30' E. Soon After, We Hauled Up, With The Log, A Piece Of Rock-Weed,
Which Was In A State Of Decay, And Covered With Barnacles.
In the night the
southern lights were very bright.
The next morning we saw a seal; and towards noon, some penguins, and more
rock-weed, being at this time in the latitude of 55 deg. 1', longitude 152 deg. 1'
E. In the latitude of 54 deg. 4', we also saw a Port Egmont hen, and some weed.
Navigators have generally looked upon all these to be certain signs of the
vicinity of land; I cannot, however, support this opinion. At this time we
knew of no land, nor is it even probable that there is any, nearer than New
Holland, or Van Diemen's Land, from which we were distant 260 leagues. We
had, at the same time, several porpoises playing about us; into one of
which Mr Cooper struck a harpoon; but as the ship was running seven knots,
it broke its hold, after towing it some minutes, and before we could deaden
the ship's way.
As the wind, which continued between the north and the west, would not
permit me to touch at Van Diemen's Land, I shaped my course to New Zealand;
and, being under no apprehensions of meeting with any danger, I was not
backward in carrying sail, as well by night as day, having the advantage of
a very strong gale, which was attended with hazy rainy weather, and a very
large swell from the W. and W.S.W. We continued to meet with, now and then,
a seal, Port Egmont hens, and sea-weed.
On the morning of the 22d, the wind shifted to south, and brought with it
fair weather. At noon, we found ourselves in the latitude of 49 deg. 55',
longitude 159 deg. 28', having a very large swell out of the S.W. For the three
days past, the mercury in the thermometer had risen to 46, and the weather
was quite mild. Seven or eight degrees of latitude had made a surprising
difference in the temperature of the air, which we felt with an agreeable
satisfaction.
We continued to advance to the N.E. at a good rate, having a brisk gale
between the S. and E.; meeting with seals, Port Egmont hens, egg birds,
sea-weed, &c. and having constantly a very large swell from the S.W. At ten
o'clock in the morning of the 25th, the land of New Zealand was seen from
the mast-head; and at noon, from the deck; extending from N.E. by E. to E.,
distant ten leagues. As I intended to put into Dusky Bay, or any other port
I could find, on the southern part of Tavai Poenammoo, we steered in
for the land, under all the sail we could carry, having the advantage of a
fresh gale at W., and tolerably clear weather. This last was not of long
duration; for, at half an hour after four o'clock, the land, which was not
above four miles distant, was in a manner wholly obscured in a thick haze.
At this time, we were before the entrance of a bay, which I had mistaken
for Dusky Bay, being deceived by some islands that lay in the mouth of it.
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