fame time, we got another new peterel, fmaller than the former,
and all of a dark grey plumage. We remarked that thefe
birds were fuller of feathers than any we had hitherto feen ;
fuch care has nature taken to clpath them fuitably to the
climate in which they live. At the fame time we faw a few
chocolate-coloured albatrofies ; thefe, as well as the peterels
above-mentioned, we no where faw but among the ice;
hence one may, with reafon, conjecture that there is land to
the South. If not, I muft afk where thefe birds breed ? A
queftion which perhaps will never be determined ; for hitherto
we have found thefe lands, if any, quite inacceflible.
Befides thefe birds, we faw a very large feal, which kept playing
about us fome time. One of our people who had been
at Greenland, called it a fea-horfe; but every one elfe who
faw it, took it for what I have faid./(jSince our firft falling in
with the ice, the mercury in the thermometer had been from
33 to 31 at noon-day.
On the 34th, the wind abated, veering to the N. W , and
the fky cleared up, in the latitude of 67° o', longitude
138° 15'. As we advanced to the N. E. with a gentle gale at-
N. W., the ice iflands increafed fo fall upon us, that this day,
at noon, we could fee near icq round us, befides an immenfe '1
number of fmall pieces. Perceiving that it was likely to be
calm, 1 got the fhip into as clear a birth as I could ; where
fhe drifted along with the ice, and by taking the advantage
of every light air of wind, was kept from falling aboard any
of thefe floating ifles. Here it was we fpent Chriftmas day,
much in the fame manner as we did the preceding one. We
were fortunate' in having continual day-light, and clear
weather; for had it been as foggy as on fome of the preceding
days, nothing lefs than a miracle could have faved
us from being dafhed to pieces.,
In
In the morning of the 26th, the whole fea was in a manner k '773- 0 December.
covered with ice, 200 large illands, and upwards, being feen 1— —» 0 Sunday zo.
within the compafs of four or five miles, which was the limits
of our horizon; befides fmaller pieces innumerable.
Our latitude at noon was 66° 15'; longitude 134° 22'. By
obfervation we found that the fhip had drifted, or gone
about 20 miles to the N. E. or E. N. E,; whereas, by the
ice iflands, it appeared that fhe had gone little or nothing;
from which we concluded that the ice drifted nearly in the
fame direction, and at the fame rate. At four o’clock a breeze
fprung up at W. S. W., and enabled us to fleer North, the molt
probable courfe to extricate ourfelves from thefe dangers.
We continued our courfe to the North with a gentle breeze
at Weft, attended with clear weather, till four o’clock the next Monday 27;
morning, when meeting with a quantity of loofe ice, we
brought to, and took on board as much as filled all our empty
cafks, and for feveral days prefent expenc.e. This done,
we made fail, and fleered N. W. with a gentle breeze at
N. E. clear frofty weather. Our latitude, at this time was
65° 53' S., longitude 1330 42' Weft; iflands of ice not half fo
numerous as before.
At four in the morning of the 28th, the wind having veered Tmfday 28.
more to the Eaft and S. E., increafed to a frefh gale, and was
attended with fnow fhowers. Our courfe was North till
noon the next day. Being then in the latitude of 62° 24', wdnef. 29.
longitude 1340 37', we fleered N. W. by N. Some hours after,
the fky cleared up, and the wind abating, veered more
to the South.
On the 30th, had little wind Wefterly; dark gloomy wea- Thurfday 30
ther, with fnow and fleet at times; feveral whales feen play-
L 1 2 ing