hirteen fathoms water, one-third of a league from shore,
bottom of fine sand; the peaked hill above-mentioned bearing S.W. 2 deg.
southerly.*

[* See Don Antonio d'Ulloa's Book, vol. ii. chap. 3. page 95
to 102, where there is a very particular account of this island.]

This road seems to be well sheltered from the south and east winds. One
of my seamen had been on board a Dutch India ship, who put in at this
isle in her way out in 1770. They were very sickly, and in want of
refreshments and water. The Portuguese supplied them with some buffaloes
and fowls; and they watered behind one of the beaches in a little pool,
which was hardly big enough to dip a bucket in. By reducing the observed
latitude at noon to the peaked hill, its latitude will be 3 deg. 53' S.; and
its longitude, by the watch, carried on from St Helena, is 32 deg. 34' W.;
and by observations of the sun and moon, made before and after we made
the Isle, and reduced to it by the watch, 32 deg. 44' 30" W. This was the
mean result of my observations. The results of those made by Mr Wales,
which were more numerous, gave 32 deg. 23'. The mean of the two will be
pretty near the watch, and probably nearest the truth. By knowing the
longitude of this isle, we are able to determine that of the adjacent
east coast of Brazil; which, according to the modern charts, lies about
sixty or seventy leagues more to the west. We might very safely have
trusted to these charts, especially the variation chart for 1744, and Mr
Dalrymple's of the southern Atlantic ocean*.

[* Ulloa says, that the chart places this island sixty leagues from the
coast of Brazil; and that the Portuguese pilots, who often make the
voyage, judge it to be eighty leagues; but, by taking the mean between
the two opinions, the distance may be fixed at seventy leagues.]

On the 11th, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we crossed the equator
in the longitude of 32 deg. 14' W. We had fresh gales at E.S.E., blowing in
squalls, attended by showers of rain, that continued at certain
intervals, till noon the next day, after which we had twenty-four hours
fair weather.

At noon on the 13th, being in the latitude of 3 deg. 49' N., longitude 31 deg.
47' W., the wind became variable, between the N.E. and S.; and we had
light airs and squalls by turns, attended by hard showers of rain, and
for the most part dark gloomy weather, which continued till the evening
of the 15th, when, in the latitude of 5 deg. 47' N., l