On the 19th, steered E. S. E. with a very fresh gale at N., hazy, dirty weather. At noon, latitude 53° 43ʹ, longitude 166° 15ʹ W.
On the 20th, steered E. by S. with a moderate breeze at N. attended with thick hazy weather. At noon, latitude 54° 8ʹ, longitude 162° 18ʹ W.
On the 21st, winds mostly from the N. E. a fresh gale attended with thick, hazy, dirty weather. Course S. E. by S., latitude, at noon, 55° 31ʹ, longitude 160° 29ʹ W.; abundance of blue peterels and some penguins seen.
Fresh gales at N. W. by N. and N. by W., and hazy till towards noon of the 22d, when the weather cleared up, and we observed in latitude 55° 48ʹ S., longitude 156° 56ʹ W. In the afternoon had a few hours’ calm; after that, the wind came at S. S. E. and S. E. by S. a light breeze, with which we steered east northerly. In the night the aurora australis was visible, but very faint, and no ways remarkable.
On the 23d, in the latitude of 55° 46ʹ S., longitude 156° 13ʹ W., the variation was 9° 42ʹ E. We had a calm from ten in the morning till six in the evening, when a breeze sprung up at west; at first it blew a gentle gale, but afterwards freshened. Our course was now E. 1⁄2 N.
On the 24th, a fresh breeze at N. W. by W. and N. by W. At noon, in latitude 55° 38ʹ S., longitude 153° 37ʹ W., foggy in the night, but next day had a fine gale at N. W. attended with clear pleasant weather; course steered E. by N. In the evening, being in the latitude of 55° 8ʹ S., longitude 148° 10ʹ W. the variation, by the mean of two compasses, was 6° 35ʹ 1⁄2 E.
Having a steady fresh gale at N. N. W. on the 26th and 27th, we steered east, and at noon, on the latter, were in latitude 55° 6ʹ S., longitude 138° 56ʹ W.
I now gave up all hopes of finding any more land in this ocean, and came to a resolution to steer directly for the west entrance of the Straits of Magalhaens, with a view of coasting the out or south side of Terra del Fuego, round Cape Horn, to the Strait le Maire. As the world has but a very imperfect knowledge of this shore, I thought the coasting of it would be of more advantage, both to navigation and to geography, than any thing I could expect to find in a higher latitude. In the afternoon of this day, the wind blew in squalls, and carried away the main topgallant mast.
A very strong gale northerly, with hazy rainy weather, on the 28th, obliged us to double-reef the fore and main topsail, to hand the mizen topsail, and get down the fore top-gallant yard. In the morning, the bolt rope of the main topsail broke, and occasioned the sail to be spilt. I have observed that the ropes to all our sails, the square sails especially, are not of a size and strength sufficient to wear out the canvass. At noon, latitude 55° 20ʹ S., longitude 134° 16ʹ W., a great swell from N. W. albatrosses and blue peterels seen.
Next day towards noon, the wind abating, we loosed all the reefs out of the topsails, rigged another top-gallant mast, and got the yards across. P. M. little wind, and hazy weather; at midnight calm, that continued till noon the next day, when a breeze sprung up at E. with which we stretched to the northward. At this time we were in the latitude 55° 32ʹ S., longitude 128° 45ʹ W., some albatrosses and peterels seen. At eight P. M. the wind veering to N. E. we tacked and stood to E. S. E.