ed and stood to the
S.S.E, but at four in the morning of the 20th, it returned back to its old
point, and we resumed our northerly course. One of the above birds was seen
this morning, probably the same we saw the night before, as our situation
was not much altered. As the day advanced, the gale increased, attended
with thick hazy weather, sleet, and snow, and at last obliged us to close-
reef our top-sails, and strike top-gallant-yards. But in the evening the
wind abated so as to admit us to carry whole top-sails, and top-gallant-
yards aloft. Hazy weather, with snow and sleet continued.

In the afternoon of the 21st, being in the latitude of 62 deg. 24' S.,
longitude 42 deg. 19' E., we saw a white albatross with black tipped wings, and
a pintado bird. The wind was now at S. and S.W., a fresh gale. With this we
steered N.E., against a very high sea, which did not indicate the vicinity
of land in that quarter; and yet it was there we were to expect it. The
next day we had intervals of fair weather, the wind was moderate, and we
carried our studding-sails. In the morning of the 23d, we were in
latitude of 60 deg. 27' S., longitude 45 deg. 33' E. Snow showers continued, and
the weather was so cold, that the water in our water-vessels on deck had
been frozen for several preceding nights.

Having clear weather at intervals, I spread the ships a-breast four miles
from each other, in order the better to discover any thing that might lie
in our way. We continued to sail in this manner till six o'clock in the
evening, when hazy weather and snow showers made it necessary for us to
join.

We kept our course to N.E. till eight o'clock in the morning of the 25th,
when the wind having veered round to N.E. by E., by the W. and N. we
tacked, and stood to N.W. The wind was fresh, and yet we made but little
way against a high northerly sea. We now began to see some of that sort of
peterels so well known to sailors by the name of sheerwaters, latitude 58 deg.
10', longitude 50 deg. 54' E. In the afternoon the wind veered to the southward
of east; and at eight o'clock in the evening, it increased to a storm,
attended with thick hazy weather, sleet and snow.

During night we went under our fore-sail and main-top-sail close-reefed: At
day-light the next morning, added to them the fore and mizen top-sails. At
four o'clock it fell calm; but a prodigious high sea from the N.E., and a
complication of the worst of weather, viz. snow, sleet, an