Volume Ii Part 7 (2/2)

At day-break on the 10th, with a fine breeze at W.N.W., we weighed and stood out of the Sound; and, after getting round the Two Brothers, steered for Cape Campbell, which is at the S.W. entrance of the Strait, all sails set, with a fine breeze at north. At four in the afternoon, we pa.s.sed the Cape, at the distance of four or five leagues, and then steered S.S.E. 1/2 E. with the wind at N.W., a gentle gale, and cloudy weather.

Next morning the wind veered round by the west to south, and forced us more to the east than I intended. At seven o'clock in the evening, the snowy mountains bore W. by S., and Cape Palliser N. 1/2 W., distant sixteen or seventeen leagues; from which cape I, for the third time, took my departure. After a few hours calm, a breeze springing up at north, we steered S. by E. all sails set, with a view of getting into the lat.i.tude of 54 or 55; my intention being to cross this vast ocean nearly in these parallels, and so as to pa.s.s over those parts which were left unexplored the preceding summer.

In the morning of the 12th, the wind increased to a fine gale: At noon we observed in lat.i.tude 43 13' 30” S., longitude 176 41' E.; an extraordinary fish of the whale kind was seen, which some called a sea monster. I did not see it myself. In the afternoon, our old companions the pintado peterels began to appear.

On the 13th, in the morning, the wind veered to W.S.W. At seven, seeing the appearance of land to S.W., we hauled up towards it, and soon found it to be a fog-bank. Afterwards we steered S.E. by S., and soon after saw a seal.

At noon, lat.i.tude, by account, 44 25', longitude 177 31' E. Foggy weather, which continued all the afternoon. At six in the evening, the wind veered to N.E. by N., and increased to a fresh gale, attended with thick hazy weather; course steered S.E. 1/4 S.

On the 14th, a.m. saw another seal. At noon, lat.i.tude 45 54', longitude 179 29' E.

On the 15th, a.m. the wind veered to the westward; the fog cleared away, but the weather continued cloudy. At noon, lat.i.tude 47 30', longitude 178 19' W.; for, having pa.s.sed the meridian of 180 E., I now reckon my longitude west of the first meridian, viz. Greenwich. In the evening heard penguins, and the next morning saw some sea or rock weed. At noon a fresh gale from the west and fine weather. Lat.i.tude observed 49 33', longitude 175 31' W.

Next morning fresh gales and hazy weather; saw a seal and several pieces of weed. At noon, lat.i.tude 51 12', longitude 173 17' W. The wind veered to the N. and N.E. by N., blew a strong gale by squalls, which split an old topgallant sail, and obliged us to double-reef the top-sails; but in the evening the wind moderated, and veered to W.N.W., when we loosed a reef out of each top-sail; and found the variation of the compa.s.s to be 9 52' E., being then in the lat.i.tude 51 47', longitude 172 21' W., and the next morning, the 18th, in the lat.i.tude of 52 25', longitude 170 45' W., it was 10 26' E. Towards noon, had moderate but cloudy weather, and a great swell from the west: Some penguins and pieces of sea-weed seen.

On the 19th, steered E.S.E, with a very fresh gale at north, hazy dirty weather. At noon, lat.i.tude 53 43', longitude 166 15' W.

On the 20th, steered E. by S., with a moderate breeze at north, attended with thick hazy weather. At noon, lat.i.tude 54 8', longitude 162 18' W.

On the 21st, winds mostly from the N.E., a fresh gale attended with thick, hazy, dirty weather. Course S.E. by S.; lat.i.tude, at noon, 55 31', longitude 160 29'; abundance of blue peterels and some penguins seen.

Fresh gales at N.W. by N. and N. by W., and hazy till towards noon of the 22d, when the weather cleared up, and we observed in lat.i.tude 55 48' S., longitude 156 56' W. In the afternoon had a few hours calm; after that, the wind came at S.S.E. and S.E. by S. a light breeze, with which we steered east northerly. In the night the aurora australis was visible, but very faint, and no ways remarkable.

