Mr Hodges employed himself here in drawing a view of the Cape, town, and parts adjacent, in oil colours, which, was properly packed up with some others, and left with Mr Brandt, in order to be forwarded to the Admiralty by the first ship that should sail for England.
SECTION II.
Departure from the Cape of Good Hope, in search of a Southern Continent.
Having at length finished my business at the Cape, and taken leave of the governor and some others of the chief officers, who, with very obliging readiness, had given me all the assistance I could desire, on the 22d of November we repaired on board; and at three o'clock in the afternoon weighed, and came to sail with the wind at N. by W. As soon as the anchor was up, we saluted the port with fifteen guns, which was immediately returned; and after making a few trips, got out of the bay by seven o'clock, at which time the town bore S.E. distant four miles. After this we stood to the westward all night, in order to get clear of the land, having the wind at N.N.W. and N.W., blowing in squalls attended with rain, which obliged us to reef our topsails. The sea was again illuminated for some time, in the same manner as it was the night before we arrived in Table Bay.
Having got clear of the land, I directed my course for Cape Circumcision. The wind continued at N.W. a moderate gale, until the 24th, when it veered round to the eastward. On the noon of this day, we were in the latitude of 35° 25' S., and 29' west of the Cape; and had abundance of albatrosses about us, several of which were caught with hook and line; and were very well relished by many of the people, notwithstanding they were at this time served with fresh mutton. Judging that we should soon come into cold weather, I ordered slops to be served to such as were in want; and gave to each man the fearnought jacket and trowsers allowed them by the Admiralty.
The wind continued easterly for two days, and blew a moderate gale, which brought us into the latitude of 39° 4', and 2° of longitude west of the Cape, thermometer 52-1/2[1] The wind now came to W. and S.W.; and on the 29th fixed at W.N.W., and increased to a storm, which continued, with some few intervals of moderate weather, till the 6th of December, when we were in the latitude of 48° 41' S., and longitude 18° 24' E. This gale, which was attended with rain and hail, blew at times with such violence that we could carry no sails; by which means we were driven far to the eastward of our intended course, and no hopes were left me of reaching Cape Circumcision. But the greatest misfortune that attended us, was the loss of great part of our live stock, which we had brought from the Cape, and which consisted of sheep, hogs, and geese. Indeed this sudden transition from warm, mild weather, to extreme cold and wet, made every man in the ship feel its effects. For by this time the mercury in the thermometer had fallen to 38; whereas at the Cape it was generally at 67 and upwards. I now made some addition to the people's allowance of spirit, by giving them a dram whenever I thought it necessary, and ordered Captain Furneaux to do the same. The night proved clear and serene, and the only one that was so since we left the Cape; and the next morning the rising sun gave us such flattering hopes of a fine day, that we were induced to let all the reefs out of the top-sails, and to get top-gallant yards across, in order to make the most of a fresh gale at north. Our hopes, however, soon vanished; for before eight o'clock, the serenity of the sky was changed into a thick haze, accompanied with rain. The gale increasing obliged us to hand the main-sail, close-reef our top-sails, and to strike top-gallant yards. The barometer at this time was unusually low, which foreboded an approaching storm, and this happened accordingly. For, by one o'clock p. m. the wind, which was at N.W., blew with such strength as obliged us to take in all our sails, to strike top-gallant-masts, and to get the spritsail-yard in. And I thought proper to wear, and lie-to, under a mizzen-stay-sail, with the ships' heads to the N.E. as they would bow the sea, which ran prodigiously high, better on this tack.
[1] "In the midst of this heavy gale, I tried Dr Lind's wind-gage, and the water in it was depressed by the force of the wind 45/100 of an inch." W. According to the same authority, it was equally depressed on the 30th, and on the 1st December, it sunk 4/10 of an inch in the squalls. Mr G.F. relates an interesting enough alarm that occurred during this stormy weather. "A petty officer in the forepart of the vessel, awaking suddenly, heard a noise of water streaming through his birth, and breaking itself against his own and his mess-mates' chests; he leaped out of his bed, and found himself to the middle of his leg in water. He instantly acquainted the officer of the quarter-deck with the dreadful circumstances, and in a few moments almost every person was in motion; the pumps were employed, and the officers encouraged the seamen with an alarming gentleness, to persevere in their work; notwithstanding which the water seemed to gain upon us; every soul was filled with terror, increased by the darkness of the night. The chain- pumps were now cleared, and our sailors laboured at them with great alacrity; at last one of them luckily discovered that the water came in through a scuttle (or window) in the boatswain's store-room, which not having been secured against the tempestuous southern ocean, had been staved in by the force of the waves. It was immediately repaired," &c. Incidents of this kind are not often related by a commander, but they are useful to a reader by diversifying the records of bearings, courses, &c. &c.--E.
At eight o'clock next morning, being the 8th, we wore, and lay on the other tack; the gale was a little abated, but the sea ran too high to make sail, any more than the fore-top-mast-stay-sail. In the evening, being in the latitude of 49° 40 S., and 1-1/2° E. of the Cape, we saw two penguins and some sea or rock-weed, which occasioned us to sound, without finding ground at 100 fathoms. At eight p. m. we wore, and lay with our heads to the N.E. till three in the morning of the 9th, then wore again to the southward, the wind blowing in squalls attended with showers of snow. At eight, being something more moderate, I made the Adventure signal to make sail; and soon after made sail ourselves under the courses and close-reefed top-sails. In the evening, took in the top-sails and main-sail, and brought-to under fore-sail and mizzen; thermometer at 36°. The wind still at N.W. blew a fresh gale, accompanied with a very high sea. In the night had a pretty smart frost with snow.[2]
[2] "At half past ten in the evening, some water which had been spilled on the deck was frozen, and in the morning we passed the first island of ice. It was not very high, was smooth on the top and sides, and not rugged like those I have seen in the north seas." W.--Mr Forster in his observations has entered into a very important discussion respecting the formation of the ice islands, but it is vastly too long for insertion in this place. Few readers, however, it is likely, will object to see it elsewhere.--E.
In the morning of the 10th we made sail under courses and top-sails close- reefed; and made the signal for the Adventure to make sail and lead. At eight o'clock saw an island of ice to the westward of us, being then in the latitude of 56° 40' S. and longitude 2° 0' E. of the Cape of Good Hope. Soon after the wind moderated, and we let all the reefs out of the top- sails, got the spritsail-yard out, and top-gallant-mast up. The weather coming hazy, I called the Adventure by signal under my stern, which was no sooner done, than the haze increased so much with snow and sleet, that we did not see an island of ice, which we were steering directly for, till we were less than a mile from it. I judged it to be about 50 feet high, and half a mile in circuit. It was flat at top, and its sides rose in a perpendicular direction, against which the sea broke exceedingly high. Captain Furneaux at first took this ice for land, and hauled off from it, until called back by signal. As the weather was foggy, it was necessary to proceed with caution. We therefore reefed our top-sails, and at the same time sounded, but found no ground with 150 fathoms. We kept on to the southward with the wind at north till night, which we spent in making short trips, first one way and then another, under an easy sail; thermometer these 24 hours from 36-1/2 to 31.