29th December 1768

Rio de Janeiro to Tierra del Fuego
First part moderate breezes and Cloudy; remainder fresh breezes and Clear. P.M. loosed all the Reefs out, and got Topgallant Yards a Cross. Variation per Azimuth 16 degrees 12 minutes, per Amplitude 16 degrees 32 minutes; Mean of the Two 16 degrees 22 minutes East.  Between 9 and 10 a.m. took 7 sets of Observations between the sun and moon to find the Longitude of the Ship. Each set Consists of three Observations; the Mean of the whole gave 59 degrees 18 minutes 34 seconds West of Greenwich. The result of each set was as follows: viz., 1st set, 59 degrees 8 minutes; Second, 59 degrees 21 minutes; Third, 59 degrees 34 minutes; Fourth, 59 degrees 17 minutes; Fifth, 59 degrees 11 minutes 45 seconds; Sixth, 59 degrees 19 minutes 30 seconds; and the Seventh, 59 degrees 20 minutes 45 seconds. The greatest differance between any two--viz., the first and third--is but 26 minutes, and the mean of these two differ from the mean of the whole only 2 minutes 26 seconds. This shews to what degree of accuracy these observations can be made even by Different Persons, for four of these were made and computed by Mr. Green and the rest by myself. The Longitude given by the Ship, reckoning from the last Observation 5 Days ago, differs only 8 Miles from the Observation, which shews that we have not been in any Currents. Soundings from 40 to 47. Wind North-Easterly; course South 46 degrees 30 minutes West; distance 81 miles; latitude 41 degrees 45 minutes South, longitude 59 degrees 37 minutes West.

Joseph Banks Journal
Fair wind, water very white, sounded 46 fathom, about 4 in the Even 44. We observd now some feathers and peices of reed to float by the ship which made us get up the hoave net to see what they were; soon after some drowned Carabi and Phalaenae came past which we took and employd the hoave till dark night taking many specimens. Lat. 41:48. This morn a large sphinx [?] came off probably from the land and was taken.

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