We Continued Our Course To The Westward, With A Gentle Gale At E.N.E., The Weather Being Sometimes Tolerably Clear, And At Other Times Thick And Hazy, With Snow.

The thermometer for a few days past was from 31 to 36.

At nine o'clock the next morning, being the 30th, we shot one of the white birds, upon which we lowered a boat into the water to take it up, and by that means killed a penguin which weighed eleven pounds and a half. The white bird was of the peterel tribe; the bill, which is rather short, is of a colour between black and dark blue, and their legs and feet are blue. I believe them to be the same sort of birds that Bouvet mentions to have seen when he was off Cape Circumcision.

We continued our westerly course till eight o'clock in the evening, when we steered N.W., the point on which I reckoned the above-mentioned cape to bear. At midnight we fell in with loose ice, which soon after obliged us to tack, and stretch to the southward. At half an hour past two o'clock in the morning of the 31st, we stood for it again, thinking to take some on board, but this was found impracticable; for the wind, which had been at N.E, now veered to S.E., and increasing to a fresh gale, brought with it such a sea as made it very dangerous for the ships to remain among the ice. The danger was yet farther increased by discovering an immense field to the north, extending from N.E. by E. to S.W. by W. farther than the eye could reach. As we were not above two or three miles from this, and surrounded by loose ice, there was no time to deliberate. We presently wore; got our tacks on board; hauled to the south, and soon got clear; but not before we had received several hard knocks from the loose pieces, which were of the largest sort, and among which we saw a seal. In the afternoon the wind increased in such a manner, as to oblige us to hand the top-sails, and strike top-gallant-yards. At eight o'clock we tacked and stood to the east till midnight; when being in the latitude of 60 deg. 21' S., longitude 13 deg. 32' E, we stood again to the west.

Next day, towards noon, the gale abated, so that we could carry close- reefed top-sails. But the weather continued thick and hazy, with sleet and snow, which froze on the rigging as it fell, and ornamented the whole with icicles; the mercury in the thermometer being generally below the freezing point. This weather continued till near noon the next day; at which time we were in the latitude of 59 deg. 12' S.; longitude 9 deg. 45' E.; and here we saw some penguins.

The wind had now veered to the west, and was so moderate, that we could bear two reefs out of the top-sails.

Enter page number Go  Previous Next
Page 48 of 461
Words from 24279 to 24791 of 239428