The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

The Landing at Middleburgh, one of the Friendly Isles.

THE
THREE
VOYAGES
OF
CAPTAIN JAMES COOK
ROUND THE WORLD.

COMPLETE

In Seven Volumes.

WITH MAP AND OTHER PLATES.

VOL. III.

BEING THE FIRST OF THE SECOND VOYAGE.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR

LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1821.

London:

Printed by A. & R. Spottiswoode,

New-Street-Square.

CONTENTS
OF
THE THIRD VOLUME.

A

VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD,

PERFORMED IN

His Britannic Majesty’s Ships the Resolution and Adventure,

in the Years 1772, 1773, 1774, and 1775.

WRITTEN

By JAMES COOK, Commander of the Resolution,

and GEORGE FORSTER, F.R.S.

GENERAL INTRODUCTION
TO
THE SECOND VOYAGE.

Whether the unexplored part of the Southern Hemisphere be only an immense mass of water, or contain another continent, as speculative geography seemed to suggest, was a question which had long engaged the attention, not only of learned men, but of most of the maritime powers of Europe.

To put an end to all diversity of opinion about a matter so curious and important, was his Majesty’s principal motive in directing this voyage to be undertaken, the history of which is now submitted to the public.

But, in order to give the reader a clear idea of what has been done in it, and to enable him to judge more accurately how far the great object that was proposed has been obtained, it will be necessary to prefix a short account of the several voyages which have been made on discoveries to the Southern Hemisphere prior to that which I had lately the honour to conduct, and which I am now going to relate.

The first who crossed the vast Pacific Ocean was Ferdinand Magalhaens, a Portuguese, who, in the service of Spain, sailed from Seville, with five ships, on the 10th of April, 1519. He discovered the Straits which bear his name; and having passed through them on the 27th of November, 1520, entered the South Pacific Ocean.

In this sea he discovered two uninhabited islands, whose situations are not well known. He afterwards crossed the Line; discovered the Ladrone islands; and then proceeded to the Philippines, in one of which he was killed in a skirmish with the natives.

His ship, called the Victory, was the first that circumnavigated the globe; and the only one of his squadron that surmounted the dangers and distresses which attended his heroic enterprise.

The Spaniards, after Magalhaens had showed them the way, made several voyages from America to the westward, previous to that of Alvaro Mendana De Neyra in 1595, which is the first that can be traced step by step. For the antecedent expeditions are not handed down to us with much precision.

We know, however, in general, that in them New Guinea, the islands called Solomon’s, and several others, were discovered.

Geographers differ greatly concerning the situation of the Solomon islands. The most probable opinion is, that they are the cluster which comprizes what has since been called New Britain, New Ireland, &c.

On the 9th of April, 1595, Mendana, with intention to settle these islands, sailed from Callao, with four ships; and his discoveries in his route to the West, were the Marquesas, in the latitude of 10° South;—the island of St. Bernardo, which I take to be the same that Commodore Byron calls the Island of Danger;—after that, Solitary island, in the latitude 10° 40ʹ South, longitude 178° West;—and, lastly, Santa Cruz, which is, undoubtedly, the same that Captain Carteret calls Egmont Island.

In this last island, Mendana, with many of his companions, died; and the shattered remains of the squadron were conducted to Manilla, by Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, the chief pilot.

This same Quiros was the first sent out, with the sole view of discovering a Southern Continent; and, indeed, he seems to have been the first who had any idea of the existence of one.

He sailed from Callao the 21st of December, 1605, as pilot of the fleet, commanded by Luis Paz de Torres, consisting of two ships and a tender; and steering to the W. S. W. on the 26th of January, 1606, being then, by their reckoning, a thousand Spanish leagues from the coast of America, they discovered a small low island in latitude 25° South.—Two days after, they discovered another that was high, with a plain on the top. This is, probably, the same that Captain Carteret calls Pitcairn’s Island.

After leaving these islands, Quiros seems to have directed his course to the W. N. W. and N. W. to 10° or 11° South latitude, and then westward, till he arrived at the Bay of St. Philip and Jago, in the island of Tierra del Espiritu Santo. In this route he discovered several islands; probably, some of those that have been seen by later navigators.

On leaving the Bay of St. Philip and St. Jago, the two ships were separated. Quiros, with the Capitana, stood to the north, and returned to New Spain, after having suffered greatly for want of provisions and water.—Torres, with the Almiranta and the tender, steered to the west, and seems to have been the first who sailed between New Holland and New Guinea.

The next attempt to make discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean was conducted by Le Maire and Schouten.—They sailed from the Texel on the 14th of June, 1615, with the ships Concord and Horn. The latter was burnt by accident in Port Desire. With the other, they discovered the Strait that bears the name of Le Maire, and were the first who ever entered the Pacific Ocean, by the way of Cape Horn.

They discovered the island of Dogs, in latitude 15° 15ʹ South, longitude 136° 30ʹ West;—Sondre Grondt in 15° South latitude, and 143° 10ʹ West longitude;—Waterland, in 14° 46ʹ South, and 144° 10ʹ West;—and, twenty-five leagues westward of this, Fly island, in latitude 15° 20ʹ;—Traitor’s and Cocos islands, in latitude 15° 43ʹ S. longitude 173° 13ʹ W.—Two degrees more to the westward, the Isle of Hope;—and, in the latitude of 14° 56ʹ South, longitude 179° 30ʹ East, Horn island.

They next coasted the north side of New Britain and New Guinea, and arrived at Batavia in October, 1616.

Except some discoveries on the western and northern coasts of New Holland, no important voyage to the Pacific Ocean was undertaken till 1642, when Captain Tasman sailed from Batavia, with two ships belonging to the Dutch East India Company, and discovered Van Diemen’s Land;—a small part of the western coast of New Zealand;—the Friendly Isles;—and those called Prince William’s.

Thus far I have thought it best not to interrupt the progress of discovery in the South Pacific Ocean, otherwise I should before have mentioned, that Sir Richard Hawkins in 1594, being about fifty leagues to the eastward of the river Plate, was driven by a storm to the eastward of his intended course, and when the weather grew moderate, steering towards the Straits of Magalhaens, he unexpectedly fell in with land; about sixty leagues of which he coasted, and has very particularly described. This he named Hawkins’s Maiden Land, in honour of his royal mistress, Queen Elizabeth, and says it lies some threescore leagues from the nearest part of South America.

This land was afterwards discovered to be two large islands by Captain John Strong, of the Farewell, from London, who, in 1689, passed through the Strait which divides the eastern from the western of those islands. To this Strait he gave the name of Falkland’s Sound, in honour of his patron, Lord Falkland; and the name has since been extended, through inadvertency, to the two islands it separates.

Having mentioned these islands, I will add, that future navigators will mispend their time, if they look for Pepys’s island in 47° South; it being now certain, that Pepys’s island is no other than these islands of Falkland.

In April, 1675, Anthony la Roche, an English merchant, in his return from the South Pacific Ocean, where he had been on a trading voyage, being carried, by the winds and currents, far to the East of Strait La Maire, fell in with a coast, which may possibly be the same with that which I visited during this voyage, and have called the Island of Georgia.

Leaving this land, and sailing to the north, La Roche, in the latitude of 45° South, discovered a large island, with a good port, towards the eastern part, where he found wood, water, and fish.

In 1699, that celebrated astronomer Dr. Edmund Halley was appointed to the command of his Majesty’s ship the Paramour Pink, on an expedition for improving the knowledge of the longitude, and of the variation of the compass; and for discovering the unknown lands supposed to lie in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean. In this voyage he determined the longitude of several places; and after his return, constructed his Variation Chart, and proposed a method of observing the longitude at sea, by means of the appulses, and occultations of the fixed stars. But, though he so successfully attended to the two first articles of his instructions, he did not find any unknown southern land.

The Dutch, in 1721, fitted out three ships to make discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean, under the command of Admiral Roggewein. He left the Texel on the 21st of August, and arriving in that ocean, by going round Cape Horn, discovered Easter island; probably seen before, though not visited by Davis[^[1]];—then, between 14° 41ʹ and 15° 47ʹ South latitude, and between the longitude of 142° and 150° West, fell in with several other islands, which I take to be some of those seen by the late English navigators.—He next discovered two islands in latitude 15° South, longitude 170° West, which he called Baumen’s islands;—and, lastly, Single island, in latitude 13° 41ʹ South, longitude 171° 30ʹ West.—These three islands are, undoubtedly, the same that Bougainville calls the Isles of Navigators.

In 1738, the French East India Company sent Lozier Bouvet with two ships, the Eagle and Mary, to make discoveries in the South Atlantic Ocean. He sailed from Port L’Orient on the 19th of July, in that year; touched at the island of St. Catharine; and from thence shaped his course towards the S. E.

On the 1st of January, 1739, he discovered land, or what he judged to be land, in the latitude 54° South, longitude 11° East. It will appear in the course of the following narrative, that we made several attempts to find this land without success. It is, therefore, very probable, that what Bouvet saw was nothing more than a large ice-island. From hence he stood to the East, in 51° of latitude, to 35° of East longitude: after which the two ships separated; one going to the island of Mauritius, and the other returning to France.

After this voyage of Bouvet, the spirit of discovery ceased, till his present Majesty formed a design of making discoveries, and exploring the Southern Hemisphere; and, in the year 1764, directed it to be put in execution.

Accordingly, Commodore Byron, having under his command the Dolphin and Tamer, sailed from the Downs on the 21st of June the same year; and having visited the Falkland islands, passed through the Straits of Magalhaens into the Pacific Ocean, where he discovered the islands of Disappointment;—George’s;—Prince of Wales’s;—the isles of Danger;—York island;—and Byron island.

He returned to England the 9th of May, 1766; and, in the month of August following, the Dolphin was again sent out, under the command of Captain Wallis, with the Swallow, commanded by Captain Carteret.

They proceeded together, till they came to the west end of the Straits of Magalhaens, and the Great South Sea in sight, where they were separated.

Captain Wallis directed his course more westerly than any navigator had done before him in so high a latitude; but met with no land till he got within the tropic, where he discovered the islands Whitsunday;—Queen Charlotte;—Egmont;—Duke of Gloucester;—Duke of Cumberland;—Maitea;—Otaheite;—Eimeo;—Tapamanou;—How;—Scilly;—Boscawen;—Keppel;—and Wallis; and returned to England in May, 1768.

His companion Captain Carteret kept a different route; in which he discovered the islands Osnaburg;—Gloucester;—Queen Charlotte’s isles;—Carteret’s;—Gower’s;—and the Strait between New Britain and New Ireland; and returned to England in March, 1769.

In November, 1766, Commodore Bougainville sailed from France, in the frigate La Boudeuse, with the store-ship L’Etoile. After spending some time on the coast of Brazil, and at Falkland islands, he got into the Pacific Sea, by the Straits of Magalhaens, in January, 1768.

In this ocean he discovered the Four Facardines;—the Isle of Lanciers;—and Harpe island, which I take to be the same that I afterwards named Lagoon;—Thrum Cap, and Bow island. About twenty leagues farther to the west, he discovered four other islands;—afterwards fell in with Maitea;—Otaheite;—Isles of Navigators;—and Forlorn Hope; which to him were new discoveries. He then passed through between the Hebrides;—discovered the Shoal of Diana; and some others;—the land of Cape Deliverance;—several islands more to the north;—passed to the north of New Ireland; touched at Batavia; and arrived in France in March, 1769.

This year was rendered remarkable by the transit of the planet Venus over the sun’s disc; a phænomenon of great importance to astronomy; and which every where engaged the attention of the learned in that science.

In the beginning of the year 1768, the Royal Society presented a memorial to his Majesty, setting forth the advantages to be derived from accurate observations of this transit in different parts of the world; particularly from a set of such observations made in a southern latitude, between the 140th and 180th degrees of longitude, west from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich; and that vessels, properly equipped, would be necessary to convey the observers to their destined stations; but that the Society were in no condition to defray the expence of such an undertaking.

In consequence of this memorial, the Admiralty were directed by his Majesty to provide proper vessels for this purpose. Accordingly, the Endeavour bark, which had been built for the coal-trade, was purchased and fitted out for the southern voyage; and I was honoured with the command of her. The Royal Society, soon after appointed me, in conjunction with Mr. Charles Green the astronomer, to make the requisite observations on the transit.

It was at first intended to perform this great and now a principal business of our voyage, either at the Marquesas, or else at one of those islands which Tasman had called Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Middleburg, now better known under the name of the Friendly Islands. But while the Endeavour was getting ready for the expedition, Captain Wallis returned from his voyage round the world, in the course of which he had discovered several islands in the South Sea; and amongst others, Otaheite. This island was preferred to any of those before mentioned, on account of the conveniences it afforded; and because its place had been well ascertained, and found to be extremely well suited to our purpose.

I was therefore ordered to proceed directly to Otaheite; and, after the astronomical observations should be completed, to prosecute the design of making discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean, by proceeding to the south as far as the latitude of 40°; then, if I found no land, to proceed to the west between 40° and 35°, till I fell in with New Zealand, which I was to explore; and thence to return to England, by such route as I should think proper.

In the prosecution of these instructions, I sailed from Deptford the 30th of July, 1768; from Plymouth the 26th of August; touched at Madeira, Rio de Janeiro, and Straits Le Maire; and entered the South Pacific Ocean by Cape Horn, in January the following year.

I endeavoured to make a direct course to Otaheite, and in part succeeded; but I made no discovery till I got within the tropic, where I fell in with Lagoon island;—Two Groups;—Bird island;—Chain island;—and on the 13th of April arrived at Otaheite, where I remained three months, during which time the observations on the transit were made.

I then left it; discovered, and visited the Society isles, and Oheteroa; thence proceeded to the south till I arrived in the latitude of 40° 22ʹ, longitude 147° 29ʹ West; and on the 6th of October fell in with the east side of New Zealand.

I continued exploring the coast of this country till the 31st of March, 1770, when I quitted it, and proceeded to New Holland; and having surveyed the eastern coast of that vast country, which part had not before been visited, I passed between its northern extremity and New Guinea; landed on the latter; touched at the island of Savu, Batavia, the Cape of Good Hope, and St. Helena[^[2]]; and arrived in England on the 12th of July, 1771.

In this voyage I was accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander; the first a gentleman of ample fortune; the other an accomplished disciple of Linnæus, and one of the librarians of the British Museum: both of them distinguished in the learned world for their extensive and accurate knowledge of natural history. These gentlemen, animated by the love of science, and by a desire to pursue their enquiries in the remote regions I was preparing to visit, desired permission to make the voyage with me. The Admiralty readily complied with a request that promised such advantage to the republic of letters. They accordingly embarked with me, and participated in all the dangers and sufferings of our tedious and fatiguing navigation.

