All these considerations induced me to lay aside looking for the French discoveries, and to steer for the Cape of Good Hope; with a resolution, however, of looking for the isles of Denia and Marseveen, which are laid down in Dr Halley's variation chart in the latitude of 41° 1/2 S., and about 4° of longitude to the east of the meridian of the Cape of Good Hope. With this view I steered N.E., with a hard gale at N.W. and thick weather; and on the 25th, at noon, we saw the last ice island, being at this time in the latitude of 52° 52' S., longitude 26° 31' E.
1775 March
The wind abating and veering to the south, on the first of March, we steered west, in order to get farther from Mr Bouvet's track, which was but a few degrees to the east of us, being at this time in the latitude of 46° 44' S., longitude 33° 20' E., in which situation we found the variation to be 23° 36' W. It is somewhat remarkable, that all the time we had northerly winds, which were regular and constant for several days, the weather was always thick and cloudy; but, as soon as they came south of west, it cleared up, and was fine and pleasant. The barometer began to rise several days before this change happened; but whether on account of it, or our coming northward, cannot be determined.
The wind remained not long at south before it veered round by the N.E. to the N.W., blowing fresh and by squalls, attended, as before, with rain and thick misty weather. We had some intervals of clear weather in the afternoon of the 3d, when we found the variation to be 22° 26' W.; latitude at this time 45° 8' S., longitude 30° 50' E. The following night was very stormy, the wind blew from S.W. and in excessively heavy squalls. At short intervals between the squalls the wind would fall almost to a calm, and then come on again with such fury, that neither our sails nor rigging could withstand it, several of the sails being split, and a middle stay-sail being wholly lost. The next morning the gale abated, and we repaired the damage we had sustained in the best manner we could.
On the 8th, being in the latitude of 41° 30' S., longitude 26° 51' E., the mercury in the thermometer rose to 61, and we found it necessary to put on lighter clothes. As the wind continued invariably fixed between N.W. and W., we took every advantage to get to the west, by tacking whenever it shifted any thing in our favour; but as we had a great swell against us, our tacks were rather disadvantageous. We daily saw albatrosses, peterels, and other oceanic birds; but not the least sign of land.
On the 11th, in the latitude of 40° 40' S., longitude 23° 47' E., the variation was 20° 48' W. About noon the same day the wind shifted suddenly from N.W. to S.W., caused the mercury in the thermometer to fall as suddenly from 62° to 52°; such was the different state of the air, between a northerly and southerly wind. The next day, having several hours calm, we put a boat in the water, and shot some albatrosses and peterels, which, at this time, were highly acceptable. We were now nearly in the situation where the isles which we were in search of, are said to lie; however, we saw nothing that could give us the least hope of finding them.
The calm continued till five o'clock of the next morning, when it was succeeded by a breeze at W. by S., with which we stood to N.N.W., and at noon observed in latitude 38° 51' S. This was upwards of thirty miles more to the north than our log gave us; and the watch shewed that we had been set to the east also. If these differences did not arise from some strong current, I know not how to account for them. Very strong currents have been found on the African coast, between Madagascar and the Cape of Good Hope, but I never heard of their extending so far from the land; nor is it probable they do. I rather suppose that this current has no connection with that on the coast; and that we happened to fall into some stream which is neither lasting nor regular. But these are points which require much time to investigate, and must therefore be left to the industry of future navigators.
We were now two degrees to the north of the parallel in which the isles of Denia and Marseveen are said to lie. We had seen nothing to encourage us to persevere in looking after them, and it must have taken up some time longer to find them, or to prove their non-existence. Every one was impatient to get into port, and for good reasons: As for a long time we had had nothing but stale and salt provisions, for which every one on board had lost all relish. These reasons induced me to yield to the general wish, and to steer for the Cape of Good Hope, being at this time in the latitude of 38° 38' S., longitude 23° 37' E.
The next day the observed latitude at noon was only seventeen miles to the north of that given by the log; so that we had either got out of the strength of the current, or it had ceased.
On the 15th the observed latitude at noon, together with the watch, shewed that we had had a strong current setting to the S.W., the contrary direction to what we had experienced on some of the preceding days, as hath been mentioned.