Nothing now obstructing my departure but a contrary wind, which blew strong at S.W., in the morning of the 11th, I delivered into the hands of Mr Burney, first lieutenant of the Discovery, Captain Clerke’s sailing orders; a copy of which I also left with the officer commanding his majesty’s ships at Plymouth, to be delivered to the captain immediately on his arrival.  In the afternoon, the wind moderating, we weighed with the ebb, and got farther out, beyond all the shipping in the sound; where, after making an unsuccessful attempt to get to sea, we were detained most of the following day, which was employed in receiving on board a supply of water; and, by the same vessel that brought it, all the empty casks were returned.

As I did not imagine my stay at Plymouth would have been so long as it proved, we did not get our instruments on shore to make the necessary observations for ascertaining the longitude by the watch.  For the same reason, Mr Bayly did not set about this, till he found that the Discovery would probably be detained some days after us.  He then placed his quadrant upon Drake’s Island; and had time, before the Resolution sailed, to make observations sufficient for the purpose we had in view.  Our watch made the island to lie 4 deg. 14’, and his, 4 deg. 13 1/2’, west of Greenwich.  Its latitude, as found by Messrs Wales and Bayly, on the last voyage, is 50 deg. 21’ 30” N.

We weighed again at eight in the evening, and stood out of the sound, with a gentle breeze at N.W. by W.

SECTION II.

Passage of the Resolution to Teneriffe.—­Reception there.—­Description of Santa Cruz Road.—­Refreshment to be met with.—­Observations for fixing the Longitude of Teneriffe.—­Some Account of the Island.—­Botanical Observations.—­Cities of Santa Cruz and Loguna.—­Agriculture.—­Air and Climate.—­Commerce.—­Inhabitants.

We had not been long out of Plymouth Sound, before the wind came more westerly, and blew fresh, so that we were obliged to ply down the Channel; and it was not till the 14th, at eight in the evening, that we were off the Lizard.

On the 16th, at noon, St Agnes’s light-house on the isles of Scilly bore N.W. by W., distant seven or eight miles.  Our latitude was now 49 deg. 53’ 30” N., and our longitude, by the watch, 6 deg. 11’ W. Hence, I reckon that St Agnes’s light-house is in 49 deg. 57’ 30” N. latitude, and in 6 deg. 20’ of W. longitude.

On the 17th[68] and 18th we were off Ushant, and found the longitude of the island to be, by the watch, 5 deg. 18’ 37” W. The variation was 23 deg. 0’ 50”, in the same direction.

[Footnote 68:  It appears from Captain Cook’s log-book, that he began his judicious operations for preserving the health of his crew, very early in the voyage.  On the 17th, the ship was smoked between decks with gunpowder.  The spare sails also were then well aired.—­D.]