1777.
January.
Thurfday 2.
Friday 3^
Tuefday 7.
Sunday 12«
Sunday 19.
Weft; and the next day, in the latitude of 48° 22' South»,
longitude 80” 22' Baft, it was 30° 47' 18" Weft. This was the:
greateft variation we found in this pafiage; for afterward
it began to decreafe, but fo flowly, that on the 3d, in the:
evening, being then in the latitude of 48 18 South, longitude
85°Baft, it was 290 38' Weft.
Thus far we had freih gales from the Weft and South Weft,
and tolerably clear weather. But now the wind veered to
the North, where it continued eight days, and was attended,
with a thick fog. During this time, we ran above three
hundred leagues in the dark. Now and then the weather
would clear up, and give us a fight of the fun ; but this
happened very feldom, and was always of ihort continuance.
On the 7th, I hoifted out a boat, and.fent an order to
Captain Clerke, appointing Adventure Bay, in Van Diemen S'
Land, as our place of rendezvous, in cafe of feparation before
we arrived in the meridian of that land. But we were
fortunate enough, amidft all this foggy weathei, by frequently
firing guns as fignals, though we feldom faw each-
other, not to lofe company.
On the 12th, being in the latitude of 48-^ 40' South, longitude
n o ” 26' Eaft, the Northerly winds ended in a calm ;
which, after a few hours, was fucceeded by a wind from
the Southward. This, with rain, continued for twenty-four
hours ; when it frefhened, and veered to the Weft and North
Weft, and brought on fair and clear weather.
We continued our courfe to the Eaftward, without meeting
with any thing worthy of notice, till four o clock in the
morning of the 19th; when, in a fudden fquall of wind,
though the Difcovery received no damage, our fore-tep-maft
went by the board, and carried the main-top-gallant-maft
with
with it. This oceafioned fome delay, as it took us up the
whole day to clear the wreck, and to fit another top-maft.
The former was accompliihed without lofing any part of it,
except a few fathoms of fmall rope. Not having a fpare
main-top-gallant-maft on board, the fore-top-gallant-maft
was converted into one for our immediate ufe.
The wind continued Wefterly, blew a freih gale, and was
attended with clear weather; fo that fcarcely a day paffed
without being able to get obfervations for fixing the longitude,
and the variation of the compafs. The latter de-
creafed in fuch a manner, that in the latitude of 44° 181
South, longitude 1320 2' Eaft, it was no more than y° 34' 18"
Weft; and on the 22d, being then in the latitude of 43° 27' w « K 22*.
South, longitude 141° 50' Eaft, it was" r°' 24' 15" Eaft. So
that we had croifed the line where the compafs has no variation..
On the 24th, at three o’clock in the morning, we difco- Friday 24,-
vered the coaft of Van Diemen’s Land, bearing North 4
Weft. At four o’clock, the South Weft Cape bore North
North Weft 4 Weft; and the Mewftone, North Eaft by Eaft,
three leagues diftant. There are feveral iflands and high
rocks lying fcattered along, this part of the coaft, the South-
ernmoft of which is the Mewftone. It is a round elevated
rock, five or fix leagues diftant from the South Weft Cape,,
in the direction of South 55° Eaft.
At noon, our latitude was 43° 47' South, longitude 147*
Eaft; and the fituation of the lands round us as followsn
An elevated round-topped hill bore North 17° Weft; the South;
Weft Cape North 74° Weft; the Mewftone Weft 4 North;.
Swilly Ifle or Rock South 49° Eaft ; and the South Eaft or
South Cape North 40° Eaft, diftant near three leagues. The
land