To illustrate this short abstract of the several discoveries made in the Southern Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, before my departure on this second voyage, now laid before the public, I have delineated on the general chart hereunto annexed the tracks of most of the navigators, without which the abstract could not be so easily understood.

The voyages of Messrs. de Surville, Kerguelen, and Marion, of which some account is given in the following work, did not come to my knowledge time enough to afford me any advantage; and as they have not been communicated to the world in a public way, I can say little about them, or about two other voyages which, I am told, have been made by the Spaniards; one to Easter island in the year 1769, and the other to Otaheite in 1773.

Before I begin my narrative of the expedition intrusted to my care, it will be necessary to add here some account of its equipment, and of some other matters, equally interesting, connected with my subject.

Soon after my return home in the Endeavour, it was resolved to equip two ships, to complete the discovery of the Southern Hemisphere. The nature of this voyage required ships of a particular construction, and the Endeavour being gone to Falkland Isles as a store-ship, the Navy-board was directed to purchase two such ships as were most suitable for this service.

At this time various opinions were espoused by different people, touching the size and kind of vessels most proper for such a voyage. Some were for having large ships; and proposed those of forty guns, or East India Company’s ships. Others preferred large good sailing frigates, or three-decked ships, employed in the Jamaica trade, fitted with round-houses. But of all that was said and offered to the Admiralty’s consideration on this subject, as far as has come to my knowledge, what, in my opinion, was most to the purpose, was suggested by the Navy-board.

As the kind of ships most proper to be employed on discoveries is a very interesting consideration to the adventurers in such undertakings, it may possibly be of use to those who, in future, may be so employed, to give here the purport of the sentiments of the Navy-board theron, with whom, after the experience of two voyages of three years each, I perfectly agree.

The success of such undertakings as making discoveries in distant parts of the world will principally depend on the preparations being well adapted to what ought to be the first considerations, namely, the preservation of the adventurers and ships; and this will ever chiefly depend on the kind, the size, and the properties of the ships chosen for the service.

These primary considerations will not admit of any other that may interfere with the necessary properties of the ships. Therefore, in choosing the ships, should any of the most advantageous properties be wanting, and the necessary room in them be in any degree diminished, for less important purposes, such a step would be laying a foundation for rendering the undertaking abortive in the first instance.

As the greatest danger to be apprehended and provided against on a voyage of discovery, especially to the most distant parts of the globe, is that of the ship’s being liable to be run aground on an unknown desert, or, perhaps, savage coast, so no consideration should be set in competition with that of her being of a construction of the safest kind, in which the officers may, with the least hazard, venture upon a strange coast. A ship of this kind must not be of a great draught of water, yet of a sufficient burden and capacity to carry a proper quantity of provisions and necessaries for her complement of men, and for the time requisite to perform the voyage.

She must also be of a construction that will bear to take the ground; and of a size which, in case of necessity, may be safely and conveniently laid on shore, to repair any accidental damage or defects. These properties are not to be found in ships of war of forty guns, nor in frigates, nor in East India Company’s ships, nor in large three-decked West India ships, nor indeed in any other but north-country-built ships, or such as are built for the coal-trade, which are peculiarly adapted to this purpose.

In such a vessel an able sea-officer will be most venturesome, and better enabled to fulfil his instructions, than he possibly can (or indeed than would be prudent for him to attempt) in one of any other sort or size.

Upon the whole, I am firmly of opinion, that no ships are so proper for discoveries in distant unknown parts as those constructed as was the Endeavour, in which I performed my former voyage. For no ships of any other kind can contain stores and provisions sufficient (in proportion to the necessary number of men), considering the length of time it will be necessary they should last. And, even if another kind of ships could stow a sufficiency, yet, on arriving at the parts for discovery, they would still, from the nature of their construction and size, be less fit for the purpose.

Hence, it may be concluded, so little progress had been hitherto made in discoveries in the southern hemisphere. For all ships which attempted it before the Endeavour were unfit for it, although the officers employed in them had done the utmost in their power.

It was upon these considerations that the Endeavour was chosen for that voyage. It was to these properties in her that those on board owed their preservation; and hence we were enabled to prosecute discoveries in those seas so much longer than any other ship ever did or could do. And, although discovery was not the first object of that voyage, I could venture to traverse a far greater space of sea, till then unnavigated, to discover greater tracks of country in high and low south latitudes, and to persevere longer in exploring and surveying more correctly the extensive coasts of those new-discovered countries, than any former navigator, perhaps, had done during one voyage.

In short, these properties in the ships, with perseverance and resolution in their commanders, will enable them to execute their orders; to go beyond former discoverers; and continue to Britain the reputation of taking the lead of all nations in exploring the globe.

These considerations concurring with Lord Sandwich’s opinion on the same subject, the Admiralty determined to have two such ships as are here recommended. Accordingly, two were purchased of Captain William Hammond of Hull. They were both built at Whitby, by the same person who built the Endeavour, being about fourteen or sixteen months old at the time they were purchased, and were, in my opinion, as well adapted to the intended service as if they had been built for the purpose. The largest of the two was four hundred and sixty-two tons burthen. She was named Resolution, and sent to Deptford to be equipped. The other was three hundred and thirty-six tons burthen. She was named Adventure, and sent to be equipped at Woolwich.

It was first proposed to sheath them with copper; but, on considering that copper corrodes the iron work, especially about the rudder, this intention was laid aside, and the old method of sheathing and fitting pursued, as being the most secure; for, although it is usual to make the rudder-bands of the same composition, it is not, however, so durable as iron, nor would it, I am well assured, last out such a voyage as the Resolution performed.

Therefore, till a remedy is found to prevent the effect of copper upon the iron work, it would not be advisable to use it on a voyage of this kind, as the principal fastenings of the ship being iron, they may be destroyed.

On the 28th of November, 1771, I was appointed to the command of the Resolution; and Tobias Furneaux (who had been second lieutenant with Captain Wallis) was promoted, on this occasion, to the command of the Adventure.

Our complements of officers and men were fixed, as in the following table:—

I had all the reason in the world to be perfectly satisfied with the choice of the officers. The second and third lieutenants, the lieutenant of marines, two of the warrant officers, and several of the petty officers, had been with me during the former voyage. The others were men of known abilities; and all of them, on every occasion, showed their zeal for the service in which they were employed, during the whole voyage.

In the equipping of these ships, they were not confined to ordinary establishments, but were fitted in the most complete manner, and supplied with every extra article that was suggested to be necessary.

Lord Sandwich paid an extraordinary attention to this equipment, by visiting the ships from time to time, to satisfy himself that the whole was completed to his wish, and to the satisfaction of those who were to embark in them.

Nor were the Navy and Victualling Boards wanting in providing them with the very best of stores and provisions, and whatever else was necessary for so long a voyage. Some alterations were adopted in the species of provisions usually made use of in the navy. That is, we were supplied with wheat in lieu of so much oatmeal, and sugar in lieu of so much oil; and when completed, each ship had two years and a half provisions on board, of all species.

We had, besides, many extra articles, such as malt, sour-krout, salted cabbage, portable broth, saloup, mustard, marmalade of carrots, and inspissated juice of wort and beer. Some of these articles had before been found to be highly antiscorbutic; and others were now sent out on trial, or by way of experiment;—the inspissated juice of beer and wort, and marmalade of carrots especially.—As several of these antiscorbutic articles are not generally known, a more particular account of them may not be amiss.

Of malt is made sweet wort, which is given to such persons as have got the scurvy, or whose habit of body threatens them with it, from one to five or six pints a day, as the surgeon sees necessary.

Sour-krout, is cabbage cut small, to which is put a little salt, juniper-berries, and annis-seeds; it is then fermented, and afterwards close packed in casks: in which state it will keep good a long time. This is a wholesome vegetable food, and a great antiscorbutic. The allowance to each man is two pounds a week, but I increased or diminished their allowance as I thought proper.

Salted cabbage is cabbage cut to pieces, and salted down in casks, which will preserve it a long time.

Portable broth is so well known, that it needs no description. We were supplied with it both for the sick and well, and it was exceedingly beneficial.

Saloup, and rob of lemons and oranges, were for the sick and scorbutic only, and wholly under the surgeon’s care.

Marmalade of carrots is the juice of yellow carrots inspissated till it is of the thickness of fluid honey, or treacle, which last it resembles both in taste and colour. It was recommended by Baron Storsch, of Berlin, as a very great antiscorbutic; but we did not find that it had much of this quality.

For the inspissated juice of wort, and beer, we were indebted to Mr. Pelham, secretary to the commissioners of the Victualling Office. This gentleman, some years ago, considered that if the juice of malt, either as beer or wort, was inspissated by evaporation, it was probable this inspissated juice would keep good at sea; and, if so, a supply of beer might be had at any time, by mixing it with water. Mr. Pelham made several experiments, which succeeded so well, that the commissioners caused thirty-one half-barrels of this juice to be prepared, and sent out with our ships for trial; nineteen on board the Resolution, and the remainder on board the Adventure. The success of the experiments will be mentioned in the narrative, in the order they were made.

The frame of a small vessel, twenty tons burthen, was properly prepared, and put on board each of the ships, to be set up, (if found necessary,) to serve as tenders upon any emergency, or to transport the crew in case the ship was lost.

We were also well provided with fishing-nets, lines, and hooks of every kind for catching of fish. And, in order to enable us to procure refreshments in such inhabited parts of the world as we might touch at, where money was of no value, the Admiralty caused to be put on board both the ships, several articles of merchandize; as well to trade with the natives for provisions, as to make them presents to gain their friendship and esteem.

Their Lordships also caused a number of medals to be struck, the one side representing His Majesty, and the other the two ships. These medals were to be given to the natives of new-discovered countries, and left there, as testimonies of our being the first discoverers.

Some additional clothing, adapted to a cold climate, was put on board; to be given to the seamen whenever it was thought necessary. In short, nothing was wanting that could tend to promote the success of the undertaking, or contribute to the conveniencies and health of those who embarked in it.

The Admiralty showed no less attention to science in general, by engaging Mr. William Hodges, a landscape painter, to embark in this voyage, in order to make drawings and paintings of such places, in the countries we should touch at, as might be proper to give a more perfect idea thereof than could be formed from written descriptions only.

And it being thought of public utility, that some person skilled in natural history should be engaged to accompany me in this voyage, the parliament granted an ample sum for that purpose, and Mr. John Reinhold Forster, with his son, were pitched upon for this employment.

The Board of Longitude agreed with Mr. William Wales, and Mr. William Bayley, to make astronomical observations; the former on board the Resolution, the latter on board the Adventure. The great improvements which astronomy and navigation have met with from the many interesting observations they have made, would have done honour to any person whose reputation for mathematical knowledge was not so well known as theirs.

The same Board furnished them with the best of instruments, for making both astronomical and nautical observations and experiments; and likewise with four time-pieces, or watch machines; three made by Mr. Arnold, and one made by Mr. Kendall on Mr. Harrison’s principles. A particular account of the going of these watches, as also the astronomical and nautical observations made by the astronomers, will be laid before the public by order of the Board of Longitude, under the inspection of Mr. Wales.

Besides the obligations I was under to this gentleman for communicating to me the observations he made, from time to time, during the voyage, I have since been indebted to him for the perusal of his journal, with leave to take from it whatever I thought might contribute to the improvement of this work.

For the convenience of the generality of readers, I have reduced the time from the nautical to the civil computation, so that whenever the terms A. M. and P. M. are used, the former signifies the forenoon, and the latter the afternoon of the same day.

In all the courses, bearings, &c. the variation of the compass is allowed, unless the contrary is expressed.

And now it may be necessary to say, that, as I am on the point of sailing on a third expedition, I leave this account of my last voyage in the hands of some friends, who in my absence have kindly accepted the office of correcting the press for me; who are pleased to think, that what I have here to relate is better to be given in my own words, than in the words of another person, especially as it is a work designed for information, and not merely for amusement; in which it is their opinion, that candour and fidelity will counterbalance the want of ornament.

I shall, therefore, conclude this introductory discourse with desiring the reader to excuse the inaccuracies of style, which doubtless he will frequently meet with in the following narrative; and that, when such occur, he will recollect that it is the production of a man, who has not had the advantage of much school education, but who has been constantly at sea from his youth; and though, with the assistance of a few good friends, he has passed through all the stations belonging to a seaman, from an apprentice boy in the coal trade, to a post captain in the Royal Navy, he has had no opportunity of cultivating letters. After this account of myself, the public must not expect from me the elegance of a fine writer, or the plausibility of a professed book-maker; but will, I hope, consider me as a plain man, zealously exerting himself in the service of his country, and determined to give the best account he is able of his proceedings.

Plymouth Sound,

July 7. 1776.

A

VOYAGE

TOWARDS

THE SOUTH POLE,

AND

ROUND THE WORLD,

IN 1772, 1773, 1774, AND 1775.

BOOK I.
FROM OUR DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND, TO LEAVING THE SOCIETY ISLES, THE FIRST TIME.

CHAP. I.
PASSAGE FROM DEPTFORD TO THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF SEVERAL INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED BY THE WAY, AND TRANSACTIONS THERE.

I sailed from Deptford, April 9th, 1772, but got no farther than Woolwich; where I was detained by easterly winds till the 22d, when the ship fell down to Long Reach, and the next day was joined by the Adventure. Here both ships received on board their powder, guns, gunner’s-stores, and marines.

On the 10th of May we left Long Reach with orders to touch at Plymouth; but in plying down the river, the Resolution was found to be very crank, which made it necessary to put into Sheerness, in order to remove this evil, by making some alterations in her upper works. These the officers of the yard were ordered to take in hand immediately; and Lord Sandwich and Sir Hugh Palliser came down to see them executed in such a manner as might effectually answer the purpose intended.

On the 22d of June the ship was again completed for sea, when I sailed from Sheerness; and on the 3d of July, joined the Adventure in Plymouth Sound. The evening before, we met, off the Sound, Lord Sandwich, in the Augusta yacht, (who was on his return from visiting the several dock-yards,) with the Glory frigate and Hazard sloop. We saluted his Lordship with seventeen guns; and soon after he and Sir Hugh Palliser gave us the last mark of the very great attention they had paid to this equipment, by coming on board, to satisfy themselves that every thing was done to my wish, and that the ship was found to answer to my satisfaction.

