ar tide; and, as far as I could judge, the flood came from the
north-west.

I now return to the progress of our voyage. On the 7th, being in the
latitude of 29 deg. N. and in the longitude of 200 deg. E. the wind veered to
S.E. This enabled us to steer N.E. and E.; which course we continued,
till the 12th, when the wind had veered round by the S. and W. to
N.E. and E.N.E. I then tacked and stood to the northward, our latitude
being 30 deg. N. and our longitude 206 deg. 15' E. Notwithstanding our
advanced latitude, and its being the winter season, we had only begun,
for a few days past, to feel a sensation of cold in the mornings and
evenings. This is a sign of the equal and lasting influence of
the sun's heat, at all seasons, to 30 deg. on each side the line. The
disproportion is known to become very great after that. This must be
attributed almost entirely to the direction of the rays of the sun,
independent of the bare distance, which is by no means equal to the
effect.

On the 19th, being now in the latitude of 37 deg. N. and in the longitude
of 206 deg. E. the wind veered to S.E.; and I was enabled again to
steer to the E. inclining to the N. We had, on the 25th, reached the
latitude of 42 deg. 30', and the longitude of 219 deg.; and then we began
to meet with the rock-weed, mentioned by the writer of Lord Anson's
voyage, under the name of sea-leek, which the Manilla ships generally
fall in with. Now and then a piece of wood also appeared. But if we
had not known that the continent of North America was not far distant,
we might, from the few signs of the vicinity of land hitherto met
with, have concluded, that there was none within some thousand leagues
of us. We had hardly seen a bird, or any other oceanic animal, since
we left Sandwich Islands.

On the 1st of March, our latitude being now 44 deg. 49' N., and our
longitude 228 deg. E. we had one calm day. This was succeeded by a wind
from the N. with which I stood to the E. close hauled, in order to
make the land. According to the charts, it ought not to have been far
from us. It was remarkable, that we should still carry with us such
moderate and mild weather so far to the northward, and so near the
coast of an extensive continent, at this time of the year. The present
season either must be uncommon for its mildness, or we can assign no
reason why Sir Francis Drake should have met with such severe cold,
about this latitude, in the month of June. Viscaino, indee