the different currents in the wide ocean is known to ariſe from the action of the winds. We had every reaſon to expect a long paſſage. The Eſperance, however, kept her luff much better than our veſſel. We were apprehenſive leſt our want of water might put us under the neceſſity of ſteering for the coaſt of Brazil. This circumſtance would have been the more embarraſſing to us, as it would have deranged the whole plan of our expedition; for the inveſtigations we intended to make in ſeveral of the countries that we were about to viſit, were to be determined by the ſeaſon of the year.
On the 17th of December we croſſed the Tropic of Capricorn, in 28° W. long.
On board the Eſperance they often caught more than a hundred bonitoes in the courſe of a day, whilſt the moſt dexterous fiſhermen in our veſſel never took more than ten in the ſame ſpace of time, and very ſeldom as many. It was however a matter of great conſequence to the health of the crew, that they ſhould be ſupplied with freſh proviſions.
On the 18th of December we were in lat. 25° 20′ S. and long. 28° 42′ W. when the thermometer obſerved at noon indicated only 19° above 0, although the ſun was very near our zenith: before ſun-riſe it had been 17½°. In the night-
time