At Plymouth I received my instructions, dated the 25th of June, directing me to take under my command the Adventure; to make the best of my way to the island of Madeira, there to take in a supply of wine, and then proceed to the Cape of Good Hope, where I was to refresh the ships’ companies, and take on board such provisions and necessaries as I might stand in need of. After leaving the Cape of Good Hope, I was to proceed to the southward, and endeavour to fall in with Cape Circumcision, which was said by Monsieur Bouvet to lie in the latitude of 54° south, and in about 11° 20ʹ east longitude from Greenwich. If I discovered this Cape, I was to satisfy myself whether it was a part of the continent, which had so much engaged the attention of geographers and former navigators, or a part of an island. If it proved to be the former, I was to employ myself diligently in exploring as great an extent of it as I could; and to make such notations thereon, and observations of every kind, as might be useful either to navigation or commerce, or tend to the promotion of natural knowledge. I was also directed to observe the genius, temper, disposition, and number, of the inhabitants, if there were any, and endeavour, by all proper means, to cultivate a friendship and alliance with them; making them presents of such things as they might value; inviting them to traffic, and showing them every kind of civility and regard. I was to continue to employ myself on this service, and making discoveries, either to the eastward or westward, as my situation might render most eligible; keeping in as high a latitude as I could, and prosecuting my discoveries as near to the South Pole as possible, so long as the condition of the ships, the health of their crews, and the state of their provisions, would admit of; taking care to reserve as much of the latter as would enable me to reach some known port, where I was to procure a sufficiency to bring me home to England. But if Cape Circumcision should prove to be part of an island only, or if I should not be able to find the said Cape, I was, in the first case, to make the necessary survey of the island, and then to stand on to the southward, so long as I judged there was a likelihood of falling in with the continent; which I was also to do in the latter case; and then to proceed to the eastward, in further search of the said continent, as well as to make discoveries of such islands as might be situated in that unexplored part of the southern hemisphere; keeping in high latitudes, and prosecuting my discoveries as above-mentioned, as near the Pole as possible, until I had circumnavigated the globe; after which I was to proceed to the Cape of Good Hope, and from thence to Spithead.

In the prosecution of these discoveries, whenever the season of the year rendered it unsafe for me to continue in high latitudes, I was to retire to some known place to the northward, to refresh my people, and refit the ships; and to return again to the southward, as soon as the season of the year would admit of it. In all unforeseen cases, I was authorised to proceed according to my own discretion; and in case the Resolution should be lost or disabled, I was to prosecute the voyage on board the Adventure.

I gave a copy of these instructions to Captain Furneaux, with an order directing him to carry them into execution; and in case he was separated from me, appointed the island of Madeira for the first place of rendezvous, Port Praya in the island of St. Jago for the second, Cape of Good Hope for the third, and New Zealand for the fourth.

During our stay at Plymouth, Messieurs Wales and Bayley, the two astronomers, made observations on Drake’s Island, in order to ascertain the latitude, longitude, and true time for putting the time-pieces or watches in motion. The latitude was found to be 50° 21ʹ 30ʺ north; and the longitude 4° 20ʹ west of Greenwich, which, in this voyage, is every where to be understood as the first meridian, and from which the longitude is reckoned east and west to 180° each way. On the 10th of July, the watches were set a-going in the presence of the two astronomers, Captain Furneaux, the first lieutenants of the ships, and myself, and put on board. The two on board the Adventure were made by Mr. Arnold, and also one of those on board the Resolution; but the other was made by Mr. Kendal, upon the same principle, in every respect, as Mr. Harrison’s time-piece. The commander, first lieutenant, and astronomer, on board each of the ships, kept each of them keys of the boxes which contained the watches, and were always to be present at the winding them up, and comparing the one with the other; or some other officer, if, at any time, through indisposition, or absence upon any other necessary duties, any of them could not conveniently attend. The same day, according to the custom of the navy, the companies of both ships were paid two months’ wages in advance; and as a further encouragement for their going this extraordinary voyage, they were also paid the wages due to them to the 28th of the preceding May. This enabled them to provide necessaries for the voyage.

On the 13th, at six o’clock in the morning, I sailed from Plymouth Sound, with the Adventure in company; and on the evening of the 29th, anchored in Funchiale Road, in the island of Madeira. The next morning I saluted the garrison with eleven guns; which compliment was immediately returned. Soon after, I went on shore, accompanied by Captain Furneaux, the two Mr. Foresters, and Mr. Wales. At our landing, we were received by a gentleman from the Vice-Consul, Mr. Sills, who conducted us to the house of Mr. Loughnans, the most considerable English merchant in the place. This gentleman not only obtained leave for Mr. Forster to search the island for plants, but procured us every other thing we wanted, and insisted on our accommodating ourselves at his house during our stay.

The town of Funchiale, which is the capital of the island, is situated about the middle of the south side, in the bottom of the bay of the same name, in latitude 32° 33ʹ 34ʺ north, longitude 17° 12¹⁄₈ʹ west. The longitude was deduced from lunar observations made by Mr. Wales, and reduced to the town by Mr. Kendal’s watch, which made the longitude 17° 10ʹ 14ʺ west. During our stay here, the crews of both ships were supplied with fresh beef and onions; and a quantity of the latter was distributed amongst them for a sea store.

Having got on board a supply of water, wine, and other necessaries, we left Madeira on the 1st of August, and stood to the southward, with a fine gale at N. E. On the 4th we passed Palma, one of the Canary isles. It is of a height to be seen twelve or fourteen leagues, and lies in the latitude 28° 38ʹ north, longitude 17° 58ʹ west. The next day we saw the isle of Ferro, and passed it at the distance of fourteen leagues. I judged it to lie in the latitude 27° 42ʹ north, and longitude 18° 9ʹ west.

I now made three puncheons of beer, of the inspissated juice of malt. The proportion I made use of was about ten of water to one of juice. Fifteen of the nineteen half-barrels of the inspissated juice which we had on board were produced from wort that was hopped before inspissated. The other four were made of beer that had been both hopped and fermented before inspissated. This last requires no other preparation to make it fit for use, than to mix it with cold water, from one part in eight, to one part in twelve of water, (or in such other proportion as might be liked,) then stop it down; and in a few days it will be brisk, and drinkable. But the other sort, after being mixed with water in the same manner, will require to be fermented with yeast, in the usual way of making beer; at least it was so thought. However, experience taught us that this will not always be necessary. For by the heat of the weather and the agitation of the ship, both sorts were at this time in the highest state of fermentation, and had hitherto evaded all our endeavours to stop it. If this juice could be kept from fermenting, it certainly would be a most valuable article at sea.

On finding that our stock of water would not last us to the Cape of Good Hope, without putting the people to a scanty allowance, I resolved to stop at St. Jago for a supply. On the 9th, at nine o’clock in the morning, we made the island of Bonavista, bearing S. W. The next day, we passed the island of Mayo on our right; and the same evening anchored in Port Praya, in the island of St. Jago, in eighteen fathom water. The east point of the bay bore east; the west point S. W. ¹⁄₂ S. and the fort N. W. I immediately dispatched an officer to ask leave to water, and purchase refreshments; which was granted. On the return of the officer I saluted the fort with eleven guns, on a promise of its being returned with an equal number. But by a mistake, as they pretended, the salute was returned with only nine; for which the governor made an excuse the next day. The 14th, in the evening, having completed our water, and got on board a supply of refreshments; such as hogs, goats, fowls, and fruit; we put to sea, and proceeded on our voyage.

Port Praya is a small bay, situated about the middle of the south side of the island of St. Jago, in the latitude of 14° 53ʹ 30ʺ north, longitude 23° 30ʹ west. It may be known, especially in coming from the east, by the southermost hill on the island; which is round, and peaked at top; and lies a little way inland, in the direction of west from the port. This mark is the more necessary, as there is a small cove about a league to the eastward, with a sandy beach in the bottom of it, a valley and cocoa-nut trees behind, which strangers may mistake for Port Praya, as we ourselves did. The two points which form the entrance of Port Praya Bay, are rather low, and in the direction of W. S. W. and E. N. E. half a league from each other. Close to the west point are sunken rocks, on which the sea continually breaks. The bay lies in N. W. near half a league; and the depth of water is from fourteen to four fathoms. Large ships ought not to anchor in less than eight, in which depth the south end of the Green island (a small island lying under the west shore) will bear west. You water at a well that is behind the beach at the head of the bay. The water is tolerable, but scarce; and bad getting off, on account of a great surf on the beach. The refreshments to be got here are, bullocks, hogs, goats, sheep, poultry, and fruits. The goats are of the antelope kind, so extraordinary lean, that hardly any thing can equal them; and the bullocks, hogs, and sheep are not much better. Bullocks must be purchased with money; the price is twelve Spanish dollars a head, weighing between 250 and 300 pounds. Other articles may be got from the natives in exchange for old clothes, &c. But the sale of bullocks is confined to a company of merchants; to whom this privilege is granted, and who keep an agent residing upon the spot. The fort above-mentioned seems wholly designed for the protection of the bay, and is well situated for that purpose, being built on an elevation, which rises directly from the sea on the right, at the head of the bay.

We had no sooner got clear of Port Praya, than we got a fresh gale at N. N. E. which blew in squalls, attended with showers of rain. But the next day the wind and showers abated, and veered to the south. It was, however, variable and unsettled for several days, accompanied with dark, gloomy weather, and showers of rain.

On the 19th, in the afternoon, one of the carpenter’s-mates fell over board, and was drowned. He was over the side, fitting in one of the scuttles; from whence, it was supposed, he had fallen: for he was not seen till the very instant he sunk under the ship’s stern, when our endeavours to save him were too late. This loss was sensibly felt during the voyage, as he was a sober man and a good workman. About noon the next day, the rain poured down upon us not in drops, but in streams. The wind, at the same time, was variable, and squally; which obliged the people to attend the decks, so that few in the ships escaped a good soaking. We, however, benefited by it, as it gave us an opportunity of filling all our empty water casks. This heavy rain at last brought on a dead calm, which continued twenty-four hours, when it was succeeded by a breeze from S. W. Betwixt this point and south it continued for several days; and blew, at times, in squalls, attended with rain and hot sultry weather. The mercury in the thermometers at noon, kept generally from 79 to 82.

On the 27th, spake with Captain Furneaux, who informed us that one of his petty officers was dead. At this time we had not one sick on board; although we had every thing of this kind to fear from the rain we had had, which is a great promoter of sickness in hot climates. To prevent this, and agreeable to some hints I had from Sir Hugh Palliser, and from Captain Campbell, I took every necessary precaution, by airing and drying the ship with fires made betwixt decks, smoaking, &c. and by obliging the people to air their bedding, wash and dry their clothes, whenever there was an opportunity. A neglect of these things causeth a disagreeable smell below, affects the air, and seldom fails to bring on sickness; but more especially in hot and wet weather.

We now began to see some of those birds which are said never to fly far from land; that is, man of war, and tropic birds, gannets, &c. No land, however, that we knew of, could be nearer than eighty leagues.

On the 30th, at noon, being in the latitude of 2° 35ʹ north, longitude 7° 30ʹ west, and the wind having veered to the east of south, we tacked and stretched to the S. W. In the latitude of 0° 52ʹ north, longitude 9° 25ʹ west, we had one calm day, which gave us an opportunity of trying the current in a boat. We found it set to the north one-third of a mile an hour. We had reason to expect this from the difference we frequently found between the observed latitude, and that given by the log: and Mr. Kendal’s watch showed us, that it set to the East also. This was fully confirmed by the lunar observations; when it appeared, that we were 3° more to the east than the common reckoning. At the time of trying the current, the mercury in the thermometer in the open air stood at 75¹⁄₂; and when immerged in the surface of the sea, at 74; but when immerged eighty fathoms deep (where it remained fifteen minutes) when it came up, the mercury stood at 66. At the same time we sounded, without finding bottom with a line of two hundred and fifty fathoms.

The calm was succeeded by a light breeze at S. W. which kept veering by little and little to the south, and at last to the eastward of south, attended with clear serene weather. At length, on the 8th of September, we crossed the line in the longitude of 8° west; after which the ceremony of ducking, &c. generally practised on this occasion, was not omitted.

The wind now veering more and more to the east, and blowing a gentle top-gallant gale, in eight days it carried us into the latitude of 9° 30ʹ south, longitude 18° west. The weather was pleasant; and we daily saw some of those birds which are looked upon as signs of the vicinity of land; such as boobies, men of war, tropic birds, and gannets. We supposed they came from the isle of St. Matthew, or Ascension; which isles we must have passed at no great distance.

On the 27th, in the latitude of 25° 29ʹ, longitude 24° 54ʹ, we discovered a sail to the west, standing after us. She was a snow; and the colours she showed either a Portuguese or St. George’s Ensign, the distance being too great to distinguish the one from the other; and I did not choose to wait to get nearer, or to speak with her.

The wind now began to be variable. It first veered to the north, where it remained two days with fair weather. Afterwards it came round by the west to the south, where it remained two days longer, and after a few hours’ calm sprang up at S. W. But here it remained not long before it veered to S. E. E., and to the north of east; blew fresh, and by squalls, with showers of rain.

With these winds we advanced but slowly, and without meeting with any thing remarkable till the 11th of October, when at 6^h 24^m 12^s, by Mr. Kendal’s watch, the moon rose about four digits eclipsed; and soon after we prepared to observe the end of the eclipse, as follows, viz.

The next morning, having but little wind, we hoisted a boat out, to try if there was any current, but found none. From this time to the 16th, we had the wind between the north and east, a gentle gale. We had for some time ceased to see any of the birds before mentioned; and were now accompanied by albatrosses, pintadoes, sheerwaters, &c. and a small grey peterel, less than a pigeon. It has a whitish belly, and grey back, with a black stroke across from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. These birds sometimes visited us in great flights. They are, as well as the pintadoes, southern birds; and are, I believe, never seen within the tropics, or north of the line.

On the 17th, we saw a sail to the N. W. standing to the eastward, which hoisted Dutch colours. She kept us company for two days, but the third we outsailed her.

On the 21st, at 7^h 30^m 20^s A. M. our longitude, by the mean of two observed distances of the sun and moon, was 8° 4ʹ 30ʺ east; Mr. Kendal’s watch at the same time gave 7° 22ʹ. Our latitude was 35° 20ʹ south. The wind was now easterly, and continued so till the 23d, when it veered to N. and N. W. after some hours calm; in which we put a boat in the water, and Mr. Forster shot some albatrosses and other birds, on which we feasted the next day, and found them exceedingly good. At the same time we saw a seal, or, as some thought, a sea-lion, which probably might be an inhabitant of one of the isles of Tristian de Cunha, being now nearly in their latitude, and about 5° east of them.

The wind continued but two days at N. W. and S. W.; then veered to the S. E., where it remained two days longer; then fixed at N. W., which carried us to our intended port. As we approached the land, the sea-fowl, which had accompanied us hitherto, began to leave us; at least they did not come in such numbers; nor did we see gannets, or the black bird commonly called the Cape hen, till we were nearly within sight of the Cape; nor did we strike sounding till Penguin Island bore N. N. E. distant two or three leagues, where we had fifty fathom water. Not but that the soundings may extend farther off. However, I am very sure that they do not extend very far west from the Cape; for we could not find ground with a line of 210 fathoms, 25 leagues west of Table Bay; the same at 35 leagues, and at 64 leagues. I sounded these three times, in order to find a bank, which, I had been told, lies to the west of the Cape; but how far I never could learn.

