Mareii. At f^ 3 time, the wind abated and fhifted to S. E.;
h—r--- ' l^le iky cleared u p; and the evening; was fo ferene and Monday- 15« •* 0
'* clear, that we could fee many leagues round usj the hori-
zon being the only boundary,to our fight.
We were now in the latitude of 590 17' South, longitude
140° 12' Eaft, and had fuch a large hollow fwell from W. S.
W., as affined us that we had left no land behind us in that
direction. I was alfo well allured that no land lay to the
South on this fide 6o° of latitude. We had a fmart froft
during the night, which was curioufly illuminated with the
fouthern lights.
Tuefday 16. At ten o’ clock in the morning of the 16th (which was as
Toon as the fun appeared), in the latitude of 58° 51' South,
our longitude was 1430 10' Eaft. This good weather was, as
ufual, of Ihort duration. In the afternoon'of this day, we
had again thick fnow fhowers ; but, at intervals, it was tolerably
clear; and in the evening, being in the latitude of
58° 58' South, longitude 1440 37' Eaft, I found the variation,
by feveral azimuths, to be 31' Eaft.
I was not a little pleafed with being able to determine, with
fo much precifion, this point of the line, in which the com-
pafs has no variation. For I look upon half a degree as
next to nothing; fo that the interfedtion of the latitude and
longitude juft mentioned, may be reckoned the point, without
any fenfible error. At any rate, the line can only pafs a
very fmall matter Weft of it.
I continued to fleer to the Eaft, inclining to the South,
Wednef. 17. with a frefh gale at S. W., till five o’clock the next morning,
when, being in the latitude of 590 7' S., longitude 146° 53'
Eaft, I bore away N. E., and, at noon, North, having .come
to a refolution to quit the high fouthern latitudes, and to
proceed
proceed to New Zealand, to look for the Adventure, and to >773-.
refrefh my people. I had alfo fome thoughts; and even a •— 1_<
defirc, to vifit the Eaft coaft of Van Diemen’s Land, in order 1 >7'
to fatisfy myfelf if it joined the coaft of New South Wales.
In the night of the 17th, the wind fhifted to N. W., and blew
in fqualls, attehded with thick hazy weather and rain. This.
continued all the 18th, in the evening of which day, being Thurf. is,
in the latitude of 56° 15' South, longitude iyo ° , the fky
cleared up, and we found the variation by feveral azimuths
to be 130 30' Eaft. Soon after, we hauled up, with the log«
a piece of rock weed, which was in a ftate of decay, and covered
with barnacles. In the night the fouthern lights
were very bright.
The next morning, we faw a feal; and towards noon, Friday 19.
fome penguins, and more rock weed, being at this time in
the latitude of 55^'V, longitude 152° 1' Eaft. In the latitude
of 54° 4', we alfo faw a Port Egmont hen, and fome
weed. Navigators have generally looked upon all thefe to
be certain figns of the vicinity of land; I cannot, however,
fupport this opinion. At this time we knew of no land, nor
4s it even probable that there is any, nearer than New Holland
or Van Diemen’s Land, from which we were diftant
s6o leagues. We had, at the fame time, feveral porpufes
playing about us; into one of which Mr. Cooper ftruck a
harpoon; but, as the Ihip was running feven knots, it broke
its hold, after towing it fome minutes, and before we could
deaden the fhip’s way.
As the wind, which continued between the North and the
Weft, would not permit me to touch at Van Diemen’s Land,
I fhaped my courfe to New Zealand; and, being under no
apprehenfions of meeting with any danger, I was not back-
Vol. I. K ward