following persons; and the longitude
resulting therefrom was,
By Mr Wales, (the mean of two sets) 50 deg. 59' East.
Lieutenant Clerke 51 11
Mr Gilbert 50 14
Mr Smith 50 50
Mr Kendal's watch 50 50
At six o'clock in the evening, being in latitude 56 deg. 9' S., I now made
signal to the Adventure to come under my stern; and at eight o'clock the
next morning sent her to look out on my starboard beam, having at this time
a fresh gale at west and pretty clear weather. But this was not of long
duration; for, at two in the afternoon, the sky became cloudy and hazy, the
wind increased to a fresh gale, blew in squalls attended with snow, sleet,
and drizzling rain. I now made signal to the Adventure to come under my
stern, and took another reef in each top-sail. At eight o'clock I hauled up
the main-sail, and run all night under the foresail, and two top-sails; our
course being N.N.E. and N.E. by N., with a strong gale at N.W.
The 29th, at noon, we observed in latitude 52 deg. 29' S., the weather being
fair and tolerably clear. But in the afternoon, it again became very thick
and hazy with rain; and the gale increased in such a manner as to oblige us
to strike top-gallant yards, close-reef and hand the top-sails. We spent
part of the night, which was very dark and stormy, in making a tack to the
S.W., and in the morning of the 30th, stood again to the N.E., wind at N.W.
and N., a very fresh gale; which split several of our small sails. This day
no ice was seen, probably owing to the thick hazy weather. At eight o'clock
in the evening we tacked and stood to the westward, under our courses; but
as the sea run high, we made our course no better than S.S W.
At four o'clock the next morning, the gale had a little abated; and the
wind had backed to W. by S. We again stood to the northward, under courses
and double-reefed top-sails, having a very high sea from the N.N.W., which
gave us but little hopes of finding the land we were in search of. At noon
we were in the latitude of 50 deg. 56' S., longitude 56 deg. 48' E., and presently
after we saw two islands of ice. One of these we passed very near, and
found that it was breaking or falling to pieces, by the cracking noise it
made; which was equal to the report of a four-pounder. There was a good
deal of loose ice about it; and had the weather been favourable, I should
ha
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