19' W. Some Time After, Our
Longitude, By Observed Distance Of The Sun And Moon, Was 149 Deg.
19' W.; by Mr
Kendal's watch 148 deg.
36'; and, by my reckoning, 148 deg. 43', latitude 64 deg. 48'
S.
The clear weather, and the wind veering to N.W., tempted me to steer south;
which course we continued till seven in the morning of the 20th, when the
wind changing to N.E. and the sky becoming clouded, we hauled up S.E. In
the afternoon the wind increased to a strong gale, attended with a thick
fog, snow, sleet, and rain, which constitutes the very worst of weather.
Our rigging, at this time, was so loaded with ice, that we had enough to do
to get our topsails down, to double the reef. At seven o'clock in the
evening, in the longitude of 147 deg. 46', we came, the second time, within the
antarctic or polar circle, continuing our course to the S.E. till six
o'clock the next morning. At that time, being in the latitude of 67 deg. 5' S.,
all at once we got in among a cluster of very large ice islands, and a vast
quantity of loose pieces; and as the fog was exceedingly thick, it was with
the utmost difficulty we wore clear of them. This done, we stood to the
N.W. till noon, when, the fog being somewhat dissipated, we resumed our
course again to the S.E. The ice islands we met with in the morning were
very high and rugged, forming at their tops, many peaks; whereas the most
of those we had seen before, were flat at top, and not so high; though many
of them were between two and three hundred feet in height, and between two
and three miles in circuit, with perpendicular cliffs or sides, astonishing
to behold.[5] Most or our winged companions had now left us; the grey
albatrosses only remained; and, instead of the other birds, we were visited
by a few antarctic peterels.
The 22d we steered E.S.E. with a fresh gale at north, blowing in squalls,
one of which took hold of the mizen top-sail, tore it all to rags, and
rendered it forever after useless. At six o'clock in the morning, the wind
veering towards the west, our course was east northerly. At this time we
were in the latitude of 67 deg. 31', the highest we had yet been in, longitude
142 deg. 54' W.
We continued our course to the E. by N. till noon, the 23d, when being in
the latitude of 67 deg. 12', longitude 138 deg. 0', we steered S.E.; having then
twenty-three ice islands in sight, from off the deck, and twice that number
from the mast-head; and yet we could not see above two or three miles round
us. At four o'clock in the afternoon, in the latitude of 67 deg. 20', longitude
137 deg. 12', we fell in with such a quantity of field, or loose ice, as
covered the sea in the whole extent from south to east, and was so thick
and close as wholly to obstruct our passage.
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