ï '77\- under forefail and mizzen, thermometer at v6°. The December. ■ u
— I wind, flill at N. W. blew a frefh gale, accompanied with a
' s' very high fea., In the night had a pretty fmart froft with
fnow.
Thurfday io. In the morning of the toth we made fail under courfes
and topfails clofe-reefed; and made the fignal for the Adventure
to make fail and lead. At eight o’clock faw an ifland
of ice to the weftward of us, being then in the latitude of
50° 40' South, and longitude s° 0' Eaft of the Cape of Good
Hope. Soon after, the wind moderated, and we let all the
reefs out of the topfails, got the fpritfail-yard out, and top-
gallant-maft up. The weather coming hazy, I called the
Adventure by fignal under my ftern; which was no fooner
done, than the haze increafed fo much, with fnow and fleet,
that we did not fee. an ifland of ice, which we were fleering; directly
for, till we were lefs than a mile from it. I judged it to
be about 50 feet high, and half a mile in circuit. It was flat
at top, and its fides rofe in a perpendicular direction, againft'
which the fea broke exceedingly high. Captain Furneaux at
firft took this ice for land, and hauled oif from it, until called
back by fignal. As the weather was foggy, it was neeeflary
to proceed with caution. We therefore reefed our topfails,
and at the fame time founded, but found no ground with
150 fathoms. We kept on to the Southward With the wind
at North, till night, which we fpent in making fhort trips,
firft one way and then another, under an ,eafy fail; thermometer
thefe 24 hours from 364 to 31.
Friday 11. At day-light in the morning of the nth, we made fail to the
Southward with the wind at Weft, having a frefh gale attended
with fleet and fnow. At noon we were in the latitude of 51°
50' South, and longitude 21° 3' E., where we faw fome white
birds
birds about the fize of pigeons, with blackifh bills and feet. '772* _ December.
I never faw any fuch before; and Mr. Forfter had no know- ^—*—-/
ledge of them. I believe them to be of the peterel tribe, F"day
and' natives of thefe icy feas. At this time we palled between
two ice Wands, which lay at a little diftance from
each other.
In the night the wind veered to N. W., which enabled us Saturday 12.
to fleer S. W. On the 12th, we had ftill thick hazy weather,
with fleet and fnow ; fo that we were obliged to proceed
with great caution on account of the ice iflands. Six of
thefe we pafled this day ; fome of them near two miles in
circuit, and 60 feet high. And yet, fuch was the force and
height of the waves, that the fea broke quite over them.
This exhibited a view which for a few moments was pleating
to the eye j but when we reflected on the danger, the
mind was filled with horror. For were a fhip to get againft
the weather fide of one of thefe iflands when the fea runs
high, Ihe would be dallied to pieces in a moment. Upon
our getting among the ice iflands, the albatrofles left us;
that is, we faw but one now and then. Nor did our other
companions the pintadoes, fheerwaters, fmall grey birds,
fulmars, &c, appear in fuch numbers ; on the other hand,
penguins began to make their appearance. Two of thefe
birds were feen to-day.
The wind in the night veered to Weft, and at laft fixed at Santjay ,3.
S. W. a frefh gale, with fleet and fnow, which froze on our
fails and rigging as it fell, fo that they were all hung with
icicles. We kept on to the Southward, palled no lefs than
eighteen ice iflands, and faw more penguins. At noon on
the 13th, we were in the latitude of 540 South, which is the
latitude of Cape Circumcifion, difcovered by M. Bouvet in
1739;