d increased so much that
it was necessary to haul the top-sails and to strike topgallant masts.
The next day the wind abated, but the weather continued thick and hazy,
with sleet and snow which froze on the rigging as it fell, and
ornamented the whole of it with icicles. At length the longitude in
which the looked-for cape was supposed to lie was reached, and as the
ships were far to the southward of the latitude in which Captain Bouvet
stated he had seen it, no doubt remained that he had mistaken lofty
icebergs, surrounded by loose or field ice, for land, as Captain Cook
and his officers had already been deceived on the first day they fell in
with field ice.

When the weather became finer the ships were able to fill up their
water-casks with pure fresh water, by collecting masses of ice, and then
hanging them up to allow any salt which might have adhered to them to
run off. Whenever the weather permitted, the astronomers were employed
in making observations, and the naturalists in collecting birds, the
only objects they had the means of obtaining.

The antarctic circle was crossed on January 17, in longitude 39 degrees
35 minutes East; and on the evening of that day the whole sea to the
south and west appeared covered with ice, though shortly before none was
in sight. In this space thirty-eight ice islands, great and small, were
counted, besides loose ice in abundance, so that the ships were obliged
to luff to avoid one piece, and to bear up to escape another, as they
proceeded to the south. At length a compact mass, from sixteen to
eighteen feet high, appearing to the south, without any opening, Captain
Cook altered his course to the north. A number of whales were now seen
sporting about the ice, and several flocks of antarctic petrels. The
ships did not alter their course an hour too soon, for that night a
heavy gale sprang up which would have rendered their position very
dangerous. After this, search was in vain made for the land said to
have been seen by the French captain in the longitude of the Mauritius.

On February 8, during thick weather, the Adventure was separated from
the Resolution, and though, according to arrangement, Captain Cook
cruised for three days about the spot where his consort had last been
seen, and continued burning blue lights and firing guns, he was
compelled at last to give up the search. On the night of the 17th the
aurora presented a very beautiful appearance. It was first see