ey had
also some vegetables and many land birds. He was not aware that at the
distance of a few days' sail there was a race of men equal, if not
superior, in intelligence to the New Zealanders, still more addicted to
the horrible practice, the accounts of which, thoroughly authenticated
as they are, make the heart sicken at the thought of the depths of
depravity to which human nature can sink.

In vain the Adventure was looked-for. The unanimous opinion was that
she was not stranded, nor likely to be in any neighbouring harbour; and
as no actual rendezvous had been appointed, all hopes of seeing her
again during the voyage were abandoned. This, however, did not
discourage Cook from pursuing his researches in the South Pacific, in
which he intended to occupy the whole of the ensuing summer; while his
officers and crew expressed themselves willing to accompany him even
without their consort, wherever he might think fit to go.

On the morning of November 26 the Resolution took her departure from
Cape Palliser, and steered south, inclining to the east. Heavy gales
were soon met with, and on the morning of December 12, in latitude 62
degrees 10 minutes South and longitude 172 degrees West, the first
iceberg was seen, as also were many antarctic birds; while the explorers
were greeted with a fresh gale and thick haze and snow, a great sea,
rolling up from the north-west and south-west, at the same time showing
that there was no continent in that direction, unless at a great
distance. Two days afterwards more large ice islands and loose ice were
encountered; and with strong gales of wind, a heavy sea, dense
snow-storms and fogs, surrounded by masses of floating ice, the ship
pursued her course to the east. Christmas Day was calm, and, with a
hundred ice islands in sight, the ship was allowed to drift quietly on.
Providentially, the weather was clear, with a light air, and as there
was continued daylight she was prevented from falling aboard any of the
masses of ice. Had it been blowing, and as foggy as on the preceding
days, a miracle alone could have saved her from being dashed to pieces.
A full description of this part of the voyage would be tedious.
Especially so must the reality have been to the voyagers; and before
long all began to feel the effects of the bitter weather to which they
were exposed. Cook himself was dangerously ill, though he concealed his
malady from the crew.

On January 30, at four in the mor