true trade; which is here regularly
south-east.

The 3rd of May, being in latitude 20 degrees 00 minutes and meridian
distance west from Cape Salvador 234 miles, the variation was 7 degrees
00 minutes. We saw no fowl but shearwaters, as our seamen call them,
being a small black fowl that sweep the water as they fly, and are much
in the seas that lie without either of the tropics: they are not eaten.
We caught 3 small sharks, each 6 foot 4 inches long; and they were very
good food for us. The next day we caught 3 more sharks of the same size,
and we ate them also, esteeming them as good fish, boiled and pressed,
and then stewed with vinegar and pepper.

EXCESSIVE NUMBER OF BIRDS ABOUT A DEAD WHALE; OF THE PINTADO BIRD, AND
THE PETREL, ETC.

We had nothing of remark from the 3rd of May to the 10th, only now and
then seeing a small whale spouting up the water. We had the wind easterly
and we ran with it to the southward, running in this time from the
latitude of 20 degrees 00 minutes to 29 degrees 5 minutes south, and
having then 7 degrees 3 minutes east longitude from Cape Salvador; the
variation increasing upon us at present, notwithstanding we went east. We
had all along a great difference between the morning and evening
amplitudes; usually a degree or two, and sometimes more. We were now in
the true trade, and therefore made good way to the southward to get
without the verge of the general tradewind into a westerly wind's way
that might carry us towards the Cape of Good Hope. By the 12th of May,
being in latitude 31 degrees 10 minutes we began to meet with westerly
winds, which freshened on us, and did not leave us till a little before
we made the Cape. Sometimes it blew so hard that it put us under a
fore-course; especially in the night; but in the daytime we had commonly
our main topsail reefed. We met with nothing of moment; only we passed by
a dead whale, and saw millions (as I may say) of sea-fowls about the
carcass (and as far round about it as we could see) some feeding, and the
rest flying about, or sitting on the water, waiting to take their turns.
We first discovered the whale by the fowls; for indeed I did never see so
many fowls at once in my life before, their numbers being inconceivably
great: they were of divers sorts, in bigness, shape and colour. Some were
almost as big as geese, of a grey colour, with white breasts, and with
such bills, wings, and tails. Some were pintado-birds, as big as ducks,
an