I was told, before I left England, by some gentlemen who were well enough acquainted with the navigation between England and the Cape of Good Hope, that I sailed at an improper season of the year; and that I should meet with much calm weather near and under the line. This probably may be the case some years; it is, however, not general; on the contrary, we hardly met with any calms; but a brisk S. W. wind in those very latitudes where the calms are expected. Nor did we meet with any of those tornadoes, so much spoken of by other navigators. However, what they have said of the current setting towards the coast of Guinea, as you approach that shore, is true; for, from the time of our leaving St. Jago to our arrival into the latitude of 1¹⁄₂° north, which was eleven days, we were carried by the current 3° of longitude more east than our reckoning. On the other hand, after we had crossed the line, and got the S. E. trade wind, we always found by observation, that the ship outstripped the reckoning, which we judged to be owing to a current setting between the south and west. But, upon the whole, the currents in this run seemed to balance each other; for, upon our arrival at the Cape, the difference of longitude by dead reckoning kept from England, without once being corrected, was only three quarters of a degree less than that by observation.

At two in the afternoon, on the 29th, we made the land of the Cape of Good Hope. The Table Mountain, which is over the Cape Town, bore E. S. E. distance 12 or 14 leagues. At this time it was a good deal obscured by clouds, otherwise it might, from its height, have been seen at a much greater distance. We now crowded all the sail we could, thinking to get into the bay before dark. But when we found this could not be accomplished, we shortened sail, and spent the night standing off and on. Between eight and nine o’clock, the whole sea, within the compass of our sight, became at once, as it were, illuminated; or, what the seamen call, all on fire. This appearance of the sea, in some degree, is very common; but the cause is not so generally known. Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander had satisfied me that it was occasioned by sea insects. Mr. Forster, however, seemed not to favour this opinion. I therefore had some buckets of water drawn up from along-side the ship, which we found full of an innumerable quantity of small globular insects, about the size of a common pin’s head, and quite transparent. There was no doubt of their being living animals, when in their own proper element, though we could not perceive any life in them: Mr. Forster, whose province it is more minutely to describe things of this nature, was now well satisfied with the cause of the sea’s illumination.

At length day-light came, and brought us fair weather; and having stood into Table Bay, with the Adventure in company, we anchored in five fathom water. We afterwards moored N. E. and S. W.; Green Point, on the west point of the bay, bearing N. W. by W.; and the church, in one with the valley between the Table Mountain and the Sugar-Loaf or Lion’s Head, bearing S. W. by S., and distant from the landing-place near the fort, one mile.

We had no sooner anchored than we were visited by the Captain of the port, or Master Attendant, some other officers belonging to the company, and Mr. Brandt. This last gentleman brought us off such things as could not fail of being acceptable to persons coming from sea. The purport of the Master Attendant’s visit was, according to custom, to take an account of the ships; to inquire into the health of the crews; and, in particular, if the small-pox was on board; a thing they dread, above all others, at the Cape, and for these purposes a surgeon is always one of the visitants.

My first step, after anchoring, was to send an officer to wait on Baron Plettenberg, the governor, to acquaint him with our arrival, and the reasons which induced me to put in there. To this the officer received a very polite answer; and, upon his return, we saluted the garrison with eleven guns, which compliment was returned. Soon after, I went on shore myself, and waited upon the governor, accompanied by Captain Furneaux, and the two Mr. Forsters. He received us with great politeness, and promised me every assistance the place could afford. From him I learned that two French ships from the Mauritius, about eight months before, had discovered land, in the latitude of 48° south, and in the meridian of that island, along which they sailed forty miles, till they came to a bay into which they were about to enter, when they were driven off and separated in a hard gale of wind, after having lost some of their boats and people, which they had sent to sound the bay. One of the ships, viz. the La Fortune, soon after arrived at the Mauritius, the captain of which was sent home to France with an account of the discovery. The governor also informed me, that in March last two other French ships from the island of Mauritius touched at the Cape in their way to the South Pacific Ocean; where they were going to make discoveries, under the command of M. Marion. Aotourou, the man M. de Bougainville brought from Otaheite, was to have returned with M. Marion, had he been living.

After having visited the governor and some other principal persons of the place, we fixed ourselves at Mr. Brandt’s, the usual residence of most officers belonging to English ships. This gentleman spares neither trouble nor expence to make his house agreeable to those who favour him with their company, and to accommodate them with every thing they want. With him I concerted measures for supplying the ships with provisions, and all other necessaries they wanted; which he set about procuring without delay, while the seamen on board were employed in overhauling the rigging; and the carpenters in caulking the ship’s sides and decks, &c.

Messrs. Wales and Bayley got all their instruments on shore, in order to make astronomical observations for ascertaining the going of the watches, and other purposes. The result of some of these observations shewed, that Mr. Kendal’s watch had answered beyond all expectation, by pointing out the longitude of this place to within one minute of time to what it was observed by Messrs. Mason and Dixon in 1761.

Three or four days after us, two Dutch Indiamen arrived here from Holland, after a passage of between four and five months, in which one lost, by the scurvy and other putrid diseases, 150 men; and the other 41. They sent, on their arrival, great numbers to the hospital in very dreadful circumstances. It is remarkable, that one of these ships touched at Port Praya, and left it a month before we arrived there; and yet we got here three days before her. The Dutch at the Cape, having found their hospital too small for the reception of their sick, were going to build a new one at the east part of the town; the foundation of which was laid with great ceremony while we were there.

By the healthy condition of the crews of both ships at our arrival, I thought to have made my stay at the Cape very short. But, as the bread we wanted was unbaked, and the spirit, which I found scarce, to be collected from different parts out of the country, it was the 18th of November before we had got every thing on board, and the 22d before we could put to sea. During this stay the crews of both ships were served every day with fresh beef or mutton, new baked bread, and as much greens as they could eat. The ships were caulked and painted; and, in every respect, put in as good a condition as when they left England. Some alterations in the officers took place in the Adventure. Mr. Shank, the first lieutenant, having been in an ill state of health ever since we sailed from Plymouth, and not finding himself recover here, desired my leave to quit, in order to return home for the re-establishment of his health. As his request appeared to be well-founded, I granted him leave accordingly, and appointed Mr. Kemp first lieutenant in his room; and Mr. Burney, one of my midshipmen, second, in the room of Mr. Kemp.

Mr. Forster, whose whole time was taken up in the pursuit of Natural History and Botany, met with a Swedish gentleman, one Mr. Sparrman, who understood something of these sciences, having studied under Dr. Linnæus. He being willing to embark with us, Mr. Forster strongly importuned me to take him on board; thinking that he would be of great assistance to him in the course of the voyage. I at last consented, and he embarked with us accordingly, as an assistant to Mr. Forster; who bore his expences on board, and allowed him a yearly stipend besides.

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.

CHAP. 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 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 fort 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° 25ʹ south, and 29ʹ 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° 4ʹ, and 2° of longitude west of the Cape; thermometer 52¹⁄₂. 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° 41ʹ south, and longitude 18° 24ʹ east. 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.

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° 40ʹ south, and 1¹⁄₂° east 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 o’clock 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.

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 50° 40ʹ south, and longitude 2° 0ʹ east 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 topsails, 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 this 24 hours from 36¹⁄₂ to 31.

At day-light in the morning of the 11th, we made sail to the southward with the wind at west, having a fresh gale, attended with sleet and snow. At noon we were in the latitude of 51° 50ʹ S., and longitude 21° 3ʹ E., where we saw some white birds about the size of pigeons, with blackish bills and feet. I never saw any such before; and Mr. Forster had no knowledge of them. I believe them to be of the peterel tribe, and natives of these icy seas. At this time we passed between two ice islands, which lay at a little distance from each other.

In the night, the wind veered to N. W., which enabled us to steer S. W. On the 12th, we had still thick hazy weather, with sleet and snow; so that we were obliged to proceed with great caution on account of the ice islands: six of these we passed this day; some of them near two miles in circuit, and 60 feet high. And yet, such was the force and height of the waves, that the sea broke quite over them. This exhibited a view, which for a few moments was pleasing to the eye; but when we reflected on the danger, the mind was filled with horror; for, were a ship to get against the weather-side of one of these islands when the sea runs high, she would be dashed to pieces in a moment. Upon our getting among the ice islands, the albatrosses left us; that is, we saw but one now and then; nor did our other companions, the pintadoes, sheer-waters, small grey birds, fulmars, &c. appear in such numbers; on the other hand, penguins began to make their appearance. Two of these birds were seen to-day.

The wind in the night veered to west, and at last fixed at S. W., a fresh gale, with sleet and snow, which froze on our sails and rigging as it fell, so that they were all hung with icicles. We kept on to the southward, passed no less than eighteen ice islands, and saw more penguins. At noon on the 13th, we were in the latitude of 54° south, which is the latitude of Cape Circumcision, discovered by M. Bouvet in 1739; but we were ten degrees of longitude east of it; that is, near 118 leagues in this latitude. We stood on to the S. S. E. till eight o’clock in the evening, the weather still continuing thick and hazy, with sleet and snow. From noon till this time, twenty ice islands, of various extent both for height and circuit, presented themselves to our view. At eight o’clock we sounded, but found no ground with 150 fathom of line.

We now tacked, and make a trip to the northward till midnight, when we stood again to the southward; and at half-an-hour past six o’clock in the morning of the 14th, we were stopped by an immense field of low ice; to which we could see no end, either to the east, west, or south. In different parts of this field, were islands, or hills of ice, like those we found floating in the sea; and some on board thought they saw land also over the ice, bearing S. W. by S. I even thought so myself; but changed my opinion upon more narrowly examining these ice hills, and the various appearances they made when seen through the haze; for at this time it was both hazy and cloudy in the horizon, so that a distant object could not be seen distinct. Being now in the latitude of 54° 50ʹ south, and longitude 21° 34ʹ east, and having the wind at N. W., we bore away along the edge of the ice, steering S. S. E. and S. E., according to the direction of the north side of it, where we saw many whales, penguins, some white birds, pintadoes, &c.

At eight o’clock, we brought to under a point of the ice, where we had smooth water: and I sent on board for Captain Furneaux. After we had fixed on rendezvouses in case of separation, and some other matters for the better keeping company, he returned on board, and we made sail again along the ice. Some pieces we took up along-side, which yielded fresh water. At noon we had a good observation, and found ourselves in latitude 54° 55ʹ south.

We continued a S. E. course along the edge of the ice till one o’clock, when we came to a point round which we hauled S. S. W., the sea appearing to be clear of ice in that direction. But after running four leagues upon this course, with the ice on our starboard side, we found ourselves quite embayed; the ice extending from N. N. E. round by the west and south, to east, in one compact body. The weather was indifferently clear; and yet we could see no end to it. At five o’clock, we hauled up east, wind at north, a gentle gale, in order to clear the ice. The extreme east point of it, at eight o’clock, bore E. by S., over which appeared a clear sea. We however spent the night in making short boards, under an easy sail. Thermometer, these 24 hours, from 32 to 30.

Next day, the 15th, we had the wind at N. W., a small gale, thick foggy weather, with much snow; thermometer from 32 to 27; so that our sails and rigging were all hung with icicles. The fog was so thick, at times, that we could not see the length of the ship; and we had much difficulty to avoid the many islands of ice that surrounded us. About noon, having but little wind, we hoisted out a boat to try the current, which we found set S. E. near ³⁄₄ of a mile an hour. At the same time, a thermometer, which in the open air was at 32°, in the surface of the sea was at 30°; and, after being immerged 100 fathoms deep for about 15 or 20 minutes, came up at 34°, which is only 2° above freezing. Our latitude at this time was 55° 8ʹ.

The thick fog continued till two o’clock in the afternoon of the next day, when it cleared away a little, and we made sail to the southward, wind still at N. W., a gentle gale. We had not run long to the southward before we fell in with the main field of ice, extending from S. S. W. to E. We now bore away to east along the edge of it; but at night hauled off north, with the wind at W. N. W., a gentle gale attended with snow.

At four in the morning on the 17th, stood again to the south; but was again obliged to bear up on account of the ice, along the side of which we steered betwixt E. and S. S. W., hauling into every bay or opening, in hopes of finding a passage to the south. But we found every where the ice closed. We had a gentle gale at N. W. with showers of snow. At noon we were, by observation, in the latitude of 55° 16ʹ south. In the evening, the weather was clear and serene. In the course of this day, we saw many whales, one seal, penguins, some of the white birds, another sort of peterel, which is brown and white, and not much unlike a pintado; and some other sorts already known. We found the skirts of the loose ice to be more broken than usual; and it extended some distance beyond the main field, insomuch that we sailed amongst it the most part of the day; and the high ice islands without us were innumerable. At eight o’clock we sounded, but found no ground with 250 fathoms of line. After this we hauled close upon a wind to the northward, as we could see the field of ice extend as far as N. E. But this happened not to be the northern point; for at eleven o’clock, we were obliged to tack to avoid it.

At two o’clock the next morning, we stood again to the northward, with the wind at N. W. by W., thinking to weather the ice upon this tack; on which we stood but two hours, before we found ourselves quite imbayed, being then in latitude 55° 8ʹ, longitude 24° 3ʹ. The wind veering more to the north, we tacked, and stood to the westward under all the sail we could carry, having a fresh breeze and clear weather, which last was of short duration. For at six o’clock, it became hazy, and soon after there was thick fog; the wind veered to the N. E., freshened, and brought with it snow and sleet, which froze on the rigging as it fell. We were now enabled to get clear of the field of ice; but at the same time we were carried in amongst the ice islands, in a manner equally dangerous, and which, with much difficulty, we kept clear of.

Dangerous as it is to sail among these floating rocks (if I may be allowed to call them so) in a thick fog, this, however, is preferable to being entangled with immense fields of ice under the same circumstances. The great danger to be apprehended in this latter case, is the getting fast in the ice; a situation which would be exceedingly alarming. I had two men on board that had been in the Greenland trade; the one of them in a ship that lay nine weeks, and the other in one that lay six weeks, fast in this kind of ice; which they called packed ice. What they call field ice is thicker; and the whole field, be it ever so large, consists of one piece. Whereas this which I call field ice, from its immense extent, consists of many pieces of various sizes, both in thickness and surface, from 30 or 40 feet square to 3 or 4; packed close together; and in places heaped one upon another. This, I am of opinion, would be found too hard for a ship’s side, that is not properly armed against it. How long it may have lain, or will lie here, is a point not easily determined. Such ice is found in the Greenland seas all the summer long; and I think it cannot be colder there in the summer, than it is here. Be this as it may, we certainly had no thaw; on the contrary, the mercury in Fahrenheit’s thermometer kept generally below the freezing point, although it was the middle of summer.

