39' E., and took the opportunity of the calm, to sound; but
found no ground with a line of 220 fathoms.
The calm continued till six in
the evening, when it was succeeded by a light breeze from the east, which
afterwards increased to a fresh gale.
In the morning of the 28th I made the signal to the Adventure to spread
four miles on my starboard beam; and in this position we continued sailing
W.S.W., until four o'clock in the afternoon, when the hazy weather,
attended with snow showers, made it necessary for us to join. Soon after we
reefed our top-sails, being surrounded on all sides with islands of ice. In
the morning of the 29th we let them out again, and set top-gallant-sails;
still continuing our course to the westward, and meeting with several
penguins. At noon we were by observation in the latitude of 59 deg. 12',
longitude 19 deg. 1' E., which is 3 deg. more to the west than we were when we
first fell in with the field of ice; so that it is pretty clear that it
joined to no land, as we conjectured.
Having come to a resolution to run as far west as the meridian of Cape
Circumcision, provided we met with no impediment, as the distance was not
more than eighty leagues, the wind favourable, and the sea seemed to be
pretty clear of ice, I sent on board for Captain Furneaux, to make him
acquainted therewith, and after dinner he returned to his ship. At one
o'clock we steered for an island of ice, thinking if there were any loose
ice round it, to take some on board, and convert it into fresh water. At
four we brought-to, close under the lee of the island, where we did not
find what we wanted, but saw upon it eighty-six penguins. This piece of ice
was about half a mile in circuit, and one hundred feet high and upwards,
for we lay for some minutes with every sail becalmed under it. The side on
which the penguins were, rose sloping from the sea, so as to admit them to
creep up it.
It is a received opinion, that penguins never go far from land, and that
the sight of them is a sure indication of its vicinity. The opinion may
hold good where there are no ice islands; but where such are, these birds,
as well as many others which usually keep near the shores, finding a
roosting-place upon these islands, may be brought by them a great distance
from any land. It will, however, be said, that they must go on shore to
breed, that probably the females were there, and that these are only the
males which we saw. Be this as it may, I shall continue to take notice of
these birds whenever we see them, and leave every one to judge for himself.
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