t 775- exiftence of which was to be cleared up ; and, befides all this,
,__„—Lj we were not now in a condition to undertake great things ;
Monday 6. nor indeed was there time> had we been ever fo well provided.
Thefe reafons induced me to alter the courfe to Eaft, with
a very ftrong gale at North, attended with an exceedingly
heavy fall of fnow. The quantity which lodged in our fails
was fo great, that we were frequently obliged to throw the
Ihip up in the wind to fhake it out of them, otherwife neither
they nor the fhip could have fupported the weight. In
the evening it ceafed to fnow; the weather cleared up; the
wind backed to the weft; and we fpent the night in making
two fhort boards, under clofe reefed top-fails and forefail.
Tuefday 7. At day-break on the 7th, we refumed our courfe to the
Eaft, with a very frefh gale at S. W. byW. attended by a
high 'fea from the fame dire&ion. In the afternoon, being
in the latitude of 58° 24' S., longitude 160 19' Weft, the variation
was i° 52'' Eaft. Only three ice iflands feen this day.
At eight o’clock, Ihortened fail, and hauled the wind to the
S. E. for the night, in which we had feveral Ihowers o f fnow
and fleet.
Wcdnet 8. On the eighth at day-light, we refumed our Eaft courfe
with a gentle breeze and fair weather. After fun-rife, being
then in the latitude of 58° 30' S., longitude iy° 14' Weft;
the variation, by the mean refults of two compafles, was
20 43' Eaft. Thefe obfervations were more to be depended
on than thofe made the night before, there being much lefts
fea now than then. In the afternoon, we palled three ice
iflands. This night was fpent as the preceding.
At fix next morning, being in the latitude o f 58° 27' S., 1775-
longitude 130 4' W., the variation was 26' E.j and in the ■ ° tua,y’ ■
afternoon, being in the fame latitude, and about a quarter 9’
of a degree more to the Eaft, it was 2' Weft. Therefore this
laft fituation muft be in or near the line in which the com-
pafs has no variation. We had a calm the moft part of the
day. The weather fair and clear, excepting now and then
a fnow Ihower. The mercury in the thermometer at noon
rofe to 40 ; whereas, for feveral days before, it had been no
higher than 36 or 38. We had feveral ice-iflands in fight, but
no one thing that could induce us to think that any land
was in our neighbourhood. At eight in the evening a breeze
fprung up at S. E. with which we flood to N. E.
During the night, the wind frefhened and veered to South,
which enabled us to fleer Eaft. The wind was attended with
Ihowers of fleet and fnow till day-light, when the weather Friday mi
became fair, but piercing cold, fo that the water on deck
was frozen, and at noon the mercury in the thermometer
was no higher than 344. At fix o’clock in the morning, the
variation was 23' Weft, being then in the latitude of 58° 13'
S., longitude n ° 41' W.; and at fix in the evening, being in
the fame latitude, and in the longitude of 9° 24' W., it was
i° 51'W. In the evening the wind abated; and, touring the
night, it was variable between South and Weft. Ice-iflands
continually in fight.
On the nth , wind wefterly, light airs attended with heavy Sauiday , t.
Ihowers of fnow in the morning; bur, as.the day advanced,
the weather became fair, clear, and ferene. Still continuing
to fleer Eaft, at noon we obferved in latitude 58° 11', longitude
at the fame time 70 55' Weft. , Thermometer -344. In
the afternoon we had two hours calm, after which we had
faint breezes between the N. E. and S. E.
Von. II, II h At