It is a general opinion, that the ice I have been speaking of is formed in bays and rivers. Under this supposition, we were led to believe that land was not far distant; and that it even lay to the southward behind the ice, which alone hindered us from approaching to it. Therefore, as we had now sailed above 30 leagues along the edge of the ice, without finding a passage to the south, I determined to run 30 or 40 leagues to the east, afterwards endeavour to get to the southwards, and, if I met with no land, or other impediment, to get behind the ice, and put the matter out of all manner of dispute. With this view, we kept standing to the N. W. with the wind at N. E. and N., thick foggy weather, with sleet and snow, till six in the evening, when the wind veered to N. W. and we tacked and stood to the eastward, meeting with many islands of ice of different magnitudes, and some loose pieces: the thermometer from 30 to 34; weather very hazy, with sleet and snow, and more sensibly colder than the thermometer seemed to point out, in so much that the whole crew complained. In order to enable them to support this weather the better, I caused the sleeves of their jackets (which were so short as to expose their arms) to be lengthened with baize; and had a cap made for each man of the same stuff, together with canvass; which proved of great service to them.

Some of our people beginning to have symptoms of the scurvy, the surgeons began to give them fresh wort every day, made from the malt we had on board for that purpose. One man in particular was highly scorbutic; and yet he had been taking of the rob of lemon and orange for some time, without being benefited thereby. On the other hand, Captain Furneaux told me, that he had two men who, though far gone in this disease, were now in a manner entirely cured of it.

We continued standing to the eastward till eight o’clock in the morning of the 21st; when, being in the latitude of 53° 50ʹ, and longitude 29° 24ʹ east, we hauled to the south with the wind at west, a fresh gale and hazy, with snow. In the evening the wind fell, and the weather cleared up, so as that we could see a few leagues round us; being in the latitude of 54° 43ʹ south, longitude 29° 30ʹ east.

At ten o’clock, seeing many islands of ice ahead, and the weather coming on foggy, with snow, we wore and stood to the northward, till three in the morning, when we stood again to the south. At eight, the weather cleared up, and the wind came to W. S. W. with which we made all the sail we could to the south; having never less than ten or twelve islands of ice in sight.

Next day we had the wind at S. W. and S. S. W. a gentle gale, with now and then showers of snow and hail. In the morning, being in the latitude of 55° 20ʹ south, and longitude 31° 30ʹ east, we hoisted out a boat to see if there was any current; but found none. Mr. Forster, who went in the boat, shot some of the small grey birds before mentioned, which were of the peterel tribe, and about the size of a small pigeon. Their back, and upper side of their wings, their feet and bills, are of a blue grey colour. Their bellies, and under side of their wings, are white, a little tinged with blue. The upper side of their quill feathers is a dark blue tinged with black. A streak is formed by feathers nearly of this colour along the upper parts of the wings, and crossing the back a little above the tail. The end of the tail feathers is also of the same colour. Their bills are much broader than any I have seen of the same tribe; and their tongues are remarkably broad. These blue peterels, as I shall call them, are seen no where but in the southern hemisphere, from about the latitude of 28°, and upwards. Thermometer at 33° in the open air, at 32 in the sea at the surface, and at 34¹⁄₂ when drawn, and 6¹⁄₂ minutes in drawing up from 100 fathoms below it, where it had been 16 minutes.

On the 24th, the wind blew from N. W. to N. E. a gentle gale, fair and cloudy. At noon we were by observation in the latitude of 56° 31ʹ south, and longitude 31° 19ʹ east, the thermometer at 35. And being near an island of ice which was about 50 feet high, and 400 fathoms in circuit, I sent the master in the jolly-boat to see if any water run from it. He soon returned with an account, that there was not one drop, or any other appearances of thaw. In the evening, we sailed through several floats or fields of loose ice, lying in the direction of S. E. and N. W., at the same time we had continually several islands of the same composition in sight.

On the 25th, the wind veering round from the N. E. by the east to south, it blew a gentle gale; with which we stood to the W. S. W. and at noon were in the latitude of 57° 50ʹ south, and longitude 29° 32ʹ east. The weather was fair and cloudy; the air sharp and cold, attended with a hard frost. And, although this was the middle of summer with us, I much question if the day was colder in any part of England. The wind continued at south, blew a fresh gale, fair and cloudy weather, till near noon the next day, when we had clear sunshine, and found ourselves, by observation, in the latitude of 58° 31ʹ south longitude, 26° 57ʹ east.

In the course of the last twenty-four hours, we passed through several fields of broken loose ice. They were in general narrow, but of a considerable length, in the direction of N. W. and S. E. The ice was so close in one, that it would hardly admit the ship through it. The pieces were flat, from four to six or eight inches thick, and appeared of that sort of ice which is generally formed in bays or rivers. Others again were different; the pieces forming various honey-combed branches, exactly like coral rocks, and exhibiting such a variety of figures as can hardly be conceived.

We supposed this ice to have broke from the main field we had lately left; and which I was determined to get to the south of, or behind, if possible, in order to satisfy myself, whether or no it joined to any land, as had been conjectured. With this view, I kept on to the westward, with a gentle gale at south and S. S. W., and soon after six o’clock in the evening, we saw some penguins, which occasioned us to sound; but we found no ground with 150 fathoms.

In the morning of the 27th, we saw more loose ice, but not many islands; and those we did see were but small. The day being calm and pleasant, and the sea smooth, we hoisted out a boat; from which Mr. Forster shot a penguin and some peterels. These penguins differ not from those seen in other parts of the world, except in some minute particulars distinguishable only by naturalists. Some of the peterels were of the blue sort; but differed from those before mentioned, in not having a broad bill; and the ends of their tail feathers were tipped with white instead of dark blue. But whether these were only the distinctions between the male and female, was a matter disputed by our naturalists. We were now in the latitude of 58° 19ʹ south, longitude 24° 39ʹ east, and took the opportunity of the calm to sound; but found no ground with a line of 220 fathoms. The calm continued till six in the evening, when it was succeeded by a light breeze from the east, which afterwards increased to a fresh gale.

In the morning of the 28th, I made the signal to the Adventure to spread four miles on my starboard beam; and in this position we continued sailing W. S. W. until four o’clock in the afternoon, when the hazy weather, attended with snow showers, made it necessary for us to join. Soon after we reefed our top-sails, being surrounded on all sides with islands of ice. In the morning of the 29th, we let them out again, and set top-gallant sails, still continuing our course to the westward, and meeting with several penguins. At noon we were, by observation, in the latitude of 59° 12ʹ, longitude 19° 1ʹ east; which is 3° more to the west than we were when we first fell in with the field ice; so that it is pretty clear that it joined to no land, as was conjectured.

Having come to a resolution to run as far west as the meridian of Cape Circumcision, provided we met with no impediment, as the distance was not more than 80 leagues, the wind favourable, and the sea seemed to be pretty clear of ice, I sent on board for Captain Furneaux, to make him acquainted therewith; and after dinner he returned to his ship. At one o’clock we steered for an island of ice, thinking, if there were any loose ice round it, to take some on board, and convert it into fresh water. At four we brought to, close under the lee of the island; where we did not find what we wanted, but saw upon it eighty-six penguins. This piece of ice was about half a mile in circuit, and one hundred feet high and upwards; for we lay for some minutes with every sail becalmed under it. The side on which the penguins were, rose sloping from the sea, so as to admit them to creep up it.

It is a received opinion, that penguins never go far from land, and that the sight of them is a sure indication of its vicinity. This opinion may hold good where there are no ice islands; but where such are, these birds, as well as many others which usually keep near the shores, finding a roosting-place upon these islands, may be brought by them a great distance from any land. It will however be said, that they must go on shore to breed; that probably the females were there, and that these were only the males which we saw. Be this as it may, I shall continue to take notice of these birds whenever we see them, and leave every one to judge for himself.

We continued our course to the westward, with a gentle gale at E. N. E. the weather being sometimes tolerably clear, and at other times thick and hazy, with snow. The thermometer for a few days past was from 31 to 36. At nine o’clock the next morning, being the 30th, we shot one of the white birds; upon which we lowered a boat into the water to take it up, and by that means killed a penguin which weighed 11¹⁄₂ pounds. The white bird was of the peterel tribe; the bill, which is rather short, is of a colour between black and dark blue, and their legs and feet are blue. I believe them to be the same sort of birds that Bouvet mentions to have seen, when he was off Cape Circumcision.

We continued our westerly course till eight o’clock in the evening, when we steered N. W., the point on which I reckoned the above mentioned Cape to bear.

At mid-night we fell in with loose ice, which soon after obliged us to tack, and stretch to the southward. At half an hour past two o’clock in the morning of the 31st, we stood for it again, thinking to take some on board; but this was found impracticable. For the wind, which had been at N. E., now veered to S. E., and increasing to a fresh gale, brought with it such a sea as made it very dangerous for the ships to remain among the ice. The danger was yet farther increased, by discovering an immense field to the north, extending from N. E. by E. to S. W. by W. farther than the eye could reach. As we were not above two or three miles from this, and surrounded by loose ice, there was no time to deliberate. We presently wore, got our tacks on board, hauled to the south, and soon got clear, but not before we had received several hard knocks from the loose pieces, which were of the largest sort, and among which we saw a seal. In the afternoon, the wind increased in such a manner, as to oblige us to hand the top-sails, and strike top-gallant-yards. At eight o’clock we tacked, and stood to the east till mid-night, when, being in the latitude of 60° 21ʹ south, longitude 13° 32ʹ east, we stood again to the west.

Next day towards noon, the gale abated; so that we could carry close-reefed top-sails. But the weather continued thick and hazy, with sleet and snow, which froze on the rigging as it fell, and ornamented the whole with icicles; the mercury in the thermometer being generally below the freezing point. This weather continued till near noon the next day; at which time we were in the latitude of 59° 12ʹ south, longitude 9° 45ʹ east, and here we saw some penguins.

The wind had now veered to the west, and was so moderate, that we could bear two reefs out of the top-sails. In the afternoon, we were favoured with a sight of the moon, whose face we had seen but once since we left the Cape of Good Hope. By this a judgment may be formed of the sort of weather we had had since we left that place. We did not fail to seize the opportunity to make several observations of the sun and moon. The longitude deduced from them was 9° 34ʹ 30ʺ east. Mr. Kendal’s watch, at the same time, giving 10° 6ʹ east, and the latitude was 58° 53ʹ 30ʺ south.

This longitude is nearly the same that is assigned to Cape Circumcision, and at the going down of the sun, we were about ninety-five leagues to the south of the latitude it is said to lie in. At this time the weather was so clear, that we might have seen land at fourteen or fifteen leagues distance. It is therefore very probable, that what Bouvet took for land, was nothing but mountains of ice, surrounded by loose or field ice. We ourselves were undoubtedly deceived by the ice hills, the day we first fell in with the field ice. Nor was it an improbable conjecture, that that ice joined to land. The probability was however now greatly lessened, if not entirely set aside. For the space between the northern edge of the ice, along which we sailed, and our route to the west, when south of it, nowhere exceeded 100 leagues; and in some places not 60. But a view of the chart will best explain this. The clear weather continued no longer than three o’clock the next morning, when it was succeeded by a thick fog, sleet, and snow. The wind also veered to N. E. and blew a fresh gale, with which we stood to S. E. It increased in such a manner, that before noon we were brought under close-reefed top-sails. The wind continued to veer to the north, at last fixed at N. W. and was attended with intervals of clear weather.

Our course was east, ³⁄₄ north, till noon the next day, when we were in the latitude of 59° 2ʹ south, and nearly under the same meridian as we were when we fell in with the last field of ice, five days before; so that had it remained in the same situation, we must now have been in the middle of it. Whereas we did not so much as see any. We cannot suppose that so large a float of ice as this was, could be destroyed in so short a time. It therefore must have drifted to the northward, and this makes it probable that there is no land under this meridian, between the latitude of 55° and 59°, where we had supposed some to lie, as mentioned above.

As we were now only sailing over a part of the sea where we had been before, I directed the course E. S. E. in order to get more to the south. We had the advantage of a fresh gale, and the disadvantage of a thick fog, much snow and sleet, which, as usual, froze on our rigging as it fell, so that every rope was covered with the finest transparent ice I ever saw. This afforded an agreeable sight enough to the eye, but conveyed to the mind an idea of coldness, much greater than it really was; for the weather was rather milder than it had been for some time past, and the sea less encumbered with ice. But the worst was, the ice so clogged the rigging, sails, and blocks, as to make them exceedingly bad to handle. Our people however surmounted those difficulties with a steady perseverance, and withstood this intense cold much better than I expected.

We continued to steer to the E. S. E. with a fresh gale at N. W. attended with snow and sleet, till the 8th, when we were in the latitude of 61° 12ʹ south, longitude 31° 47ʹ east. In the afternoon we passed more ice islands than we had seen for several days. Indeed they were now so familiar to us, that they were often passed unnoticed, but more generally unseen on account of the thick weather. At nine o’clock in the evening, we came to one which had a quantity of loose ice about it. As the wind was moderate, and the weather tolerably fair, we shortened sail, and stood on and off, with a view of taking some on board on the return of light; but at four o’clock in the morning, finding ourselves to leeward of this ice, we bore down to an island to leeward of us, there being about it some loose ice, part of which we saw break off. There we brought to, hoisted out three boats, and in about five or six hours, took up as much ice as yielded fifteen tons of good fresh water. The pieces we took up were hard, and solid as a rock, some of them were so large, that we were obliged to break them with pick-axes, before they could be taken into the boats.

The salt water which adhered to the ice, was so trifling as not to be tasted, and after it had lain on deck a short time, entirely drained off; and the water which the ice yielded, was perfectly sweet and well-tasted. Part of the ice we broke in pieces, and put into casks, some we melted in the coppers, and filled up the casks with the water, and some we kept on deck for present use. The melting and stowing away the ice is a little tedious, and takes up some time, otherwise this is the most expeditious way of watering I ever met with.

Having got on board this supply of water, and the Adventure about two-thirds as much (of which we stood in great need), as we had once broke the ice, I did not doubt of getting more whenever we were in want. I therefore, without hesitation, directed our course more to the south, with a gentle gale at N. W. attended, as usual, with snow showers. In the morning of the 11th, being then in the latitude of 62° 44ʹ south, longitude 37° east, the variation of the compass was 24° 10ʹ west, and the following morning in the latitude of 64° 12ʹ south, longitude 38° 14ʹ east, by the mean of three compasses, it was no more than 23° 52ʹ west. In this situation we saw some penguins, and being near an island of ice, from which several pieces had broken, we hoisted out two boats, and took on board as much as filled all our empty casks; and the Adventure did the same. While this was doing, Mr. Forster shot an albatross, whose plumage was of a colour between brown and dark grey, the head and upper side of the wings rather inclining to black, and it had white eye-brows. We began to see these birds about the time of our first falling in with the ice islands, and some had accompanied us ever since. These, and the dark-brown sort with a yellow bill, were the only albatrosses that had not now forsaken us.

