In the morning of the 27th, we saw more loose ice, but not many islands; and those we did see were but small. The day being calm and pleasant, and the sea smooth, we hoisted out a boat; from which Mr. Forster shot a penguin and some peterels. These penguins differ not from those seen in other parts of the world, except in some minute particulars distinguishable only by naturalists. Some of the peterels were of the blue sort; but differed from those before mentioned, in not having a broad bill; and the ends of their tail feathers were tipped with white instead of dark blue. But whether these were only the distinctions between the male and female, was a matter disputed by our naturalists. We were now in the latitude of 58° 19ʹ south, longitude 24° 39ʹ east, and took the opportunity of the calm to sound; but found no ground with a line of 220 fathoms. The calm continued till six in the evening, when it was succeeded by a light breeze from the east, which afterwards increased to a fresh gale.
In the morning of the 28th, I made the signal to the Adventure to spread four miles on my starboard beam; and in this position we continued sailing W. S. W. until four o’clock in the afternoon, when the hazy weather, attended with snow showers, made it necessary for us to join. Soon after we reefed our top-sails, being surrounded on all sides with islands of ice. In the morning of the 29th, we let them out again, and set top-gallant sails, still continuing our course to the westward, and meeting with several penguins. At noon we were, by observation, in the latitude of 59° 12ʹ, longitude 19° 1ʹ east; which is 3° more to the west than we were when we first fell in with the field ice; so that it is pretty clear that it joined to no land, as was conjectured.
Having come to a resolution to run as far west as the meridian of Cape Circumcision, provided we met with no impediment, as the distance was not more than 80 leagues, the wind favourable, and the sea seemed to be pretty clear of ice, I sent on board for Captain Furneaux, to make him acquainted therewith; and after dinner he returned to his ship. At one o’clock we steered for an island of ice, thinking, if there were any loose ice round it, to take some on board, and convert it into fresh water. At four we brought to, close under the lee of the island; where we did not find what we wanted, but saw upon it eighty-six penguins. This piece of ice was about half a mile in circuit, and one hundred feet high and upwards; for we lay for some minutes with every sail becalmed under it. The side on which the penguins were, rose sloping from the sea, so as to admit them to creep up it.
It is a received opinion, that penguins never go far from land, and that the sight of them is a sure indication of its vicinity. This opinion may hold good where there are no ice islands; but where such are, these birds, as well as many others which usually keep near the shores, finding a roosting-place upon these islands, may be brought by them a great distance from any land. It will however be said, that they must go on shore to breed; that probably the females were there, and that these were only the males which we saw. Be this as it may, I shall continue to take notice of these birds whenever we see them, and leave every one to judge for himself.
We continued our course to the westward, with a gentle gale at E. N. E. the weather being sometimes tolerably clear, and at other times thick and hazy, with snow. The thermometer for a few days past was from 31 to 36. At nine o’clock the next morning, being the 30th, we shot one of the white birds; upon which we lowered a boat into the water to take it up, and by that means killed a penguin which weighed 111⁄2 pounds. The white bird was of the peterel tribe; the bill, which is rather short, is of a colour between black and dark blue, and their legs and feet are blue. I believe them to be the same sort of birds that Bouvet mentions to have seen, when he was off Cape Circumcision.
We continued our westerly course till eight o’clock in the evening, when we steered N. W., the point on which I reckoned the above mentioned Cape to bear.
At mid-night we fell in with loose ice, which soon after obliged us to tack, and stretch to the southward. At half an hour past two o’clock in the morning of the 31st, we stood for it again, thinking to take some on board; but this was found impracticable. For the wind, which had been at N. E., now veered to S. E., and increasing to a fresh gale, brought with it such a sea as made it very dangerous for the ships to remain among the ice. The danger was yet farther increased, by discovering an immense field to the north, extending from N. E. by E. to S. W. by W. farther than the eye could reach. As we were not above two or three miles from this, and surrounded by loose ice, there was no time to deliberate. We presently wore, got our tacks on board, hauled to the south, and soon got clear, but not before we had received several hard knocks from the loose pieces, which were of the largest sort, and among which we saw a seal. In the afternoon, the wind increased in such a manner, as to oblige us to hand the top-sails, and strike top-gallant-yards. At eight o’clock we tacked, and stood to the east till mid-night, when, being in the latitude of 60° 21ʹ south, longitude 13° 32ʹ east, we stood again to the west.
Next day towards noon, the gale abated; so that we could carry close-reefed top-sails. But the weather continued thick and hazy, with sleet and snow, which froze on the rigging as it fell, and ornamented the whole with icicles; the mercury in the thermometer being generally below the freezing point. This weather continued till near noon the next day; at which time we were in the latitude of 59° 12ʹ south, longitude 9° 45ʹ east, and here we saw some penguins.
The wind had now veered to the west, and was so moderate, that we could bear two reefs out of the top-sails. In the afternoon, we were favoured with a sight of the moon, whose face we had seen but once since we left the Cape of Good Hope. By this a judgment may be formed of the sort of weather we had had since we left that place. We did not fail to seize the opportunity to make several observations of the sun and moon. The longitude deduced from them was 9° 34ʹ 30ʺ east. Mr. Kendal’s watch, at the same time, giving 10° 6ʹ east, and the latitude was 58° 53ʹ 30ʺ south.
This longitude is nearly the same that is assigned to Cape Circumcision, and at the going down of the sun, we were about ninety-five leagues to the south of the latitude it is said to lie in. At this time the weather was so clear, that we might have seen land at fourteen or fifteen leagues distance. It is therefore very probable, that what Bouvet took for land, was nothing but mountains of ice, surrounded by loose or field ice. We ourselves were undoubtedly deceived by the ice hills, the day we first fell in with the field ice. Nor was it an improbable conjecture, that that ice joined to land. The probability was however now greatly lessened, if not entirely set aside. For the space between the northern edge of the ice, along which we sailed, and our route to the west, when south of it, nowhere exceeded 100 leagues; and in some places not 60. But a view of the chart will best explain this. The clear weather continued no longer than three o’clock the next morning, when it was succeeded by a thick fog, sleet, and snow. The wind also veered to N. E. and blew a fresh gale, with which we stood to S. E. It increased in such a manner, that before noon we were brought under close-reefed top-sails. The wind continued to veer to the north, at last fixed at N. W. and was attended with intervals of clear weather.