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.[19]

[Footnote 19: 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., longitude 31 deg. W., we
had three calm days, in which time we did not advance above ten or
twelve leagues to the north. We had fair weather and rain by turns; the
sky, for the most part, being obscured, and sometimes by heavy dense
clouds which broke in excessive hard showers.

At seven o'clock in the evening on the 18th, the calm was succeeded by a
breeze at east, which the next day increasing and veering to and fixing
at N.E., we stretched to N.W. with our tacks on board. We made no doubt
that we had now got the N.E. trade-wind, as it was attended with fair
weather, except now and then some light showers of rain; and as we
advanced to the north the wind increased, and blew a fresh top-gallant
gale.

On the 21st, I ordered the still to be fitted to the largest copper,
which held about sixty-four gallons. The fire was lighted at four
o'clock in the morning, and at six the still began to run. It was
continued till six o'clock in the evening; in which time we obtained
thirty-two gallons of fresh water, at the expence of one bushel and a
half of coals; which was about three-fourths of a bushel more than was
necessary to have boiled the ship's company's victuals only; but the
expence of fuel was no object with me. The victuals were dressed in the