15' W.
On the 20th, steered E. by S., with a moderate breeze at north, attended
with thick hazy weather. At noon, latitude 54 deg. 8', longitude 162 deg. 18' W.
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.
