Page:Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World in the Years 1791–95, volume 1.djvu/112

56 1701,

that produced any vegetables, which liarl not vifihly felt its effeds. Where the country was .veil wooded, the lofiied timbers had the topmoft of their branches burned ; yet none fecmed totally dcftroyed by it; and where the luxuriance of the foil had obliterated its bane- ful appearance amongrt the growing fiirubs and plants, the ground, on examination, was found ftrewed over with the remait.s of branches and flumps that had been partially coiifumed by lire. Had this conflagration been occafioned, as fome of us luppofed, by repeated Uorms of violent lightning and thunder, it is rcafoiiable to imagine we fhould have feen the foreft trees much torn and fhattered to pieces ; which in no inftance was obferved. As nothing further occurred, worthy any particular no; ice, I fliall con- clude my remarks on this country by dating the aflronomica' and nau- tical obfervations thi:t were made for afccrtaining its fituaiion, and for other purpofes of navigation. The latitude of the fituation of the fliips in King George the Third's Sound, deduced from g me- ridional altitudes of the fun, taken by four different obfervers and quadrants, all nearly agreeing toge- ther, gave their mean refult - - - The longitude deduced from the mean refult of 25 fets of lunar diflances of the fun and flars, taken before our arrival ; 8 fets taken whilfl; at anchor in the found ; and 52 fets taken after our departure, and reduced to our flation there; making in the whole 85 fets, each fet containing 6 obferved dif- tances, and equal to 510 obfervations, gave Kendall's chronometer, allowing the Portfmouth rate, on our arrival fhewed,. . . Allowing the Cape rate. _ . . Arnold's chronometer, on board the Chatham, al- lowing the Cape rate. . . - By the daily obfervations made at anchor, Kendall's chronometer ap- peared to have altered its rate as fetded at the cape of Good Hope, and 35° 5'30"fouth 118° 14' i3"eafl 117° 46' o" 118" 23' o" 117° 38' 30"