ould
to the south; having never less than ten or twelve islands of ice in sight.

Next day we had the wind at S.W. and S.S.W., a gentle gale, with now and
then showers of snow and hail. In the morning, being in the latitude of 55 deg.
20' S., and longitude 31 deg. 30' E., we hoisted out a boat to see if there was
any current, but found none. Mr Forster, who went in the boat, shot some of
the small grey birds before-mentioned, which were of the peterel tribe, and
about the size of a small pigeon. Their back, and upper side of their
wings, their feet and bills, are of a blue-grey colour. Their bellies, and
under side of their wings are white, a little tinged with blue. The upper
side of their quill feathers is a dark-blue tinged with black. A streak is
formed by feathers nearly of this colour, along the upper parts of the
wings, and crossing the back a little above the tail. The end of the tail
feathers is also of the same colour. Their bills are much broader than any
I have seen of the same tribe; and their tongues are remarkably broad.
These blue peterels, as I shall call them, are seen no where but in the
southern hemisphere, from about the latitude of 28 deg., and upwards.
Thermometer at 33 deg. in the open air, and 32 deg. in the sea at the surface, and
at 34-1/2 when drawn, and 6-1/2 minutes in drawing up from 100 fathoms
below it, where it had been sixteen minutes.

On the 24th, the wind blew from N.W. to N.E., a gentle gale, fair and
cloudy. At noon we were by observation, in the latitude of 56 deg. 31' S, and
longitude 31 deg. 19' E., the thermometer at 35. And being near an island of
ice, which was about fifty feet high, and 400 fathoms in circuit, I sent
the master in the jolly-boat to see if any water run from it. He soon
returned with an account that there was not one drop, or any other
appearance of thaw. In the evening we sailed through several floats, or
fields of loose ice, lying in the direction of S.E. and N.W.; at the same
time we had continually several islands of the same composition in sight.

On the 25th, the wind veering round from the N.E., by the east to south, it
blew a gentle gale; with which we stood to the W.S.W, and at noon were in
the latitude of 57 deg. 50' S., and longitude 29 deg. 32' E. The weather was fair
and cloudy; the air sharp and cold, attended with a hard frost. And,
although this was the middle of summer with us, I much question if the day
was colder in any part of England. Th