In the afternoon the wind veered to S.W.,
blew a fresh gale, attended with dark cloudy weather.
We steered east half
a point north; and the next day, at six in the evening, being in latitude
53 deg. 35', longitude 95 deg. 52' west, the variation was 9 deg. 58' east. Many and
various sorts of albatrosses about the ship.
On the 12th, the wind veered to the west, N.W.; and in the evening to
north; and, at last, left us to a calm; that continued till midnight, when
we got a breeze at south; which, soon after, veering to, and fixing at,
west, we steered east; and on the 14th, in the morning, found the variation
to be 13 deg. 25' east, latitude 53 deg. 25', longitude 87 deg. 53' west; and in the
afternoon, being in the same latitude, and the longitude of 86 deg. 2' west, it
was 15 deg. 3' east, and increased in such a manner, that on the 15th, in the
latitude of 53 deg. 30', longitude 82 deg. 23' west, it was 17 deg. east; and the next
evening, in the latitude of 53 deg. 25', longitude 78 deg. 40', it was 17 deg. 38'
east. About this time, we saw a penguin and a piece of weed; and the next
morning, a seal and some diving peterels. For the three last days, the wind
had been at west, a steady fresh gale, attended, now and then, with showers
of rain or hail.
At six in the morning of the 17th, being nearly in the same latitude as
above, and in the longitude of 77 deg. 10' west, the variation was 18 deg. 33'
east; and in the afternoon it was 21 deg. 38, being at that time in latitude
53 deg. 16' S., longitude 75 deg. 9' west. In the morning, as well as in the
afternoon, I took some observations to determine the longitude by the
watch; and the results, reduced to noon, gave 76 deg. 18' 30" west. At the same
time, the longitude, by my reckoning, was 76 deg. 17' west. But I have reason
to think, that we were about half a degree more to the west than either the
one or the other; our latitude, at the same time, was 53 deg. 21' S.
We steered E. by N. and E. 1/2 N. all this day, under all the sail we could
carry, with a fine fresh gale at N.W. by W. in expectation of seeing the
land before night; but not making it till ten o'clock, we took in the
studding-sails, top-gallant sails, and a reef in each top-sail, and steered
E.N.E., in order to make sure of falling in with Cape Deseada.
Two hours after, we made the land, extending from N.E. by N. to E. by S.
about six leagues distant. On this discovery, we wore and brought-to, with
the ship's head to the south; and having sounded, found seventy-five
fathoms water, the bottom stone and shells.
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