244
lately neceffary. Their behaviour, throughout the whole
voyage, merited every indulgence which it was in my power
to give them. Animated by the conduct of the officers,
they fhewed themfelves capable of furmounting every difficulty
and danger which came in their way, and never once
looked either upon the one or the'other, as being at all
heightened, by our reparation from our confort the Adventure.
All thefe confiderations induced me to lay afide looking
for the French difcoveries, and to fleer for the Cape of Good
Hope; with a refolution, however, of looking for the Hies
of Denia and Marfeveen, which are laid down in Dr. Halley’s
variation chart in the latitude of 41 f° S., and about
40 of longitude to the Eaft of the meridian of the Cape of
Good Hope. With this view I fleered N. E., with a hard
Friday 25. gale at N. W. and thick weather; and on the 25th, at noon,
we faw the laft ice-iiland, being at this time in the latitude
of 52° 53' S., longitude 26? 31' E.
March The wind abating and veering to the South, on the firft of
Wedaef. r. March, we fleered Weft, in order to get farther from Mr.
Bouvet’s track, which was but a few degrees to the Eaft of
us ; being at this time in the latitude of 46° 44' S., longitude
33° so' E., in which lituation we found the variation to be
2,3° 36' W. It is fomewhat remarkable, that all the time we
had northerly winds, which were regular, and conftant for
feveral days, the weather was always thick and cloudy;
but, as foon as they came South of Weft, it cleared up, and
was fine and pleafant. The barometer began to rife feveral
days before this change happened ; but whether on account
of it, or our coming northward, cannot be determined.
The
The wind remained not long at South before it veered March.
round, by the N. E. to N. W., blowing freffi and by fqualls, v-----— >
attended, as be fore j with rain and thick mifty weather.
We had fome intervals of clear weather on the afternoon Friday 3.
of the 3d, when we found the variation to be 2 3 0 26' W.;
latitude at this time 450 8' S. longitude 30° 50' E. The following
night was very ftormy ; the wind blew from S. W.
and in exceffively heavy fqualls. At ffiort intervals between
the fqualls the wind would fall almoft to a calm, and then
come on again with fuch fury, that neither our fails nor
rigging could withftand it, feveral of the fails being fplit,
and a middle flay-fail being wholly loft. The next morning Saturday 4.
the gale abated, and we repaired the damage we. had fuf-
tained in the beft manner we could.
On the 8th, being in the latitude of 4-1° 30' S„ longitude Weduef. 8.
2&°§4i ' E., the mercury in the thermometer rofe to 61, and
we found it neceffary to put on lighter clothes. As the
wind - continued invariably fixed between N. W. and Weft,
we took every advantage to get to the Weft, by tacking
whenever it fhifted any thing in our favour 3 but as we had
a great fwell againft us, our tacks were rather difadvantage-
ous. We daily faw albatrofles, peterels, and other oceanic
birds ; but not the leaft fign of land.
On the t ith, in the latitude of 40° 40'. S; longitude 230 Saturday n.
47' E., the variation was 2©0 48' W. About noon the fame
day the wind fluffing fuddenly from N. W. toS. W., caufed
the mercury in the thermometer to fall as fuddenly from
62° to s 20 ; fuch was the different ftate of the air, between a
northerly and foutherly wind. The next day, having feve- Sunday 12.
ral hours calm, we put a boat in the water, and fhot fome
albatrofles and peterels, which, at this time, were highly
acceptable.