of 35° 25' South, and 29' Weft of the Cape; and had abundance
of albatrofles about us, feveral of which were caught
with hook and line ; and were very well relifhed by many
of the people, notwithftanding they were at this time ferved
with frelh mutton. Judging that we fhould foon come into
cold weather, I ordered flops to be ferved to fuch as were in
want; and gave to each man the fearnought jacket and
trowfers allowed them by the Admiralty..
The wind continued eafterly for two days, and blew a
moderate gale, which brought us into the latitude of 390 4',
and 20 of longitude Weft of the Cape, thermometer 52J.
Sunday-29. The wind now came to W. and S. W.; and on the 29th fixed
at W. N. W. and increafed to a ftorm, which continued, with
December, fome few intervals of moderate weather, till the 6th of De-
Sunday 6. cember ; when we were in the latitude of 48° 41' South, and
longitude 180 24' Eaft. This gale, which was attended with
rain aiid hail, blew at times with fuch violence that we
could carry no fails; by which means we were driven far to
the eaftward of our intended courfe, and no hopes were left
me of-reaching Cape Circumcilion. But the greateft misfortune
that attended us, was the lofs of great part of our live-
ftock; which we had brought from the Cape, and which
confifted of flieep, hogs, and geefe. Indeed this fudden
tranfition from warm mild weather, to extreme cold and
wet, made every man in the fhip feel its effects. For by
this time the mercury in the thermometer had fallen to 38;
whereas at the Cape it was generally at 67 and upwards.
I now made fome addition to the people’s allowance of fpirit,
by giving them a dram whenever I thought it neceflary, and
ordered Captain Furneaux to do the fame. The night proved
clear and ferene, and the only one that was fo fince wefleft
5 the
Tuefday 24.
the Cape; and the next morning the rifing fun gave us fuch >772-
flattering hopes of a fine day, that we were induced to let all <-----—
the reefs out of the top-fails, and to get top-gallant yards M°" 7 7
acrofs, in order to make the moft of a frelh gale at North.
Our hopes, however, foon vanifhed; for before eight o’clock,
the ferenity of the Iky was changed into a thick haze, accompanied
with rain. The gale increafing obliged us to
hand the main-fail, clofe-reef our top-fails, and to ftrike
top-gallant-yards. The barometer at this time was unufu-
ally low, which foreboded an approaching ftorm ; and this
happened accordingly. For, by one o’clock P. M. the
wind, which was at N. W., blew with fuch ftrength as
obliged us to take in all our fails, to ftrike top-gallant-mafts,
and to get the fpritfail-yard in. And I thought proper to
wear, and lie to, under a mizzen-ftay-fail, with the fhips
heads to the N. E., as they would bow the fea, which ran
prodigioufly high, better on this tack.
At eight o’clock next morning, being the 8th, we wore,. Tuefday s,.
and lay on the other tack; the gale was a little abated, but the
fea ran too high to make fail, any more than the fore-top-
maft ftay-fail. In the evening, being in the latitude of 49°
40' South, and i° i Eaft of the Cape, we faw two penguins
and fome fea or rock weed, which occaftoned us to found,
without finding ground at 100 fathoms. At eight P. M. we'
wore, and lay with our heads' to the N. E. till three o’clock in
the morning of the 9th, then wore again to the Southward, Wednef. 9.
the wind blowing in fqualls attended with fhowers of fnow.
At eight, being fomething more moderate, I made the Adventure
fignal to make fail, and foon after made fail ourfelves
under the courfes, and clofe-reefed top-fails. In the evening,
took in the top-fails and main-fail, and brought to,
under