the interesting nature of the enquiry:  But the wonder is, that any one should have been found so irrational as to act a contrary part, in despite of the strongest dictates of prudence and humanity.  I cannot, however, believe this conduct to have arisen from such savage motives as the first reflection seems naturally to suggest; but am apt rather to impute it to an obstinate, and, as it were, superstitious attachment to long-established practices, and to a settled contempt and hatred to all innovations, especially such as are projected by landsmen, or persons residing on shore.

We crossed the equinoctial, with a fine fresh gale at N.E. on Friday, the 28th November, at four in the morning, being thus, by estimation, in long. 27 deg. 59’ W. from London.  In the morning of the 2d December, we saw a sail in the N.W. and made the Gloucester’s and Tryal’s signals to chase; and half an hour after, let out our reefs, and chased with the rest of the squadron.  About noon a signal was made for the Wager to take our remaining victualler, the Ann pink, in tow; but, at seven in the evening, finding we did not near the chase, and that the Wager was very far astern, we shortened sail, and recalled the chasing ships.  Next day but one we again discovered a sail, which, on a nearer approach, we judged to be the same vessel.  We chased her the whole day, and though we rather gained upon her, night came on before we could overtake her, which obliged us to give over the chase, to collect the scattered squadron.  We were much chagrined at the escape of this vessel, supposing her to have been an advice-boat from Old Spain to Buenos Ayres, sent to give notice of our expedition:  But we have since learnt that it was our East-India Company’s packet, bound to St Helena.

On the 10th December, being by our reckoning in lat. 20 deg.  S. and long. 36 deg. 30’ W. from London, the Tryal fired a gun to denote soundings.  We immediately tried, and found sixty fathoms, the bottom coarse ground with broken shells.  The Tryal, which was a-head of us, had at one time thirty-seven fathoms, which afterwards increased to ninety, after which she had no bottom; which happened to us also at our second trial, though we sounded with a line of 150 fathoms.  This is the shoal laid down in most charts by the name of the Abrollos,[1] and it appeared we were upon its verge; perhaps farther in it may be extremely dangerous.  We were then, by our different accounts, from sixty to ninety leagues east of the coast of Brazil.  Next day but one we spoke a Portuguese brigantine from Rio Janeiro bound to Bahia de todos los Santos, by which we learnt that we were thirty-four leagues from Cape St Thomas, and forty from Cape Frio; which latter bore from us W.S.W.  By our own accounts we were nearly eight leagues from Cape Frio; and though, on the information of this brig, we altered our course, standing more southerly, yet, by our coming in with the land afterwards, we were fully convinced that our own reckoning was