We kept between the latitude of 52 and 53 South; had'
much wefterly wind, hard gales with fqualls, fnow and fleet,
with a long hollow fea from the S. W., fo that we judged
there is no land in that quarter. After we reached the longitude
of 950 Eaft, we found the variation decreafe very fall;
but, for a more perfect account, I refer you to the. table at
the end of this book.
Friday 26. On the 26th at night, we faw a meteor, of uncommon
brightnefs in the N. N. W. It diredted its courfe to the
S. W., with a very great light in the fouthern Iky, fuch as is
known to the northward by the name of Aurora Borealis,
or Northern Lights. We faw the light for feveral nights
running; and, what is remarkable, we faw but one ice
ifland after we parted company with the Refolution, till our
making land, though we were moll of the time two or
three degrees to the fouthward of the latitude we firft faw it
in. We were daily attended by great numbers of fea birds,
and frequently faw porpoifes curioufly fpotted white and
black.
March. On the firfl of March we were alarmed with the cry of
Monday 1. by tEe man at the mail head, on the larboard beam ;
which gave us great joy. We immediately hauled our
wind and flood for it, but to our mortification were dif.
appointed in a few hours; for what we took to be land,
proved no more than clouds, which difappeared as we
failed towards them. We then bore away and directed
our courfe toward the land laid down in the charts by
the name of Van Diemen’s Land, difcovered by Tafman
in 1642, and laid down in the latitude 440 South, and
longitude 140° Eaft, and fuppofed to join to New Holland.
On
On the 9th of March, having little wind and pleafant 1773.
weather, about nine, A. M. being then in the latitude 430 |_
37'South longitude, by lunar obfervation, 1450 36'Eaft, and Tuefdiy9-
by account 1430 10' Eaft, from Greenwich, we faw the land
bearing N, N. E. about eight or nine leagues diftance. It
appeared moderately high, and uneven near the fea; the
hills further back formed a double land and much higher.
There feemed to be feveral iflands, or broken land, to the
N. W. as the fhore trenched; but by reafon of clouds that
hung over them, we could not be certain whether they did
not join to the main. We hauled immediately up for it, and
by noon were within three or four leagues of it. A point,
much like the Ramhead, off Plymouth, which I take to be
the fame that Tafman calls South Cape, bore North four
leagues off us. The land from this Cape runs diredlly to
the eaftward; about four leagues along fliore are three
iflands about two miles long, and feveral rocks, refembli'ng
the Mewftone (particularly one which we fo named) about
four or five leagues E. S. E. 4 E. off the above Cape, which
Tafman has not mentioned, or laid down in his Draughts.
After you pafs thefe iflands the land lies E. by N. and W. by
S. by the compafs nearly. It is a bold fliore, and feems to
afford feveral bays or anchoring-places, but believe deep
water. From the S. W. cape, which is in the latitude of 430
39' South, and longitude 1450 50' Eaft, to the S. E. cape; in
the latitude 430 36', South, longitude 1470 Eaft; is nearly
fixteen leagues, and founding from forty-eight to feventy
fathoms, fane! and broken fliells, three or four leagues off
fliore. Here the country is hilly and full of trees, the fliore
rocky and difficult landing, occafioned by the wind blowing
here continually front the weftward, which occafions Rich
a furf