and occasioned the sail to be split. I have
observed that the ropes to all our sails, the square sails especially, are
not of a size and strength sufficient to wear out the canvass. At noon,
latitude 55 deg. 20' S., longitude 134 deg. 16' W., a great swell from N.W.:
Albatrosses and blue peterels seen.

Next day towards noon, the wind abating, we loosed all the reefs out of the
top-sails, rigged another top-gallant mast, and got the yards across. P.M.
little wind, and hazy weather; at midnight calm, that continued till noon
the next day, when a breeze sprung up at east, with which we stretched to
the northward. At this time we were in the latitude 55 deg. 32' S., longitude
128 deg. 45' W.; some albatrosses and peterels seen. At eight, p.m., the wind
veering to N.E., we tacked and stood to E.S.E.

1774 December

On the 1st of December, thick hazy weather, with drizzling rain, and a
moderate breeze of wind, which, at three o'clock p.m. fell to a calm; at
this time in latitude 55 deg. 41' S., longitude 127 deg. 5' W. After four hours
calm, the fog cleared away, and we got a wind at S.E. with which we stood
N.E.

Next day, a fresh breeze at S.E. and hazy foggy weather, except a few hours
in the morning, when we found the variation to be 1 deg. 28' E. Latitude 55 deg.
17', longitude 125 deg. 41' W. The variation after this was supposed to
increase; for on the 4th, in the morning, being in latitude 53 deg. 31',
longitude 121 deg. 31' W., it was 3 deg. 16' E.; in the evening, in latitude 53 deg.
13', longitude 119 deg. 46' W., it was 3 deg. 28' E.; and on the 5th, at six
o'clock in the evening, in latitude 53 deg. 8', longitude 115 deg. 58' W., it was
4 deg. 1' E.

For more than twenty-four hours, having had a fine gale at south, this
enabled us to steer east, with very little deviation to the north; and the
wind now altering to S.W. and blowing a steady fresh breeze, we continued
to steer east, inclining a little to south.

On the 6th, had some snow-showers. In the evening, being in latitude 53 deg.
13', longitude 111 deg. 12', the variation was 4 deg. 58' E.; and the next morning,
being in latitude 58 deg. 16', longitude 109 deg. 33', it was 5 deg. 1' E.

The wind was now at west, a fine pleasant gale, sometimes with showers of
rain. Nothing remarkable happened, till the 9th, at noon, when being in the
latitude of 53 deg. 37', longitude 103 deg. 44' W., the wind veered to N.E., and
afterwards came insensibly round to t