eg.
54' 30" west, equal to 175 deg. 5' 30" east. The error of the chart is
therefore 0 deg. 40' 0", and nearly equal to what was found at Dusky Bay; by
which it appears that the whole of Tavai-poenamoo is laid down 40' too far
east in the said chart, as well as in the journal of the voyage. But the
error in Eaheino-mauwe, is not more than half a degree, or thirty minutes;
because the distance between. Queen Charlotte's Sound and Cape Palliser has
been found to be greater by 10' of longitude than it is laid down in the
chart. I mention these errors, not from a fear that they will affect either
navigation or geography, but because I have no doubt of their existence;
for, from the multitude of observations which Mr Wales took, the situation
of few parts of the world is better ascertained than Queen Charlotte's
Sound. Indeed, I might, with equal truth, say the same of all the other
places where we made any stay; for Mr Wales, whose abilities are equal to
his assiduity, lost no one observation that could possibly be obtained.
Even the situation of those islands, which we passed without touching at
them, is, by means of Kendal's watch, determined with almost equal
accuracy. The error of the watch from Otaheite to this place was only 43'
39" 1/2 in longitude, reckoning at the rate it was found to go at, at that
island and at Tanna; but by reckoning at the rate it was going when last at
Queen Charlotte's Sound, and from the time of our leaving it, to our return
to it again, which was near a year, the error was 19' 31", 25 in time, or
4 deg. 52' 48" 1/4 in longitude. This error cannot be thought great, if we
consider the length of time, and that we had gone over a space equal to
upwards of three-fourths of the equatorial circumference of the earth, and
through all the climates and latitudes from 9 deg. to 71 deg.. Mr Wales found its
rate of going here to be that of gaining 12",576, on mean time, per day.
The mean result of all the observations he made for ascertaining the
variation of the compass and the dip of the south end of the needle, the
three several times we had been here, gave 14 deg. 9' 1/5 east for the former;
and 64 deg. 36" 2/3 for the latter. He also found, from very accurate
observations, that the time of high-water preceded the moon's southing, on
the full and change days, by three hours; and that the greatest rise and
fall of the water was five feet ten inches, and a half; but there were
evident tokens on the bea
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