On the 21st, winds mostly from the N.E., a fresh gale attended with thick,
hazy, dirty weather. Course S.E. by S.; latitude, at noon, 55 deg. 31',
longitude 160 deg. 29'; abundance of blue peterels and some penguins seen.
Fresh gales at N.W. by N. and N. by W., and hazy till towards noon of the
22d, when the weather cleared up, and we observed in latitude 55 deg. 48' S.,
longitude 156 deg. 56' W. In the afternoon had a few hours calm; after that,
the wind came at S.S.E. and S.E. by S. a light breeze, with which we
steered east northerly. In the night the aurora australis was visible, but
very faint, and no ways remarkable.
On the 23d, in the latitude of 55 deg. 46' S., longitude 156 deg. 13' W., the
variation was 9 deg. 42' E. We had a calm from ten in the morning till six in
the evening, when a breeze sprung up at west; at first it blew a gentle
gale, but afterwards freshened. Our course was now E. 1/2 N.
On the 24th, a fresh breeze at N.W. by W. and N. by W. At noon, in latitude
55 deg. 38' S., longitude 153 deg. 37' W., foggy in the night, but next day had a
fine gale at N.W., attended with clear pleasant weather; course steered E.
by N. In the evening, being in the latitude of 55 deg. 8' S., longitude 148 deg.
10' W., the variation, by the mean of two compasses, was 6 deg. 35' E.
Having a steady fresh gale at N.N.W. on the 26th and 27th, we steered east;
and at noon on the latter were in latitude 55 deg. 6' S., longitude 138 deg. 56' W.
I now gave up all hopes of finding any more land in this ocean, and came to
a resolution to steer directly for the west entrance of the Straits of
Magalhaeus, with a view of coasting the out, or south side of Terra del
Fuego round Cape Horn to the strait Le Maire. As the world has but a very
imperfect knowledge of this shore, I thought the coasting of it would be of
more advantage, both to navigation and to geography, than any thing I could
expect to find in a higher latitude. In the afternoon of this day, the wind
blew in squalls, and carried away the main top-gallant mast.
A very strong gale northerly, with hazy rainy weather, on the 28th, obliged
us to double-reef the fore and main top-sail to hand the mizen top-sail,
and get down the fore top-gallant yard. In the morning, the bolt rope of
the main top-sail broke, and occasioned the sail to be split. I have
observed that the ropes to all our sails, the square sails especially, are
not of a size and strength sufficient to wear out the canvass. At noon,
latitude 55 deg. 20' S., longitude 134 deg. 16' W., a great swell from N.W.:
Albatrosses and blue peterels seen.
Next day towards noon, the wind abating, we loosed all the reefs out of the
top-sails, rigged another top-gallant mast, and got the yards across. P.M.
little wind, and hazy weather; at midnight calm, that continued till noon
the next day, when a breeze sprung up at east, with which we stretched to
the northward. At this time we were in the latitude 55 deg. 32' S., longitude
128 deg. 45' W.; some albatrosses and peterels seen. At eight, p.m., the wind
veering to N.E., we tacked and stood to E.S.E.
On the 1st of December, thick hazy weather, with drizzling rain, and a
moderate breeze of wind, which, at three o'clock p.m. fell to a calm; at
this time in latitude 55 deg. 41' S., longitude 127 deg. 5' W. After four hours
calm, the fog cleared away, and we got a wind at S.E. with which we stood
N.E.
Next day, a fresh breeze at S.E. and hazy foggy weather, except a few hours
in the morning, when we found the variation to be 1 deg. 28' E. Latitude 55 deg.
17', longitude 125 deg. 41' W. The variation after this was supposed to
increase; for on the 4th, in the morning, being in latitude 53 deg. 31',
longitude 121 deg. 31' W., it was 3 deg. 16' E.; in the evening, in latitude 53 deg.
13', longitude 119 deg. 46' W., it was 3 deg. 28' E.; and on the 5th, at six
o'clock in the evening, in latitude 53 deg. 8', longitude 115 deg. 58' W., it was
4 deg. 1' E.
For more than twenty-four hours, having had a fine gale at south, this
enabled us to steer east, with very little deviation to the north; and the
wind now altering to S.W. and blowing a steady fresh breeze, we continued
to steer east, inclining a little to south.
On the 6th, had some snow-showers. In the evening, being in latitude 53 deg.
13', longitude 111 deg. 12', the variation was 4 deg. 58' E.; and the next morning,
being in latitude 58 deg. 16', longitude 109 deg. 33', it was 5 deg. 1' E.
The wind was now at west, a fine pleasant gale, sometimes with showers of
rain. Nothing remarkable happened, till the 9th, at noon, when being in the
latitude of 53 deg. 37', longitude 103 deg. 44' W., the wind veered to N.E., and
afterwards came insensibly round to the south, by the E. and S.E., attended
with cloudy hazy weather, and some showers of rain.
On the 10th, a little before noon, latitude 54 deg., longitude 102 deg. 7' west,
passed a small bed of sea-weed. In the afternoon the wind veered to S.W.,
blew a fresh gale, attended with dark cloudy weather.
