While we were beating about here, we frequently saw penguins and divers, which made us conjecture that land was not far off; but in what direction, it was not possible for us to tell. As we advanced to the south, we lost the penguins, and most of the divers, and as usual, met with abundance of albatrosses, blue peterels, sheer-waters, &c.
The 11th at noon, and in the latitude of 51° 15ʹ south, longitude 67° 20ʹ east, we again met with penguins; and saw an egg-bird, which we also look upon to be a sign of the vicinity of land. I continued to steer to the S. E., with a fresh gale in the N. W. quarter, attended with a long hollow swell, and frequent showers of rain, hail, and snow. The 12th, in the morning, being in the latitude of 52° 32ʹ south, longitude 69° 47ʹ east, the variation was 31° 38ʹ West. In the evening, in the latitude of 53° 7ʹ south, longitude 70° 50ʹ east, it was 32° 33ʹ: and the next morning, in the latitude of 53° 37ʹ south, longitude 72° 10ʹ, it was 33° 8ʹ west. Thus far we had continually a great number of penguins about the ship, which seemed to be different from those we had seen near the ice; being smaller, with reddish bills and brownish heads. The meeting with so many of these birds, gave us some hopes of finding land, and occasioned various conjectures about its situation. The great westerly swell, which still continued, made it improbable that land of any considerable extent lay to the west. Nor was it very probable that any lay to the north; as we were only about 160 leagues to the south of Tasman’s Track in 1642; and I conjectured that Captain Furneaux would explore this place; which accordingly happened. In the evening we saw a Port Egmont hen, which flew away in the direction of N. E. by E., and the next morning, a seal was seen; but no penguins. In the evening, being in the latitude of 55° 49ʹ south, longitude 75° 52ʹ east, the variation was 34° 48ʹ west; and in the evening of the 15th, in latitude 57° 2ʹ south, longitude 79° 56ʹ east, it was 38° west. Five seals were seen this day, and a few penguins; which occasioned us to sound, without finding any bottom, with a line of 150 fathoms.
At day-light in the morning of the 16th, we saw an island of ice to the northward; for which we steered, in order to take some on board; but the wind shifting to that direction, hindered us from putting this in execution. At this time we were in the latitude of 57° 8ʹ south, longitude 80° 59ʹ east, and had two islands of ice in sight. This morning we saw one penguin, which appeared to be of the same sort which we had formerly seen near the ice. But we had now been so often deceived by these birds, that we could no longer look upon them, nor indeed upon any other oceanic birds, which frequent high latitudes, as sure signs of the vicinity of land.
The wind continued not long at north, but veered to E. by N. E., and blew a gentle gale, with which we stood to the southward; having frequent showers of sleet and snow. But in the night we had fair weather, and a clear serene sky; and between midnight and three o’clock in the morning, lights were seen in the heavens, similar to those in the northern hemisphere, known by the name of Aurora Borealis, or northern lights; but I never heard of the Aurora Australis being seen before. The officer of the watch observed, that it sometimes broke out in spiral rays, and in a circular form; then its light was very strong, and its appearance beautiful. He could not perceive it had any particular direction; for it appeared, at various times, in different parts of the heavens, and diffused its light throughout the whole atmosphere.
At nine in the morning, we bore down to an island of ice, which we reached by noon. It was full half a mile in circuit, and two hundred feet high at least; though very little loose ice about it. But while we were considering whether or no we should hoist out our boats to take some up, a great quantity broke from the island. Upon this we hoisted out our boats, and went to work to get some on board. The pieces of ice, both great and small, which broke from the island, I observed, drifted fast to the westward; that is, they left the island in that direction, and were, in a few hours, spread over a large space of sea. This, I have no doubt, was caused by a current setting in that direction; for the wind could have but little effect upon the ice; especially as there was a large hollow swell from the west. This circumstance greatly retarded our taking up ice. We, however, made a shift to get on board about nine or ten tons before eight o’clock, when we hoisted in the boats, and made sail to east, inclining to the south, with a fresh gale at south; which soon after veered to S. S. W. and S. W., with fair but cloudy weather. This course brought us among many ice isles; so that it was necessary to proceed with great caution. In the night the mercury in the thermometer fell two degrees below the freezing point; and the water in the scuttle casks on deck was frozen. As I have not taken notice of the thermometer of late, I shall now observe that, as we advanced to the north, the mercury gradually rose to 45, and fell again, as we advanced to the south, to what is above mentioned; nor did it rise, in the middle of the day, to above 34 or 35.
In the morning of the 18th, being in the latitude of 57° 54ʹ south, longitude 83° 14ʹ east, the variation was 39° 33ʹ west. In the evening, in latitude 58° 2ʹ south, longitude 84° 35ʹ east, it was only 37° 8ʹ west; which induced me to believe it was decreasing. But in the evening of the 20th, in the latitude of 58° 47ʹ south, longitude 90° 56ʹ east, I took nine azimuths, with Dr. Knight’s compass, which gave the variation 40° 7ʹ; and nine others, with Gregory’s, which gave 40° 15ʹ west.
This day, at noon, being nearly in the latitude and longitude just mentioned, we thought we saw land to the S. W. The appearance was so strong, that we doubted not it was there in reality, and tacked to work up to it accordingly; having a light breeze at south, and clear weather. We were, however, soon undeceived, by finding that it was only clouds; which, in the evening, entirely disappeared, and left us a clear horizon, so that we could see a considerable way round us; in which space nothing was to be seen but ice islands.
In the night, the Aurora Australis made a very brilliant and luminous appearance. It was seen first in the east, a little above the horizon; and, in a short time, spread over the whole heavens.
The 21st, in the morning, having little wind and a smooth sea, two favourable circumstances for taking up ice, I steered for the largest ice-island before us, which we reached by noon. At this time, we were in the latitude of 59° south, longitude 92° 30ʹ east; having, about two hours before, seen three or four penguins. Finding here a good quantity of loose ice, I ordered two boats out, and sent them to take some on board. While this was doing, the island, which was not less than half a mile in circuit, and three or four hundred feet high above the surface of the sea, turned nearly bottom up. Its height, by this circumstance, was neither increased nor diminished, apparently. As soon as we had got on board as much ice as we could dispose of, we hoisted in the boats, and made sail to the S. E., with a gentle breeze at N. by E., attended with showers of snow, and dark gloomy weather. At this time, we had but few ice-islands in sight; but the next day, seldom less than twenty or thirty were seen at once.
The wind gradually veered to the east, and, at last, fixing at E. by S., blew a fresh gale. With this, we stood to the south, till eight o’clock in the evening of the 23d; at which time we were in the latitude 61° 52ʹ south, longitude 95° 2ʹ east. We now tacked, and spent the night, which was exceedingly stormy, thick, and hazy, with sleet and snow, in making short boards. Surrounded on every side with danger, it was natural for us to wish for day-light: this, when it came, served only to increase our apprehensions, by exhibiting to our view those huge mountains of ice which, in the night, we had passed without seeing.