In the evening, being in the latitude of 64° 12ʹ south, longitude 40° 15ʹ east, a bird called by us, in my former voyage, Port Egmont hen, (on account of the great plenty of them at Port Egmont, in Falkland isles,) came hovering several times over the ship, and then left us in the direction of N. E. They are a short thick bird about the size of a large crow, of a dark brown or chocolate colour, with a whitish streak under each wing in the shape of a half-moon. I have been told that these birds are found in great plenty at the Fero isles, north of Scotland; and that they never go far from land. Certain it is, I never before saw them above forty leagues off; but I do not remember ever seeing fewer than two together, whereas, here was but one, which, with the islands of ice, may have come a good way from land.
At nine o’clock, the wind veering to E. N. E. we tacked and stood to the S. S. E., but at four in the morning of the 20th, it returned back to its old point, and we resumed our northerly course. One of the above birds was seen this morning; probably the same we saw the night before, as our situation was not much altered. As the day advanced, the gale increased, attended with thick hazy weather, sleet and snow, and at last obliged us to close-reef our top-sails, and strike top-gallant-yards. But in the evening, the wind abated so as to admit us to carry whole top-sails and top-gallant-yards aloft. Hazy weather, with snow and sleet continued.
In the afternoon of the 21st, being in the latitude of 62° 24ʹ south, longitude 42° 19ʹ east, we saw a white albatross with black-tipped wings, and a pintadoe bird. The wind was now at south and S. W. a fresh gale. With this we steered N. E. against a very high sea, which did not indicate the vicinity of land in that quarter; and yet it was there we were to expect it. The next day we had intervals of fair weather; the wind was moderate, and we carried our studding sails. In the morning of the 23rd, we were in latitude 60° 27ʹ south, longitude 45° 33ʹ east. Snow showers continued, and the weather was so cold, that the water in our water vessels on deck had been frozen for several preceding nights.
Having clear weather at intervals, I spread the ships a-breast four miles from each other, in order the better to discover any thing that might lie in our way. We continued to sail in this manner till six o’clock in the evening, when hazy weather, and snow showers, made it necessary for us to join.
We kept our course to the N. E. till eight o’clock in the morning of the 25th, when the wind having veered round to N. E. by E. by the west and north, we tacked, and stood to N. W. The wind was fresh, and yet we made but little way against a high northerly sea. We now began to see some of that sort of peterels so well known to sailors by the name of sheerwaters, latitude 58° 10ʹ, longitude 50° 54ʹ east. In the afternoon the wind veered to the southward of east, and at eight o’clock in the evening, it increased to a storm, attended with thick hazy weather, sleet and snow.
During night we went under our fore-sail and main-top-sail close-reefed; at day light the next morning, added to them the fore and mizzen top-sails. At four o’clock it fell calm; but a prodigious high sea from the N. E. and a complication of the worst of weather, viz. snow, sleet, and rain, continued, together with the calm, till nine o’clock in the evening. Then the weather cleared up, and we got a breeze at S. E. by S. With this we steered N. by E. till eight o’clock the next morning, being the 27th, when I spread the ships and steered N. N. E. all sails set, having a fresh breeze at S. by W. and clear weather.
At noon we were, by observation, in the latitude of 56° 28ʹ south, and about three o’clock in the afternoon, the sun and moon appearing at intervals, their distances were observed by the following persons, and the longitude resulting therefrom was—
| By Mr. Wales, (mean of two sets) | 50° | 59ʹ east |
| Lieutenant Clerke | 51 | 11 |
| Mr. Gilbert | 50 | 14 |
| Mr. Smith | 50 | 50 |
| Mr. Kendall’s watch | 50 | 50 |
At six o’clock in the evening, being in latitude 56° 9ʹ S., I now made signal to the Adventure to come under my stern; and at eight o’clock the next morning, sent her to look out on my starboard beam, having at this time a fresh gale at west, and pretty clear weather. But this was not of long duration, for at two in the afternoon, the sky became cloudy and hazy; the wind increased to a fresh gale; blew in squalls attended with snow, sleet, and drizzling rain. I now made signal to the Adventure to come under my stern, and took another reef in each top-sail. At eight o’clock I hauled up the main-sail, and run all night under the fore-sail, and two top-sails; our course being N. N. E. and N. E. by N. with a strong gale at N. W.
The 29th, at noon, we observed in latitude 52° 29ʹ south, the weather being fair and tolerably clear. But in the afternoon, it again became very thick and hazy, with rain; and the gale increased in such a manner as to oblige us to strike top-gallant yards, close reef and hand the top-sails. We spent part of the night, which was very dark and stormy, in making a tack to the S. W., and in the morning of the 30th, stood again to the N. E., wind at N. W. and north, a very fresh gale; which split several of our small sails. This day no ice was seen; probably owing to the thick hazy weather. At eight o’clock in the evening we tacked and stood to the westward, under our courses; but as the sea ran high we made our course no better than S. S. W.