FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   297   298  
299   300   301   302   303   304   305   306   307   308   309   310   311   312   313   314   315   316   317   318   319   320   321   322   323   >>   >|  
hich has been so often mentioned in this journal under the name of Port Egmont hens. They are of the gull kind, about the size of a raven, with a dark-brown plumage, except the under-side of each wing, where there are some white feathers. The rest of the birds were albatrosses and sheer-waters. After a few hours calm, having got a breeze at N.W., we made a stretch to the S.W. for twenty-four hours; in which route we saw a piece of wood, a bunch of weed, and a diving peterel. The wind having veered more to the west, made us tack and stretch to the north till noon on the 14th, at which time we were in the latitude of 49 deg. 32' S., longitude 95 deg. 11' W. We had now calms and light breezes, succeeding each other, till the next morning, when the wind freshened at W.N.W., and was attended with a thick fog and drizzling rain the three following days, during which time we stretched to the north, inclining to the east, and crossed my track to Otaheite in 1769. I did intend to have kept more to the west, but the strong winds from that direction put it out of my power. On the 18th, the wind veered to S.W., and blew very fresh, but was attended with clear weather, which gave us an opportunity to ascertain our longitude by several lunar observations made by Messrs Wales, Clarke, Gilbert, and Smith. The mean result of all, was 94 deg. 19' 30" W.; Mr Kendal's watch, at the same time, gave 94 deg. 46' W.; our latitude was 43 deg. 53' S. The wind continued not long at S.W. before it veered back to the west and W.N.W. As we advanced to the north, we felt a most sensible change in the weather. The 20th, at noon, we were in the latitude of 39 deg. 58' S., longitude 94 deg. 37' W. The day was clear and pleasant, and I may say, the only summer's day we had had since we left New Zealand. The mercury in the thermometer rose to 66. We still continued to steer to the north, as the wind remained in the old quarter; and the next day, at noon, we were in the latitude 37 deg. 54' S.; which was the same that Juan Fernandez's discovery is said to lie in. We, however, had not the least signs of any land lying in our neighbourhood. The next day at noon, we were in latitude 36 deg. 10' S., longitude 94 deg. 56' W. Soon after, the wind veered to S.S.E., and enabled us to steer W.S.W., which I thought the most probable direction to find the land of which we were in search; and yet I had no hopes of succeeding, as we had a large hollow swell fro
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   274   275   276   277   278   279   280   281   282   283   284   285   286   287   288   289   290   291   292   293   294   295   296   297   298  
299   300   301   302   303   304   305   306   307   308   309   310   311   312   313   314   315   316   317   318   319   320   321   322   323   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

latitude

 

veered

 
longitude
 

stretch

 
attended
 

continued

 

direction

 

weather

 

succeeding

 

mentioned


change

 
advanced
 

summer

 

pleasant

 
Gilbert
 
result
 
Clarke
 

observations

 

Messrs

 
Kendal

journal
 

Zealand

 

enabled

 

neighbourhood

 
thought
 
probable
 

hollow

 

search

 

remained

 

mercury


thermometer
 

quarter

 

discovery

 

Fernandez

 

ascertain

 

morning

 

freshened

 

breezes

 

feathers

 
twenty

albatrosses

 
waters
 
diving
 

peterel

 

plumage

 
strong
 

opportunity

 
breeze
 

stretched

 
drizzling