At four o’clock P. M. we hoisted in the boats, and made sail to the S. E. with a gentle breeze at S. by W. attended with showers of snow.

On the 13th, at two o’clock A. M. it fell calm. Of this we took the opportunity to hoist out a boat, to try the current, which we found to set N. W. near one third of a mile an hour. At the time of trying the current, a Fahrenheit’s thermometer was immerged in the sea 100 fathoms below its surface, where it remained twenty minutes. When it came up, the mercury stood at 32, which is the freezing point. Some little time after, being exposed to the surface of the sea, it rose to 33¹⁄₂, and in the open air to 36. The calm continued till five o’clock in the evening, when it was succeeded by a light breeze from the south and S. E. with which we stood to the N. E. with all our sails set.

Though the weather continued fair, the sky, as usual, was clouded. However, at nine o’clock the next morning, it was clear, and we were enabled to observe several distances between the sun and moon. The mean result of which gave 39° 30ʹ 30ʺ east longitude. Mr. Kendal’s watch, at the same time, gave 38° 27ʹ 45ʺ, which is 1° 2ʹ 45ʺ west of the observations; whereas, on the 3d instant, it was half a degree east of them.

Our latitude at this time was 63° 57ʹ, longitude 39° 38¹⁄₂ʹ east.

The succeeding morning, the 15th, being then in latitude 63° 33ʹ south, the longitude was observed by the following persons, viz.

Which is nearly the same difference as the day before. But Mr. Wales and I took each of us six distances of the sun and moon, with the telescopes fixed to our sextants, which brought out the longitude nearly the same as the watch. The results were as follows:—By Mr. Wales 38° 35ʹ 30ʺ, and by me 38° 36ʹ 45ʺ.

It is impossible for me to say whether these or the former are the nearest the truth, nor can I assign any probable reason for so great a disagreement. We certainly can observe with greater accuracy through the telescope, than with the common sight, when the ship is sufficiently steady. The use of the telescope is found difficult at first, but a little practice will make it familiar. By the assistance of the watch, we shall be able to discover the greatest error this method of observing the longitude at sea is liable to; which, at the greatest, does not exceed a degree and a half, and in general will be found to be much less. Such is the improvement navigation has received by the astronomers and mathematical instrument-makers of this age; by the former from the valuable tables they have communicated to the public, under the direction of the Board of Longitude, and contained in the astronomical ephemeris; and by the latter, from the great accuracy they observe in making instruments, without which the tables would, in a great measure, lose their effect. The preceding observations were made by four different sextants, of different workmen; mine was made by Mr. Bird; one of Mr. Wales’s by Mr. Dollond; the other, and Mr. Clerke’s, by Mr. Ramsden; as also Mr. Gilbert’s and Smith’s, who observed with the same instrument.

Five tolerable fine days had now succeeded one another. This, besides giving us an opportunity to make the preceding observations, was very serviceable to us on many other accounts, and came at a very seasonable time. For having on board a good quantity of fresh water or ice, which was the same thing, the people were enabled to wash and dry their clothes and linen; a care that can never be enough attended to in all long voyages. The winds during this time blew in gentle gales, and the weather was mild. Yet the mercury in the thermometer never rose above 36, and was frequently as low as the freezing point.

In the afternoon, having but little wind, I brought to under an island of ice, and sent a boat to take up some. In the evening the wind freshened at east, and was attended with snow showers and thick hazy weather, which continued great part of the 16th. As we met with little ice, I stood to the south, close hauled; and at six o’clock in the evening, being in the latitude of 64° 56ʹ south, longitude 39° 35ʹ east, I found the variation by Gregory’s compass to be 26° 41ʹ west. At this time, the motion of the ship was so great, that I could by no means observe with any of Dr. Knight’s compasses.

As the wind remained invariably fixed at east, and E. by S. I continued to stand to the south; and on the 17th, between eleven and twelve o’clock, we crossed the Antarctic circle in the longitude of 39° 35ʹ east; for at noon we were by observation in the latitude of 66° 36ʹ 30ʺ south. The weather was now become tolerably clear, so that we could see several leagues round us; and yet we had only seen one island of ice since the morning. But about four P. M. as we were steering to the south, we observed the whole sea in a manner covered with ice, from the direction of S. E. round by the south to west.

In this space, thirty-eight ice islands, great and small, were seen, besides loose ice in abundance, so that we were obliged to luff for one piece, and bear up for another, and as we continued to advance to the south, it increased in such a manner, that at ³⁄₄ past six o’clock, being then in the latitude of 67° 15ʹ south, we could proceed no farther; the ice being entirely closed to the south, in the whole extent from east to W. S. W., without the least appearance of any opening. This immense field was composed of different kinds of ice, such as high ills, loose or broken pieces packed close together, and what, I think, Greenlandmen call field-ice. A float of this kind of ice lay to the S. E. of us, of such extent that I could see no end to it, from the mast-head. It was sixteen or eighteen feet high at least; and appeared of a pretty equal height and surface. Here we saw many whales playing about the ice, and for two days before had seen several flocks of the brown and white pintadoes, which we named Antarctic peterels, because they seem to be natives of that region. They are undoubtedly of the peterel tribe; are in every respect shaped like the pintadoes, differing only from them in colour. The head and fore-part of the body of these are brown; and the hind-part of the body, tail and ends of the wings, are white. The white peterel also appeared in greater numbers than before; some few dark grey albatrosses, and our constant companion the blue peterel. But the common pintadoes had quite disappeared, as well as many other sorts, which are common in lower latitudes.

CHAP. III.
SEQUEL OF THE SEARCH FOR A SOUTHERN CONTINENT BETWEEN THE MERIDIAN OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE AND NEW ZEALAND; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE SEPARATION OF THE TWO SHIPS, AND THE ARRIVAL OF THE RESOLUTION IN DUSKY BAY.

After meeting with this ice, I did not think it was at all prudent to persevere in getting farther to the south, especially as the summer was already half spent, and it would have taken up some time to have got round the ice, even supposing it to have been practicable, which, however, is doubtful. I therefore came to a resolution to proceed directly in search of the land lately discovered by the French. And as the winds still continued at E. by S., I was obliged to return to the north, over some part of the sea I had already made myself acquainted with, and for that reason wished to have avoided. But this was not to be done; as our course, made good, was little better than north. In the night, the wind increased to a strong gale, attended with sleet and snow, and obliged us to double-reef our top-sails. About noon the next day, the gale abated; so that we could bear all our reefs out; but the wind still remained in its old quarter.

In the evening, being in the latitude of 64° 12ʹ south, longitude 40° 15ʹ east, a bird called by us, in my former voyage, Port Egmont hen, (on account of the great plenty of them at Port Egmont, in Falkland isles,) came hovering several times over the ship, and then left us in the direction of N. E. They are a short thick bird about the size of a large crow, of a dark brown or chocolate colour, with a whitish streak under each wing in the shape of a half-moon. I have been told that these birds are found in great plenty at the Fero isles, north of Scotland; and that they never go far from land. Certain it is, I never before saw them above forty leagues off; but I do not remember ever seeing fewer than two together, whereas, here was but one, which, with the islands of ice, may have come a good way from land.

At nine o’clock, the wind veering to E. N. E. we tacked and stood to the S. S. E., but at four in the morning of the 20th, it returned back to its old point, and we resumed our northerly course. One of the above birds was seen this morning; probably the same we saw the night before, as our situation was not much altered. As the day advanced, the gale increased, attended with thick hazy weather, sleet and snow, and at last obliged us to close-reef our top-sails, and strike top-gallant-yards. But in the evening, the wind abated so as to admit us to carry whole top-sails and top-gallant-yards aloft. Hazy weather, with snow and sleet continued.

In the afternoon of the 21st, being in the latitude of 62° 24ʹ south, longitude 42° 19ʹ east, we saw a white albatross with black-tipped wings, and a pintadoe bird. The wind was now at south and S. W. a fresh gale. With this we steered N. E. against a very high sea, which did not indicate the vicinity of land in that quarter; and yet it was there we were to expect it. The next day we had intervals of fair weather; the wind was moderate, and we carried our studding sails. In the morning of the 23rd, we were in latitude 60° 27ʹ south, longitude 45° 33ʹ east. Snow showers continued, and the weather was so cold, that the water in our water vessels on deck had been frozen for several preceding nights.

Having clear weather at intervals, I spread the ships a-breast four miles from each other, in order the better to discover any thing that might lie in our way. We continued to sail in this manner till six o’clock in the evening, when hazy weather, and snow showers, made it necessary for us to join.

We kept our course to the N. E. till eight o’clock in the morning of the 25th, when the wind having veered round to N. E. by E. by the west and north, we tacked, and stood to N. W. The wind was fresh, and yet we made but little way against a high northerly sea. We now began to see some of that sort of peterels so well known to sailors by the name of sheerwaters, latitude 58° 10ʹ, longitude 50° 54ʹ east. In the afternoon the wind veered to the southward of east, and at eight o’clock in the evening, it increased to a storm, attended with thick hazy weather, sleet and snow.

During night we went under our fore-sail and main-top-sail close-reefed; at day light the next morning, added to them the fore and mizzen top-sails. At four o’clock it fell calm; but a prodigious high sea from the N. E. and a complication of the worst of weather, viz. snow, sleet, and rain, continued, together with the calm, till nine o’clock in the evening. Then the weather cleared up, and we got a breeze at S. E. by S. With this we steered N. by E. till eight o’clock the next morning, being the 27th, when I spread the ships and steered N. N. E. all sails set, having a fresh breeze at S. by W. and clear weather.

At noon we were, by observation, in the latitude of 56° 28ʹ south, and about three o’clock in the afternoon, the sun and moon appearing at intervals, their distances were observed by the following persons, and the longitude resulting therefrom was—

At six o’clock in the evening, being in latitude 56° 9ʹ S., I now made signal to the Adventure to come under my stern; and at eight o’clock the next morning, sent her to look out on my starboard beam, having at this time a fresh gale at west, and pretty clear weather. But this was not of long duration, for at two in the afternoon, the sky became cloudy and hazy; the wind increased to a fresh gale; blew in squalls attended with snow, sleet, and drizzling rain. I now made signal to the Adventure to come under my stern, and took another reef in each top-sail. At eight o’clock I hauled up the main-sail, and run all night under the fore-sail, and two top-sails; our course being N. N. E. and N. E. by N. with a strong gale at N. W.

The 29th, at noon, we observed in latitude 52° 29ʹ south, the weather being fair and tolerably clear. But in the afternoon, it again became very thick and hazy, with rain; and the gale increased in such a manner as to oblige us to strike top-gallant yards, close reef and hand the top-sails. We spent part of the night, which was very dark and stormy, in making a tack to the S. W., and in the morning of the 30th, stood again to the N. E., wind at N. W. and north, a very fresh gale; which split several of our small sails. This day no ice was seen; probably owing to the thick hazy weather. At eight o’clock in the evening we tacked and stood to the westward, under our courses; but as the sea ran high we made our course no better than S. S. W.

At four o’clock the next morning, the gale had a little abated; and the wind had backed to W. by S. We again stood to the northward, under courses and double-reefed top-sails, having a very high sea from the N. N. W., which gave us but little hopes of finding the land we were in search of. At noon, we were in the latitude of 50° 50ʹ S. longitude 56° 48ʹ east, and presently after we saw two islands of ice. One of these we passed very near, and found that it was breaking or falling to pieces, by the cracking noise it made; which was equal to the report of a four-pounder. There was a good deal of loose ice about it; and had the weather been favourable, I should have brought to, and taken some up. After passing this, we saw no more, till we returned again to the south.

Hazy, gloomy weather continued, and the wind remained invariably fixed at N. W., so that we could make our course no better than N. E. by N., and this course we held till four o’clock in the afternoon of the 1st of February. Being then in the latitude of 48° 30ʹ, and longitude 58° 7ʹ east, nearly in the meridian of the island of Mauritius, and where we were to expect to find the land said to be discovered by the French, of which at this time we saw not the least signs, we bore away east.

I now made the signal to the Adventure to keep at the distance of four miles on my starboard beam. At half an hour past six Captain Furneaux made the signal to speak with me; and upon his coming under my stern, he informed me that he had just seen a large float of sea or rock-weed, and about it several birds (divers). These were certainly signs of the vicinity of land; but whether it lay to the east or west was not possible for us to know. My intention was to have got into this latitude four or five degrees of longitude to the west of the meridian we were now in, and then to have carried on my researches to the east. But the W. and N. W. winds we had had the five preceding days prevented me from putting this in execution.

The continual high sea we had lately had from the N. E., N. N. W. and west, left me no reason to believe that land of any extent lay to the west. We therefore continued to steer to the E., only lying to a few hours in the night, and in the morning resumed our course again, four miles north and south from each other; the hazy weather not permitting us to spread farther. We passed two or three small pieces of rock-weed, and saw two or three birds known by the name of egg-birds; but saw no other signs of land. At noon we observed, in latitude 48° 36ʹ south, longitude 59° 35ʹ east. As we could only see a few miles farther to the south, and as it was not impossible that there might be land not far off in that direction, I gave orders to steer S. ¹⁄₂ E., and made the signal for the Adventure to follow, she being, by this movement, thrown a-stern. The weather continuing hazy till half an hour past six o’clock in the evening, when it cleared up so as to enable us to see about five leagues round us.

Being now in the latitude of 49° 13ʹ south, without having the least signs of land, I wore and stood again to the eastward, and soon after spoke with Captain Furneaux. He told me that he thought the land was to the N. W. of us; as he had, at one time, observed the sea to be smooth when the wind blew in that direction. Although this was not conformable to the remarks we had made on the sea, I resolved to clear up the point, if the wind would admit of my getting to the west in any reasonable time.

At eight o’clock in the morning of the 3d, being in the latitude of 48° 56ʹ South, longitude 6° 47ʹ East, and upwards of 3° to the east of the meridian of Mauritius, I began to despair of finding land to the east; and as the wind had now veered to the northward, resolved to search for it to the west. I accordingly tacked and stood to the west with a fresh gale. This increased in such a manner, that before night we were reduced to our two courses; and at last, obliged to lie to under the fore-sails, having a prodigious high sea from W. N. W., notwithstanding the height of the gale was from N. by W. At three o’clock the next morning, the gale abating, we made sail, and continued to ply to the west till ten o’clock in the morning of the sixth.

