further uncertainty.

From Santa Catharina, you are to pass forward towards the passage between the Falkland Islands and 7