I Had
Directed Captain Furneaux, In Case He Was Separated From Me, To Cruise
Three Days In The Place Where He Last Saw Me.
I therefore continued making
short boards, and firing half-hour guns, till the 9th in the afternoon,
when, the weather having cleared up, we could see several leagues round us,
and found that the Adventure was not within the limits of our horizon.
At
this time we were about two or three leagues to the eastward of the
situation we were in when we last saw her; and were standing to the
westward with a very strong gale at N.N.W., accompanied with a great sea
from the same direction. This, together, with an increase of wind, obliged
us to lie-to till eight o'clock the next morning, during which time we saw
nothing of the Adventure, notwithstanding the weather was pretty clear, and
we had kept firing guns, and burning false fires, all night. I therefore
gave over looking for her, made sail, and steered S.E., with a very fresh
gale at W. by N., accompanied with a high sea from the same direction.
While we were beating about here; we frequently saw penguins and divers,
which made us conjecture the land was not far off; but in what direction it
was not possible for us to tell. As we advanced to the south, we lost the
penguins, and most of the divers; and, as usual, met with abundance of
albatrosses, blue peterels, sheer-waters, &c.
The 11th, at noon, and in the latitude of 51 deg. 15' S., longitude 67 deg. 20' E.,
we again met with penguins: and saw an egg bird, which we also look upon to
be a sign of the vicinity of land. I continued to steer to the S.E., with a
fresh gale in the north-west quarter, attended with a long hollow swell,
and frequent showers of rain, hail, and snow. The 12th, in the morning,
being in the latitude of 52 deg. 32' S., longitude 69 deg. 47' E., the variation
was 31 deg. 38' W. In the evening, in the latitude of 53 deg. 7' S., longitude 70 deg.
50' E., it was 32 deg. 33'; and, the next morning, in the latitude of 53 deg. 37'
S., longitude 72 deg. 10', it was 33 deg. 8' W. Thus far we had continually a great
number of penguins about the ship, which seemed to be different from those
we had seen near the ice; being smaller, with reddish bills and brownish
heads. The meeting with so many of these birds, gave us some hopes of
finding land, and occasioned various conjectures about its situation. The
great westerly swell, which still continued, made it improbable that land
of any considerable extent lay to the west. 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.
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