never ſuffered them to quit the ſhip but when the exigences of the armament required it. The Commodore was reſolved to keep ſtrictly to this regulation, during the whole time that he ſhould be ſtationed on the coaſt of Africa.
The variation of the needle was found by an average of ſixteen obſervations taken on board, fourteen of the azimuth and two of the ortive amplitude, to be 8° 7′ 7″ E.
The reſult of two obſervations taken by Citizen Bertrand, one of the aſtronomers to the expedition, on the terrace of a houſe in the town, gave 21° 33′ E.
The obſervations taken on board appeared more to be confided in than the others, as they agreed with the progreſſive diminution of the variation which we had obſerved ſince our departure from Breſt, and with the obſervations that had been taken long ſince by different other navigators.
The dip of the needle was now at 62° 25′. The ſame needle had pointed 71° 30′ at Breſt, and 72° 56′ at Paris.
The place where we lay at anchor in the road of Teneriffe was 28° 29′ 35″ N. lat. 18′ 86′ E. long.
The thermometer and barometer, obſerved on board towards noon, varied very little during our
ſtay