At this time being in the latitude of 48° 6ʹ South, longitude 58° 22ʹ East, the wind seemingly fixed at W. N. W., and seeing no signs of meeting with land, I gave over plying, and bore away east a little southerly: being satisfied, that if there is any land hereabout, it can only be an isle of no great extent. And it was just as probable I might have found it to the east as west.

While we were plying about here, we took every opportunity to observe the variation of the compass, and found it to be from 27° 50ʹ, to 30° 26ʹ West. Probably the mean of the two extremes, viz. 29° 4ʹ is the nearest the truth, as it nearly agrees with the variation observed on board the Adventure. In making these observations, we found that, when the sun was on the starboard side of the ship, the variation was the least; and when on the larboard side, the greatest. This was not the first time we had made this observation, without being able to account for it. At four o’clock in the morning of the 7th, I made the Adventure’s signal to keep at the distance of four miles on my starboard beam; and continued to steer E. S. E. This being a fine day, I had all our men’s bedding and cloaths spread on deck to air, and the ship cleaned and smoked betwixt decks. At noon I steered a point more to the south, being then in the latitude of 48° 49ʹ south, longitude 61° 48ʹ east. At six o’clock in the evening, I called in the Adventure; and at the same time took several azimuths, which gave the variation 31° 28ʹ west. These observations could not be taken with the greatest accuracy, on account of the rolling of the ship, occasioned by a very high westerly swell.

The preceding evening, three Port Egmont hens were seen; this morning another appeared. In the evening, and several times in the night, penguins were heard; and at day-light, in the morning of the 8th, several of these were seen; and divers of two sorts, seemingly such as are usually met with on the coast of England. This occasioned us to sound; but we found no ground with a line of 210 fathoms. Our latitude now was 49° 53ʹ South, and longitude 63° 39ʹ east. This was at eight o’clock. By this time the wind had veered round by the N. E. to E., blew a brisk gale, and was attended with hazy weather, which soon after turned to a thick fog; and at the same time, the wind shifted to N. E.

I continued to keep the wind on the larboard tack, and to fire a gun every hour till noon; when I made the signal to tack, and tacked accordingly. But as neither this signal, nor any of the former, was answered by the Adventure, we had but too much reason to think that a separation had taken place; though we were at a loss to tell how it had been effected. I had directed Captain Furneaux, in case he was separated from me, to cruise three days in the place where he last saw me. I therefore continued making short boards, and firing half-hour guns, till the 9th in the afternoon, when the weather having cleared up, we could see several leagues round us, and found that the Adventure was not within the limits of our horizon. At this time, we were about two or three leagues to the eastward of the situation we were in when we last saw her, and were standing to the westward with a very strong gale at N. N. W., accompanied with a great sea from the same direction. This, together with an increase of wind, obliged us to lie to, till eight o’clock the next morning; during which time we saw nothing of the Adventure, notwithstanding the weather was pretty clear, and we had kept firing guns, and burning false fires, all night. I therefore gave over looking for her, made sail, and steered S. E. with a very fresh gale at W. by N., accompanied with a high sea from the same direction.

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.

These unfavourable circumstances, together with dark nights, at this advanced season of the year, quite discouraged me from putting in execution a resolution I had taken of crossing the Antarctic circle once more. Accordingly, at four o’clock in the morning, we stood to the north, with a very hard gale at E. S. E., accompanied with snow and sleet, and a very high sea, from the same point, which made great destruction among the ice islands. This circumstance, far from being of any advantage to us, greatly increased the number of pieces we had to avoid. The large pieces which break from the ice islands, are much more dangerous than the islands themselves; the latter are so high out of water, that we can generally see them, unless the weather be very thick and dark, before we are very near them; whereas the others cannot be seen in the night, till they are under the ship’s bows. These dangers were, however, now become so familiar to us, that the apprehensions they caused, were never of long duration; and were, in some measure, compensated, both by the seasonable supplies of fresh water these ice islands afforded us, (without which we must have been greatly distressed,) and also, by their very romantic appearance, greatly heightened by the foaming and dashing of the waves into the curious holes and caverns which are formed in many of them; the whole exhibiting a view which at once filled the mind with admiration and horror, and can only be described by the hand of an able painter. Towards the evening, the gale abated; and in the night we had two or three hours calm. This was succeeded by a light breeze at west; with which we steered east, under all the sail we could set, meeting with many ice-islands.

This night we saw a Port Egmont hen; and next morning, being the 25th, another. We had lately seen but few birds; and those were albatrosses, sheer-waters, and blue peterels. It is remarkable, that we did not see one of either the white, or Antarctic peterels, since we came last amongst the ice. Notwithstanding the wind kept at W. and N. W. all day, we had a very high sea from the east; by which we concluded that no land could be near in that direction. In the evening, being in the latitude 60° 51ʹ, longitude 95° 41ʹ east, the variation was 43° 6ʹ west; and the next morning, being the 26th, having advanced about a degree and a half more to the east, it was 41° 30ʹ; both being determined by several azimuths.

We had fair weather all the afternoon; but the wind was unsettled, veering round by the north to the east. With this, we stood to the S. E. and E. till three o’clock in the afternoon; when, being in the latitude of 61° 21ʹ south, longitude 97° 7ʹ, we tacked, and stood to the northward and eastward, as the wind kept veering to the south. This, in the evening, increased to a strong gale, blew in squalls, attended with snow and sleet, and thick hazy weather, which soon brought us under our close-reefed top-sails.

Between eight in the morning of the 26th and noon the next day, we fell in among several islands of ice; from whence such vast quantities had broken, as to cover the sea all round us, and render sailing rather dangerous. However, by noon, we were clear of it all. In the evening the wind abated, and veered to S. W., but the weather did not clear up till the next morning; when we were able to carry all our sails, and met with but very few islands of ice to impede us. Probably the late gale had destroyed a great number of them. Such a very large hollow sea had continued to accompany the wind, as it veered from E. to S. W., that I was certain no land of considerable extent could lie within 100 or 150 leagues of our situation between these two points.

The mean height of the thermometer at noon, for some days past, was about 35; which is something higher than it usually was, in the same latitude, about a month or five weeks before, consequently the air was something warmer. While the weather was really warm, the gales were not only stronger, but more frequent; with almost continual misty, dirty, wet weather. The very animals we had on board felt its effects. A sow having in the morning farrowed nine pigs, every one of them was killed by the cold, before four o’clock in the afternoon, notwithstanding all the care we could take of them. From the same cause, myself, as well as several of my people, had fingers and toes chilblained. Such is the summer weather we enjoyed.

The wind continued unsettled, veering from the south to the west, and blew a fresh gale till the evening. Then it fell little wind; and, soon after, a breeze sprung up at north; which quickly veered to N. E. and N. E. by E., attended with a thick fog, snow, sleet, and rain. With this wind and weather, we kept on to the S. E. till four o’clock in the afternoon of the next day, being the 1st of March, when it fell calm; which continued for near twenty-four hours. We were now in the latitude of 60° 36ʹ south, longitude 107° 54ʹ; and had a prodigious high swell from the S. W., and, at the same time, another from the S. or S. S. E. The dashing of the one wave against the other, made the ship both roll and pitch exceedingly; but, at length, the N. W. swell prevailed. The calm continued till noon the next day, when it was succeeded by a gentle breeze from S. E., which afterwards increased, and veered to S. W. With this we steered N. E. by E., and E. by N., under all the sail we could set.

In the afternoon of the 3d, being in latitude 60° 13ʹ, longitude 110° 18ʹ, the variation was 39° 4ʹ, west. But the observations by which this was determined, were none of the best; being obliged to make use of such as we could get, during the very few and short intervals when the sun appeared. A few penguins were seen this day, but not so many islands of ice as usual. The weather was also milder; though very changeable; thermometer from 36 to 38. We continued to have a N. W. swell, although the wind was unsettled, veering to N. E. by the west and north, attended with hazy, sleet, and drizzling rain.

We prosecuted our course to the east, inclining to the south, till three o’clock in the afternoon of the 4th, when (being in the latitude of 60° 37ʹ, longitude 113° 24ʹ) the wind shifting at once to S. W. and S. W. by S., I gave orders to steer E. by N. ¹⁄₂ N. But in the night we steered E. ¹⁄₂ S. in order to have the wind, which was at S. S. W., more upon the beam; the better to enable us to stand back, in case we fell in with any danger in the dark. For we had not so much time to spare, to allow us to lie to.

In the morning of the 5th, we steered E. by N. under all the sail we could set, passing one ice-island and many small pieces, and at nine o’clock the wind, which of late had not remained long upon any one point, shifted all at once to east, and blew a gentle gale. With this we stood to the north, at which time we were in the latitude of 60° 44ʹ south, and longitude 116° 50ʹ east. The latitude was determined by the meridian altitude of the sun, which appeared, now and then, for a few minutes, till three in the afternoon. Indeed the sky was, in general, so cloudy, and the weather so thick and hazy, that we had very little benefit of sun or moon; very seldom seeing the face of either the one or the other. And yet, even under these circumstances, the weather for some days past could not be called very cold. It, however, had not the least pretension to be called summer weather, according to my ideas of summer in the northern hemisphere, as far as 60° of latitude; which is nearly as far north as I have been.

In the evening we had three islands of ice in sight, all of them large; especially one, which was larger than any we had yet seen. The side opposed to us seemed to be a mile in extent; if so, it could not be less than three in circuit. As we passed it in the night, a continual cracking was heard, occasioned, no doubt, by pieces breaking from it. For, in the morning of the 6th, the sea, for some distance round it, was covered with large and small pieces; and the island itself did not appear so large as it had done the evening before. It could not be less than 100 feet high; yet such was the impetuous force and height of the waves, which were broken against it, by meeting with such a sudden resistance, that they rose considerably higher. In the evening, we were in the latitude 59° 58ʹ south, longitude 118° 39ʹ east. The 7th, the wind was variable in the N. E. and S. E. quarters, attended with snow and sleet, till the evening. Then the weather became fair, the sky cleared up, and the night was remarkably pleasant, as well as the morning of the next day; which, for the brightness of the sky, and serenity and mildness of the weather, gave place to none we had seen since we left the Cape of Good Hope. It was such as is little known in this sea; and, to make it still more agreeable, we had not one island of ice in sight. The mercury in the thermometer rose to 40. Mr. Wales and the master made some observations of the moon and stars, which satisfied us that, when our latitude was 59° 44ʹ, our longitude was 121° 9ʹ. At three o’clock in the afternoon, the calm was succeeded by a breeze at S. E. The sky, at the same time, was suddenly obscured, and seemed to presage an approaching storm, which accordingly happened; for, in the evening, the wind shifted to south, blew in squalls, attended with sleet and rain, and a prodigious high sea. Having nothing to take care of but ourselves, we kept two or three points from the wind, and ran at a good rate to the E. N. E. under our two courses, and close-reefed top-sails.

The gale continued till the evening of the 10th; then it abated; the wind shifted to the westward; and we had fair weather, and but little wind, during the night, attended with a sharp frost. The next morning, being in the latitude of 57° 56ʹ, longitude 130°, the wind shifted to N. E. and blew a fresh gale, with which we stood S. E., having frequent showers of snow and sleet, and a long hollow swell from S. S. E. and S. E. by S. This swell did not go down till two days after the wind which raised it had not only ceased to blow, but had shifted, and blown fresh at opposite points, good part of the time. Whoever attentively considers this, must conclude, that there can be no land to the south, but what must be at a great distance.

Notwithstanding so little was to be expected in that quarter, we continued to stand to the south till three o’clock in the morning of the 12th, when we were stopped by a calm; being then in the latitude of 58° 56ʹ south, longitude 131° 26ʹ east. After a few hours’ calm, a breeze sprung up at west, with which we steered east. The S. S. E. swell having gone down, was succeeded by another from N. W. by W. The weather continued mild all this day, and the mercury rose to 39¹⁄₂. In the evening it fell calm, and continued so till three o’clock in the morning of the 13th, when we got the wind at E. and S. E., a fresh breeze, attended with snow and sleet. In the afternoon it became fair, and the wind veered to S. and S. S. W. In the evening, being then in the latitude of 58° 59ʹ, longitude 134°, the weather was so clear in the horizon, that we could see many leagues round us. We had but little wind during the night, some showers of snow, and a very sharp frost. As the day broke, the wind freshened at S. E. and S. S. E., and soon after, the sky cleared up, and the weather became clear and serene; but the air continued cold, and the mercury in the thermometer rose only one degree above the freezing point.

The clear weather gave Mr. Wales an opportunity to get some observations of the sun and moon. Their results reduced to noon, when the latitude was 58° 22ʹ south, gave us 136° 22ʹ east longitude. Mr. Kendal’s watch, at the same time, gave 134° 42ʹ; and that of Mr. Arnold, the same. This was the first and only time they pointed out the same longitude, since we left England. The greatest difference, however, between them, since we left the cape, had not much exceeded two degrees.

The moderate, and I might almost say the pleasant weather we had, at times, for the last two or three days, made me wish I had been a few degrees of latitude farther south; and even tempted me to incline our course that way. But we soon had weather which convinced us that we were full far enough; and that the time was approaching, when these seas were not to be navigated without enduring intense cold; which, by the bye, we were pretty well used to. In the afternoon, the serenity of the sky was presently obscured; the wind veered round by the S. W. to W., and blew in hard squalls, attended with thick and heavy showers of hail and snow, which continually covered our decks, sails, and rigging, till five o’clock in the evening of the 15th. At this time the wind abated and shifted to S. E., the sky cleared up; and the evening was so serene and clear, that we could see many leagues round us; the horizon being the only boundary to our sight.

We were now in the latitude of 59° 17ʹ south, longitude 140° 12ʹ east, and had such a large hollow swell from W. S. W. as assured us that we had left no land behind us in that direction. I was also well assured that no land lay to the south on this side 60° of latitude. We had a smart frost during the night, which was curiously illuminated with the southern lights.

At ten o’clock in the morning of the 16th, (which was as soon as the sun appeared,) in the latitude of 58° 51ʹ south, our longitude was 143° 10ʹ east. This good weather was, as usual, of short duration. In the afternoon of this day, we had again thick snow showers; but at intervals it was tolerably clear; and in the evening, being in the latitude of 58° 58ʹ south, longitude 144° 37ʹ east, I found the variation by several azimuths, to be 31ʹ east.

I was not a little pleased with being able to determine with so much precision, this point of the line, in which the compass has no variation. For I look upon half a degree as next to nothing; so that the intersection of the latitude and longitude just mentioned, may be reckoned the point, without any sensible error. At any rate the line can only pass a very small matter west of it.

I continued to steer to the east, inclining to the south, with a fresh gale at S. W. till five o’clock the next morning, when, being in the latitude of 59° 7ʹ S. longitude 146° 53ʹ E. I bore away N. E. and at noon north, having come to a resolution to quit the high southern latitudes, and to proceed to New Zealand, to look for the Adventure, and to refresh my people. I had also some thoughts, and even a desire, to visit the east coast of Van Diemen’s Land, in order to satisfy myself if it joined the coast of New South Wales.