On the 23d, in the lat.i.tude of 55 46' S., longitude 156 13' W., the variation was 9 42' E. We had a calm from ten in the morning till six in the evening, when a breeze sprung up at west; at first it blew a gentle gale, but afterwards freshened. Our course was now E. 1/2 N.

On the 24th, a fresh breeze at N.W. by W. and N. by W. At noon, in lat.i.tude 55 38' S., longitude 153 37' W., foggy in the night, but next day had a fine gale at N.W., attended with clear pleasant weather; course steered E.

by N. In the evening, being in the lat.i.tude of 55 8' S., longitude 148 10' W., the variation, by the mean of two compa.s.ses, was 6 35' E.

Having a steady fresh gale at N.N.W. on the 26th and 27th, we steered east; and at noon on the latter were in lat.i.tude 55 6' S., longitude 138 56' W.

I now gave up all hopes of finding any more land in this ocean, and came to a resolution to steer directly for the west entrance of the Straits of Magalhaeus, with a view of coasting the out, or south side of Terra del Fuego round Cape Horn to the strait Le Maire. As the world has but a very imperfect knowledge of this sh.o.r.e, I thought the coasting of it would be of more advantage, both to navigation and to geography, than any thing I could expect to find in a higher lat.i.tude. In the afternoon of this day, the wind blew in squalls, and carried away the main top-gallant mast.

A very strong gale northerly, with hazy rainy weather, on the 28th, obliged us to double-reef the fore and main top-sail to hand the mizen top-sail, and get down the fore top-gallant yard. In the morning, the bolt rope of the main top-sail broke, and occasioned the sail to be split. I have observed that the ropes to all our sails, the square sails especially, are not of a size and strength sufficient to wear out the canva.s.s. At noon, lat.i.tude 55 20' S., longitude 134 16' W., a great swell from N.W.: Albatrosses and blue peterels seen.

Next day towards noon, the wind abating, we loosed all the reefs out of the top-sails, rigged another top-gallant mast, and got the yards across. P.M.

little wind, and hazy weather; at midnight calm, that continued till noon the next day, when a breeze sprung up at east, with which we stretched to the northward. At this time we were in the lat.i.tude 55 32' S., longitude 128 45' W.; some albatrosses and peterels seen. At eight, p.m., the wind veering to N.E., we tacked and stood to E.S.E.

1774 December

On the 1st of December, thick hazy weather, with drizzling rain, and a moderate breeze of wind, which, at three o'clock p.m. fell to a calm; at this time in lat.i.tude 55 41' S., longitude 127 5' W. After four hours calm, the fog cleared away, and we got a wind at S.E. with which we stood N.E.

Next day, a fresh breeze at S.E. and hazy foggy weather, except a few hours in the morning, when we found the variation to be 1 28' E. Lat.i.tude 55 17', longitude 125 41' W. The variation after this was supposed to increase; for on the 4th, in the morning, being in lat.i.tude 53 31', longitude 121 31' W., it was 3 16' E.; in the evening, in lat.i.tude 53 13', longitude 119 46' W., it was 3 28' E.; and on the 5th, at six o'clock in the evening, in lat.i.tude 53 8', longitude 115 58' W., it was 4 1' E.

For more than twenty-four hours, having had a fine gale at south, this enabled us to steer east, with very little deviation to the north; and the wind now altering to S.W. and blowing a steady fresh breeze, we continued to steer east, inclining a little to south.

On the 6th, had some snow-showers. In the evening, being in lat.i.tude 53 13', longitude 111 12', the variation was 4 58' E.; and the next morning, being in lat.i.tude 58 16', longitude 109 33', it was 5 1' E.

The wind was now at west, a fine pleasant gale, sometimes with showers of rain. Nothing remarkable happened, till the 9th, at noon, when being in the lat.i.tude of 53 37', longitude 103 44' W., the wind veered to N.E., and afterwards came insensibly round to the south, by the E. and S.E., attended with cloudy hazy weather, and some showers of rain.

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