small copper, the other being applied wholly to the still; and every
method was made use of to obtain from it the greatest quantity of fresh
water possible; as this was my sole motive for setting it to work. The
mercury in the thermometer at noon was eighty-four and a half, and
higher it is seldom found at sea. Had it been lower, more water, under
the same circumstances, would undoubtedly have been produced; for the
colder the air is, the cooler you can keep the still, which will
condense the steam the faster. Upon the whole, this is an useful
invention; but I would advise no man to trust wholly to it. For although
you may, provided you have plenty of fuel and good coppers, obtain as
much water as will support life, you cannot, with all your efforts,
obtain sufficient to support health, in hot climates especially, where
it is the most wanting: For I am well convinced, that nothing
contributes more to the health of seamen, than having plenty of water.

The wind now remained invariably fixed at N.E. and E.N.E., and blew
fresh with squalls, attended with showers of rain, and the sky for the
most part cloudy. On the 25th, in the latitude of 16 deg. 12' N., longitude
37 deg. 20' W., 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 comm