Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 3.djvu/386

354 1794. Decemher, Veclricf. 31-

from the north-wellwarcl. Whilfl; the light winds continued we were greatly incommoded by a very heavy fwell from the fouth-callward, which made the fliip extremely uneafy; this had now in a great ircafure fubfided; but the weather though perfeclly clear was ftill very hot And fultry, the thermometer night and day varying from 81 to 83. Had it not been for our anxious folicitudcto get forward, and the exceffive heat of the weather, our fiiuation would have been by no means unpleafant; the ocean was tranquil, and abounded with a great variety of filli ; its furface as it were was covered with turtles, and the numerous fea fowls hovering over, and diving for their prey, prefented fuch an animated fcenc, as the ocean, unafTilled by intervening land, or other objedls, is fcldom, I believe, lound to exhibit. We were here at no lofs to provide a rcpafl for this our fourth Chriftmas day fince we had quitted the civilized world ; and with the addition of the fredi beef, mutton, and poultry we had brought from Monterrey, the officers tables prefented fuch an appearance of luxury as is not frequently feen in fuch diftant regions of the ocean. In addition to our frefli provifions, and what the fca afforded, the people were ferved fuch an extra allowance of grog as was llifficicnt for die celebration of the day, and to call to their recollection their friends and favorites at home; on which occafion, though perhaps the clrcumftance may appear too trivial here to be noticed, yet as t'ic fcntiirtent avofe fpontaneoufly from the gratitude of the crew, I am induced to mention it : the memory of Sen' Quadra, and the heakh of Tamaahmaah vvere not forgotten. The fame light baffling winds continued to impede our progrefs, which was tardy and irkfome beyond all defcription : in addition to which, fome of our water ccifks were found to have leaked out ; this, very contrary to my wiihes, obliged me to reftrain the allowance of water to three quarts a man per day. So very llowly did we proceed, that by the 3 1 ft at noon we had only reached the latitude of 13° 50'.. longitude 259° 5' 30" ; the latter was deduced from 116 fets of lunar diftances, as follow, with the fun and aldebaran on different fides of the moon between the 27th and 31ft of december. Thofe taken on the 27th5 and brought forward by Arnold's No. 14, gave the following rcfrlrs. The