Next day the storm was succeeded by a thick fog, attended with rain; the wind veered to N. W., and at five in the morning it fell calm, which continued till eight, and then we got a breeze southerly, with which we stood to the east till three in the afternoon. The weather then coming somewhat clear, we made sail and steered north in search of the land; but at half past six we were again involved in a thick mist, which made it necessary to haul the wind, and spend the night in making short boards.
We had variable light airs, next to a calm, and thick foggy weather, till half-past seven o’clock in the evening of the 22d, when we got a fine breeze at N., and the weather was so clear that we could see two or three leagues round us. We seized the opportunity, and steered to west; judging we were to the east of the land. After running ten miles to the west, the weather became again foggy, and we hauled the wind, and spent the night under top-sails.
Next morning, at six o’clock, the fog clearing away so that we could see three or four miles, I took the opportunity to steer again to the W., with the wind at E., a fresh breeze; but two hours after, a thick fog once more obliged us to haul the wind to the south. At eleven o’clock, a short interval of clear weather gave us a view of three or four rocky islets, extending from S. E. to E. N. E., two or three miles distant; but we did not see the Sugar-loaf Peak before-mentioned. Indeed, two or three miles was the extent of our horizon.
We were well assured that this was the land we had seen before, which we had now been quite round: and therefore it could be no more than a few detached rocks, receptacles for birds, of which we now saw vast numbers, especially shags, who gave us notice of the vicinity of land before we saw it. These rocks lie in the latitude of 55° S. and S. 75° E., distant twelve leagues from Cooper’s Isle.
The interval of clear weather was of very short duration, before we had as thick a fog as ever, attended with rain; on which we tacked in sixty fathoms’ water, and stood to the north. Thus we spent our time involved in a continual thick mist; and for aught we knew, surrounded by dangerous rocks. The shags and soundings were our best pilots; for after we had stood a few miles to the north, we got out of soundings, and saw no more shags. The succeeding day and night were spent in making short boards; and at eight o’clock on the 24th, judging ourselves not far from the rocks by some straggling shags which came about us, we sounded in sixty fathoms’ water, the bottom stones and broken shells. Soon after, we saw the rocks bearing S. S. W. 1⁄2 W., four miles distant, but still we did not see the Peak. It was, no doubt, beyond our horizon, which was limited to a short distance; and, indeed, we had but a transient sight of the other rocks, before they were again lost in the fog.
With a light air of wind at N., and a great swell from N. E., we were able to clear the rocks to the W.; and at four in the P. M., judging ourselves to be three or four leagues E. and W. of them, I steered S., being quite tired with cruizing about them in a thick fog; nor was it worth my while to spend any more time in waiting for clear weather, only for the sake of having a good sight of a few straggling rocks. At seven o’clock, we had at intervals a clear sky to the W., which gave us a sight of the mountains of the Isle of Georgia, bearing W. N. W., about eight leagues distant. At eight o’clock we steered S. E. by S., and at ten S. E. by E., with a fresh breeze at N., attended with a very thick fog; but we were, in some measure, acquainted with the sea over which we were running. The rocks above-mentioned obtained the name of Clerke’s Rocks, after my second officer, he being the first who saw them.
CHAP. VI.
PROCEEDINGS AFTER LEAVING THE ISLE OF GEORGIA, AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY OF SANDWICH LAND; WITH SOME REASONS FOR THERE BEING LAND ABOUT THE SOUTH POLE.
On the 25th we steered E. S. E., with a fresh gale at N. N. E., attended with foggy weather, till towards the evening, when the sky becoming clear, we found the variation to be 9° 26ʹ E., being at this time in the latitude of 56° 16ʹ S., longitude 32° 9ʹ W.
Having continued to steer E. S. E., with a fine gale at N. N. W., till daylight next morning, on seeing no land to the E., I gave orders to steer S., being at this time in the latitude of 56° 33ʹ S., longitude 31° 10ʹ W. The weather continued clear, and gave us an opportunity to observe several distances of the sun and moon for the correcting our longitude, which at noon was 31° 4ʹ W., the latitude observed 57° 38ʹ S. We continued to steer to the S. till the 27th at noon, at which time we were in the latitude of 59° 46ʹ S., and had so thick a fog that we could not see a ship’s length. It being no longer safe to sail before the wind, as we were to expect soon to fall in with ice, I therefore hauled to the E., having a gentle breeze at N. N. E. Soon after, the fog clearing away, we resumed our course to the S. till four o’clock, when it returned again as thick as ever, and made it necessary for us to haul upon a wind.
I now reckoned we were in latitude 60° S., and farther I did not intend to go, unless I observed some certain signs of soon meeting with land; for it would not have been prudent in me to have spent my time in penetrating to the south, when it was at least as probable that a large tract of land might be found near Cape Circumcision. Besides, I was tired of these high southern latitudes, where nothing was to be found but ice and thick fogs. We had now a long hollow swell from the W., a strong indication that there was no land in that direction; so that I think I may venture to assert that the extensive coast, laid down in Mr. Dalrymple’s chart of the ocean between Africa and America, and the Gulph of Saint Sebastian, do not exist.