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 deg. 49' S., longitude 75 deg. 52' E., the variation was 34 deg. 48' W.,
and, in the evening of the 15th, in latitude 57 deg. 2' S., longitude 79 deg. 56'
E., it was 38 deg. W. 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 deg. 8' S., longitude 80 deg.
59' E., 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 Australia been 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.[2]
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 the 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 deg. 54' S., longitude
83 deg. 14' E., the variation was 39 deg. 33' W. In the evening, in latitude 58 deg. 2'
S., longitude 84 deg. 35' E., it was only 37 deg. 8' W., which induced me to
believe it was decreasing. But in the evening of the 20th, in the latitude
of 58 deg. 47' S., longitude 90 deg. 56' E., I took nine azimuths, with Dr Knight's
compass, which gave the variation 40 deg. 7', and nine others, with Gregory's,
which gave 40 deg. 15' W.
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.
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