I-,iSl at S. E. by S. With this we fleered N. by E. till.eight o’clock January. j o
\— -----> the next morning, being the 37th, when I fpread the fhips
Wedncf. 27. ancj peerec] jvj n . E., all fails fet, having a frelh breeze at
S. by W. and clear weather.
At noon, we were, by obfervation, in the latitude of 56°
28'South; and, about three o’clock in the afternoon, the
fun and moon appearing at intervals, their diftances were
obferved by the following perfons ; and the longitudearefuk-
ing therefrom was
By Mr. Wales, (mean of two fets) - - jo° -59' Eaft.
Lieutenant Clerke *■ - — - y i n
Mr. Gilbert - - - — 50 14
Mr. Smith - - - - — 50 yo
Mr. Kendal’s watch - - - - y0 yo
At fix o’clock in the evening, being in latitude 56° 9' 8.’
I now made fignal to the Adventure to come under my ftern;
Tharfday 28. and> at eight o’clock the next morning, fent her to look
out on my flarboard beam, having at this time a firefli gale
at Weft, and pretty clear weather. But this was not of
long duration; for, at two in the afternoon, the Iky became
cloudy and hazy; the wind increafed to a frelh gale; blew
in fqualls attended with fnow, fleet, and drizzling rain. I now
made fignal to the Adventure to come under my ftern, and
took another reef in each top-fail. At eight o’clock I hauled
up the main-fail, and run all night under the fore-fail, and
two top-fails; our courfe being N. N. E. and N. E. by N. with
a ftrong gale at N. W.
Friday 29. The 29(^ at n00n, wc obferved in latitude 53° 29' South,
the weather being fair and tolerably clear. But in the
afternoon, it again became very thick and hazy with rain;
and
and the gale increafed in fuch a manner as to oblige us to- j ' 77^-
ftrike top-gallant yards, clofe reef and hand the top-fails.
We fpent part of the night, which was very dark and y
ftormy, in making a. tack to the S. W.; and; in the morning
of the 30th, flood again to the N. E., wind at N. W. and Satorday
North, a very frelh gale;- which fplit feveral of our final!
fails. This day no ice was feen; probably owing to the
thick hazy weather. At eight o’clock in the evening we
tacked and flood to the Weftward, under our courfes; bur
as the fea. run high we made our- courfe. no better than-
S. S. W.
At four o’clock the' next morning,, the gale had a little Smday3ri,
abated ; and the wind had backed to W. by S.- We again
flood to the Northward, under courfes and double-reefed;
top-fails,- having a very high fea from the N. N. W.; which -
gave us but little hopes of finding the land we were in-
fearchof. At noon, we were in the latitude of jo° 50' S.,
longitude 56° 48' Eaft - and prefently after we faw two
illands of ice. One thefe we paired very near; and found ;
that it was breaking, or falling to pieces, by the cracking
noife it made; which was equal to the report of a four-
pounder. There was a good deal of loofe ice about i t ; and!
had the weather been favourable, I lhould have brought to, .
and taken fome up. After palling this,- we faw* no more,
till we returned again to the South.
Hazy gloomy weather continued, and the wind remained
invariably fixed at N. W., fo that we could make our courfe
no better than N. E. by N.; and this courfe we held tilLfour FeJi .
o’clock in the afternoon of the lirft of February; Being then Monday i ...
in the latitude of 48° 30', and longitude 58° 7' Eaft, nearly-
in the meridian of., thedlland of Mauritius, and where we.
6 were.-