By a series of observations made at the Cape town, and at James Fort in St Helena, at the former by Messrs Mason and Dixon, and at the latter by Mr Maskelyne, the astronomer royal, the difference of longitude between these two places is 24 deg. 12’ 15”, only two miles more than Mr Kendall’s watch made.  The lunar observations made by Mr Wales, before we arrived at the island, and after we left it, and reduced to it by the watch, gave 5 deg. 51’ for the longitude of James Fort; which is only five miles more west than it is placed by Mr Maskelyne.  In like manner the longitude of the Cape Town was found within 5’ of the truth.  I mention this to shew how near the longitude of places may be found by the lunar method, even at sea, with the assistance of a good watch.

CHAPTER X.

Passage from St Helena to the Western Islands, with a Description of the Island of Ascension and Fernando Noronha.

1775 May

On the 21st in the evening, I took leave of the governor, and repaired on board.  Upon my leaving the shore, I was saluted with thirteen guns; and upon my getting under sail, with the Dutton in company, I was saluted with thirteen more; both of which I returned.

After leaving St Helena, the Dutton was ordered to steer N.W. by W. or N.W. by compass, in order to avoid falling in with Ascension; at which island, it was said, an illicit trade was carried on between the officers of the India Company’s ships, and some vessels from North America, who, of late years, had frequented the island on pretence of fishing whales or catching turtle, when their real design was to wait the coming of the India ships.  In order to prevent their homeward-bound ships from falling in with these smugglers, and to put a stop to this illicit trade, the Dutton was ordered to steer the course above-mentioned, till to the northward of Ascension.  I kept company with this ship till the 24th, when, after putting a packet on board her for the Admiralty, we parted:  She continuing her course to the N.W., and I steering for Ascension.

In the morning of the 28th I made the island; and the same evening anchored in Cross Bay on the N.W. side, in ten fathoms water, the bottom a fine sand, and half a mile from the shore.  The Cross Hill, so called on account of a cross, or flag-staff erected upon it, bore by compass S. 38 deg.  E.; and the two extreme points of the bay extended from N.E. to S.W.  We remained here till the evening of the 31st, and notwithstanding we had several parties out every night, we got but twenty-four turtle, it being rather too late in the season; however, as they weighed between four or five hundred pounds each, we thought ourselves not ill off.  We might have had a plentiful supply of fish in general, especially of that sort called Old Wives, of which I have no where seen such abundance.  There were also cavalies, conger eels, and various other sorts; but the catching of any of these was not attended to, the object being turtle.  There are abundance of goats, and aquatic birds, such as men-of-war and tropic birds, boobies, etc.