seeing a ship to windward steering down upon us, we
shortened sail in order to speak with her; but finding she was Dutch by
her colours, we made sail again and left her to pursue her course, which
we supposed was to some of the Dutch settlements in the West Indies. In
the latitude of 20 deg. N., longitude 39 deg. 45' W., the wind began to veer to
E. by N. and E.; but the weather remained the same; that is, we
continued to have it clear and cloudy by turns, with light squalls and
showers. Our track was between N.W. by N. and N.N.W., till noon on the
28th, after which our course made good was N. by W., being at this time
in the latitude of 21 deg. 21' N., longitude 40 deg. 6' W. Afterwards, the wind
began to blow a little more steady, and was attended with fair and clear
weather. At two o'clock in the morning of the 30th, being in the
latitude of 24 deg. 20' N., longitude 40 deg. 47' W., a ship, steering to the
westward, passed us within hail. We judged her to be English, as they
answered us in that language; but we could not understand what they
said, and they were presently out of sight.

In the latitude of 29 deg. 30', longitude 41 deg. 30', the wind slackened and
veered more to the S.E. We now began to see some of that sea-plant,
which is commonly called gulph-weed, from a supposition that it comes
from the Gulph of Florida. Indeed, for aught I know to the contrary, it
may be a fact; but it seems not necessary, as it is certainly a plant
which vegetates at sea. We continued to see it, but always in small
pieces, till we reached the latitude 36 deg., longitude 39 deg. W., beyond which
situation no more appeared.

1775 July

On the 5th of July, in the latitude of 22 deg. 31' 30" N., longitude 40 deg. 29'
W., the wind veered to the east, and blew very faint: The next day it
was calm; the two following days we had variable light airs and calms by
turns; and, at length, on the 9th, having fixed at S.S.W., it increased
to a fresh gale, with which we steered first N.E. and then E.N.E., with
a view of making some of the Azores, or Western Isles. On the 11th, in
the latitude of 36 deg. 45' N., longitude 36 deg. 45' W., we saw a sail which
was steering to the west; and the next day we saw three more.

CHAPTER XI.

_Arrival of the Ship at the Island of Fayal, a Description of the Place,
and the Return of the Resolution to England._

1775 July

At five o'clock in the evening of the 13th, we made the island of Fayal,
one o