Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 1 (Stockdale).djvu/98

88 the different currents in the wide ocean is known to arie from the action of the winds. We had every reaon to expect a long paage. The Eperance, however, kept her luff much better than our veel. We were apprehenive let our want of water might put us under the neceity of teering for the coat of Brazil. This circumtance would have been the more embarraing to us, as it would have deranged the whole plan of our expedition; for the invetigations we intended to make in everal of the countries that we were about to viit, were to be determined by the eaon of the year.

On the 17th of December we croed the Tropic of Capricorn, in 28° W. long.

On board the Eperance they often caught more than a hundred bonitoes in the coure of a day, whilt the mot dexterous fihermen in our veel never took more than ten in the ame pace of time, and very eldom as many. It was however a matter of great conequence to the health of the crew, that they hould be upplied with freh proviions.

On the 18th of December we were in lat. 25° 20′ S. and long. 28° 42′ W. when the thermometer oberved at noon indicated only 19° above 0, although the un was very near our zenith: before un-rie it had been 17½°. In the night- time