In the night of the 17th, the wind shifted to N. W. and blew in squalls, attended with thick hazy weather and rain. This continued all the 18th, in the evening of which day, being in the latitude of 56° 15ʹ S. longitude 150°, the sky cleared up, and we found the variation by several azimuths to be 13° 30ʹ E. Soon after, we hauled up with the log a piece of rock-weed, which was in a state of decay, and covered with barnacles. In the night the southern lights were very bright.

The next morning we saw a seal, and towards noon some penguins, and more rock-weed, being at this time in the latitude of 55° 1ʹ, longitude 152° 1ʹ E. In the latitude of 54° 4ʹ, we also saw a Port-Egmont hen, and some weed. Navigators have generally looked upon all these to be certain signs of the vicinity of land; I cannot, however, support this opinion. At this time we knew of no land, nor is it even probable that there is any, nearer than New Holland, or Van Diemen’s Land, from which we were distant 260 leagues. We had, at the same time, several porpuses playing about us; into one of which Mr. Cooper struck a harpoon; but, as the ship was running seven knots, it broke its hold, after towing it some minutes, and before we could deaden the ship’s way.

As the wind, which continued between the north and the west, would not permit me to touch at Van Diemen’s Land, I shaped my course to New Zealand; and, being under no apprehensions of meeting with any danger, I was not backward in carrying sail, as well by night as day, having the advantage of a very strong gale, which was attended with hazy rainy weather, and a very large swell from the W. and W. S. W. We continued to meet with, now and then, a seal, Port-Egmont hens, and sea-weed.

On the morning of the 22d, the wind shifted to south, and brought with it fair weather. At noon, we found ourselves in the latitude of 49° 55ʹ, longitude 159° 28ʹ, having a very large swell out of the S. W. For the three days past the mercury in the thermometer had risen to 46, and the weather was quite mild. Seven or eight degrees of latitude had made a surprising difference in the temperature of the air, which we felt with an agreeable satisfaction.

We continued to advance to the N. E. at a good rate, having a brisk gale between the south and east; meeting with seals, Port-Egmont hens, egg-birds, sea-weed, &c. and having constantly a very large swell from the S. W. At ten o’clock in the morning of the 25th, the land of New Zealand was seen from the mast head; and, at noon, from the deck; extending from N. E. by E. to east, distant ten leagues. As I intended to put into Dusky Bay, or any other port I could find, on the southern part of Tavai Poenammoo, we steered in for the land, under all the sail we could carry, having the advantage of a fresh gale at west, and tolerably clear weather. This last was not of long duration; for, at half an hour after four o’clock, the land, which was not above four miles distant, was in a manner wholly obscured in a thick haze. At this time, we were before the entrance of a bay, which I had mistaken for Dusky Bay, being deceived by some islands that lay in the mouth of it.

Fearing to run, in thick weather, into a place to which we were all strangers, and seeing some breakers and broken ground a-head, I tacked in twenty-five fathom water, and stood out to sea with the wind at N. W. This bay lies on the S. E. side of Cape West, and may be known by a white cliff on one of the isles which lies in the entrance of the bay. This part of the coast I did not see but at a great distance, in my former voyage; and we now saw it under so many disadvantageous circumstances, that the less I say about it, the fewer mistakes I shall make. We stood out to sea, under close-reefed top-sails and courses, till eleven o’clock at night; when we wore and stood to the northward, having a very high and irregular sea. At five o’clock next morning, the gale abated, and we bore up for the land; at eight o’clock, the West Cape bore E. by N. ¹⁄₂ N. for which we steered, and entered Dusky Bay about noon. In the entrance of it, we found 44 fathoms water, a sandy bottom, the West Cape bearing S. S. E. and Five Fingers Point, or the north point of the bay, north. Here we had a great swell rolling in from S. W. The depth of water decreased to 40 fathoms; afterwards we had no ground with 60. We were, however, too far advanced to return; and therefore stood on, not doubting but that we should find anchorage. For in this bay we were all strangers; in my former voyage, having done no more than discover, and name it.

After running about two leagues up the bay, and passing several of the isles which lay in it, I brought to, and hoisted out two boats; one of which I sent away with an officer round a point on the larboard hand, to look for anchorage. This he found, and signified the same by signal. We then followed with the ship, and anchored in 50 fathoms water, so near the shore as to reach it with an hawser. This was on Friday the 26th of March, at three in the afternoon, after having been 117 days at sea; in which time we had sailed 3660 leagues, without having once sight of land.

After such a long continuance at sea, in a high southern latitude, it is but reasonable to think that many of my people must be ill of the scurvy. The contrary, however, happened. Mention hath already been made of sweet wort being given to such as were scorbutic. This had so far the desired effect, that we had only one man on board that could be called very ill of this disease; occasioned, chiefly, by a bad habit of body, and a complication of other disorders. We did not attribute the general good state of health in the crew, wholly to the sweet wort, but to the frequent airing and sweetening the ship by fires, &c. We must also allow portable broth, and sour krout to have had some share in it. This last can never be enough recommended.

My first care, after the ship was moored, was to send a boat and people a fishing; in the mean time, some of the gentlemen killed a seal (out of many that were upon a rock), which made us a fresh meal.

CHAP. IV.
TRANSACTIONS IN DUSKY BAY, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF SEVERAL INTERVIEWS WITH THE INHABITANTS.

As I did not like the place we had anchored in, I sent Lieutenant Pickersgill over to the S. E. side of the bay, to search for a better; and I went myself to the other side, for the same purpose, where I met with an exceedingly snug harbour, but nothing else worthy of notice. Mr. Pickersgill reported, upon his return, that he had found a good harbour, with every conveniency. As I liked the situation of this, better than the other of my own finding, I determined to go there in the morning. The fishing-boat was very successful; returning with fish sufficient for all hands for supper, and, in a few hours in the morning, caught as many as served for dinner. This gave us certain hopes of being plentifully supplied with this article. Nor did the shores and woods appear less destitute of wild fowl; so that we hoped to enjoy with ease, what in our situation might be called the luxuries of life. This determined me to stay some time in this bay, in order to examine it thoroughly; as no one had ever landed before, on any of the southern parts of this country.

On the 27th, at nine o’clock in the morning, we got under sail with a light breeze at S. W. and working over to Pickersgill Harbour, entered it by a channel scarcely twice the width of the ship; and, in a small creek, moored head and stern, so near the shore as to reach it with a brow or stage, which nature had in a manner prepared for us in a large tree, whose end or top reached our gunwale. Wood, for fuel and other purposes, was here so convenient, that our yards were locked in the branches of the trees; and, about 100 yards from our stern, was a fine stream of fresh water. Thus situated, we began to clear places in the woods, in order to set up the astronomer’s observatory, the forge to repair our iron work, tents for the sail-makers and coopers to repair the sails and casks in; to land our empty casks, to fill water, and to cut down wood for fuel; all of which were absolutely necessary occupations. We also began to brew beer from the branches or leaves of a tree, which much resembles the American black spruce. From the knowledge I had of this tree, and the similarity it bore to the spruce, I judged that with the addition of inspissated juice of wort and molasses, it would make a very wholesome beer, and supply the want of vegetables, which this place did not afford; and the event proved that I was not mistaken.

Now I have mentioned the inspissated juice of wort, it will not be amiss, in this place, to inform the reader that I had made several trials of it since I left the Cape of Good Hope, and found it to answer in a cold climate, beyond all expectation. The juice, diluted in warm water, in the proportion of twelve parts water to one part juice, made a very good and well-tasted small beer. Some juice which I had of Mr. Pelham’s own preparing, would bear sixteen parts water. By making use of warm water, (which I think ought always to be done,) and keeping it in a warm place, if the weather be cold, no difficulty will be found in fermenting it. A little grounds of either small or strong beer will answer as well as yeast.

The few sheep and goats we had left, were not likely to fare quite so well as ourselves; there being no grass here, but what was coarse and harsh. It was, however, not so bad, but that we expected they would devour it with great greediness, and were the more surprised to find that they would not taste it; nor did they seem over-fond of the leaves of more tender plants. Upon examination, we found their teeth loose; and that many of them had every other symptom of an inveterate sea-scurvy. Out of four ewes and two rams which I brought from the Cape, with an intent to put ashore in this country, I had only been able to preserve one of each; and even these were in so bad a state, that it was doubtful if they could recover; notwithstanding all the care possible had been taken of them.

Some of the officers, on the 28th, went up the bay in a small boat on a shooting party; but discovering inhabitants, they returned before noon, to acquaint me therewith; for hitherto we had not seen the least vestige of any. They had but just got aboard, when a canoe appeared off a point about a mile from us, and soon after, returned behind the point out of sight, probably owing to a shower of rain which then fell: for it was no sooner over, than the canoe again appeared, and came within musket-shot of the ship. There were in it seven or eight people. They remained looking at us for some time, and then returned; all the signs of friendship we could make, did not prevail on them to come nearer. After dinner I took two boats and went in search of them, in the cove where they were first seen, accompanied by several of the officers and gentlemen. We found the canoe (at least a canoe) hauled upon the shore near to two small huts, where were several fire-places, some fishing nets, a few fish lying on the shore, and some in the canoe. But we saw no people; they, probably, had retired into the woods. After a short stay, and leaving in the canoe some medals, looking-glasses, beads, &c., we embarked and rowed to the head of the cove, where we found nothing remarkable. In returning back we put ashore at the same place as before; but still saw no people. However, they could not be far off, as we smelled the smoke of fire, though we did not see it. But I did not care to search farther, or to force an interview which they seemed to avoid; well knowing that the way to obtain this, was to leave the time and place to themselves. It did not appear that any thing I had left had been touched; however, I now added a hatchet, and with the night returned on board.

On the 29th, were showers till the afternoon; when a party of the officers made an excursion up the bay; and Mr. Forster and his party were out botanizing. Both parties returned in the evening without meeting with any thing worthy of notice; and the two following days, every one was confined to the ship on account of rainy stormy weather.

In the afternoon of the 1st of April, accompanied by several of the gentlemen, I went to see if any of the articles I had left for the Indians were taken away. We found every thing remaining in the canoe; nor did it appear that any body had been there since. After shooting some birds, one of which was a duck, with a blue-grey plumage and soft bill, we, in the evening, returned on board.

The 2d, being a pleasant morning, Lieutenants Clerke and Edgcumbe, and the two Mr. Forsters, went in a boat up the bay to search for the productions of nature; and myself, Lieutenant Pickersgill, and Mr. Hodges, went to take a view of the N. W. side. In our way, we touched at the seal rock, and killed three seals, one of which afforded us much sport. After passing several isles, we at length came to the most northern and western arms of the bay; the same as is formed by the land of Five Fingers Point. In the bottom of this arm or cove we found many ducks, wood-hens, and other wild fowl, some of which we killed, and returned on board at ten o’clock in the evening; where the other party had arrived several hours before us, after having had but indifferent sport. They took with them a black dog we had got at the Cape, who, at the first musket they fired, ran into the woods, from whence he would not return. The three following days were rainy, so that no excursions were made.

Early in the morning on the 6th, a shooting party, made up of the officers, went to Goose Cove, the place where I was the 2d; and myself, accompanied by the two Mr. Forsters and Mr. Hodges, set out to continue the survey of the bay. My attention was directed to the north side, where I discovered a fine capacious cove, in the bottom of which is a fresh water river; on the west side several beautiful small cascades; and the shores are so steep that a ship might lie near enough to convey the water into her by a hose. In this cove we shot fourteen ducks, beside other birds, which occasioned my calling it Duck Cove.

As we returned in the evening, we had a short interview with three of the natives, one man and two women. They were the first that discovered themselves on the N. E. point of Indian Island, named so on this occasion. We should have passed without seeing them, had not the man hallooed to us. He stood with his club in his hand upon the point of a rock, and behind him, at the skirts of the wood, stood the two women, with each of them a spear. The man could not help discovering great signs of fear when we approached the rock with our boat. He, however, stood firm; nor did he move to take up some things we threw him ashore. At length I landed, went up, and embraced him; and presented him with such articles as I had about me, which at once dissipated his fears. Presently after, we were joined by the two women, the gentlemen that were with me, and some of the seamen. After this, we spent about half an hour in chit-chat, little understood on either side, in which the youngest of the two women bore by far the greatest share. This occasioned one of the seamen to say, that women did not want tongue in any part of the world. We presented them with fish and fowl which we had in our boat; but these they threw into the boat again, giving us to understand that such things they wanted not. Night approaching, obliged us to take leave of them; when the youngest of the two women, whose volubility of tongue exceeded every thing I ever met with, gave us a dance; but the man viewed us with great attention. Some hours after we got on board, the other party returned, having had but indifferent sport.

Next morning, I made the natives another visit, accompanied by Mr. Forster and Mr. Hodges, carrying with me various articles which I presented them with, and which they received with a great deal of indifference, except hatchets and spike-nails; these they most esteemed. This interview was at the same place as last night; and now we saw the whole family. It consisted of the man, his two wives (as we supposed), the young woman before mentioned, a boy about fourteen years old, and three small children, the youngest of which was at the breast. They were all well-looking, except one woman, who had a large wen on her upper lip, which made her look disagreeable; and she seemed, on that account, to be in a great measure neglected by the man. They conducted us to their habitation, which was but a little way within the skirts of the wood, and consisted of two mean huts made of the bark of trees. Their canoe, which was a small double one, just large enough to transport the whole family from place to place, lay in a small creek near the huts. During our stay, Mr. Hodges made drawings of most of them; this occasioned them to give him the name of Toe-toe, which word, we supposed, signifies marking or painting. When we took leave, the chief presented me with a piece of cloth or garment of their own manufacturing, and some other trifles. I at first thought it was meant as a return for the presents I had made him; but he soon undeceived me, by expressing a desire for one of our boat cloaks. I took the hint, and ordered one to be made for him of red baize, as soon as I got aboard; where rainy weather detained me the following day.

The 9th, being fair weather, we paid the natives another visit, and made known our approach by hallooing to them; but they neither answered us, nor met us at the shore as usual. The reason of this we soon saw; for we found them at their habitations, all dressed and dressing, in their very best, with their hair combed and oiled, tied up upon the crowns of their heads, and stuck with white feathers. Some wore a fillet of feathers round their heads; and all of them had bunches of white feathers stuck in their ears: thus dressed, and all standing, they received us with great courtesy. I presented the chief with the cloak I had got made for him, with which he seemed so well pleased, that he took his pattapattou from his girdle, and gave it me. After a short stay, we took leave; and having spent the remainder of the day in continuing my survey of the bay, with the night returned on board.