Azimuths taken upon the binnacle in the morning, with three compasses, and the ship’s head at S. W. by S., gave variation 3 deg. 54’; and in the evening, at S. W., 3 deg. 50’; but next morning, when Trinidad was just disappearing from the deck in the N. 60 deg.  E., other azimuths then showed the variation to be 1 deg. 35’ west, the ship’s head being S. S. W.; it therefore appears, that there is a difference off the north, and off the south-west sides of the island.  From the first observations I deduce the true variation to be 4 deg. 14’ west, and from the last 1 deg. 50’ west.  Captain D’Auvergne marks the variation 0 deg. 45’ west, in 1782; but under what circumstances it was ascertained, does not appear.

TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 1801

The trade wind having again arisen from east-south-east, we were enabled to make between eighty and ninety miles a day.  It afterwards veered gradually round, by the north-east and north, to the westward, and blew fresh; so that on the 29th, our latitude was 31 deg. 2’ and longitude 26 deg. 0’ west.  This was 17’ to the south, and about 6 deg. west of the situation usually assigned to Saxemberg; an island which has been frequently sought by the East-India, and other ships, in the place which it still occupies in the charts; and not finding it there, they have run a few degrees to the eastward, in the same parallel, but always without success.  The opportunity which presented itself of now adding 6 deg. of longitude to the examined space, and on the opposite side, I should have thought myself culpable in neglecting; and therefore, having placed the ship in the supposed parallel of the island, we steered due east for it; adopting the same regulations for the look-out at night, as when searching for St. Paul’s.

We had seen an unusual number of pintado and sooty petrels on the preceding afternoon, as also of a brown bird, apparently one of the sea-swallow tribe, having a white belly and the form and size of a woodcock; and this evening it was reported to me from the mast head, and confirmed by others on deck, that a turtle was seen lying upon the water.  These indications of land gave me some hope that the long lost Saxemberg might be brought to light.  On the following noon [WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER], the observed latitude was 30 deg. 41’ and longitude 22 deg. 46’; and nothing further had transpired to betoken the vicinity of land.  Next day [THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER], our observations gave 30 deg. 34’ south, and 20 deg. 28’ west; and I then steered east-south-east, a course which should have taken us almost directly over the supposed situation of Saxemberg, if the same current of 11’ north had prevailed, as on the preceding day.  But this not proving to be the case, our track lay a few miles to the south; though sufficiently near for us to be satisfied of the non-existence of the island in the place assigned to it, if that could any longer admit of a doubt.*