, we let
out the reefs of the topsails, and made more sail. At noon, we were in
latitude 40 deg. 58', and longitude 148 deg. 17', the variation 3 deg. E. In the
afternoon, another little wanderer from the land pitched on the ship, and
was so worn out with fatigue, that it suffered itself to be taken
immediately, and died a few hours afterward. It was not bigger than a wren,
had a tuft of yellow feathers on its head, and the rest of its plumage like
that of the linnet. The sparrow, being stronger, lived a long time. These
birds plainly indicating, that we could not be at any great distance from
the land, and the wind, after varying a little, fixing in the evening at
N., our hopes of making the land again revived, and we hauled up to the
W.N.W., in which direction, the southernmost islands seen by Spanberg, and
said to be inhabited by hairy men, lay at the distance of about fifty
leagues. But the wind not keeping pace with our wishes, blew in such light
airs, that we made little way, till eight next morning, when we had a fresh
breeze from the S.S.W., with which we continued to steer W.N.W. till the
evening. At noon, we were in latitude 40 deg. 35', longitude 146 deg. 45'; the
latter deduced from several lunar observations taken during the night. The
variation of the needle we found to be 17' E. In the evening, we had strong
squally gales attended with rain, and having passed, in the course of the
day, several patches of green grass, and seen a shag, many small land-
birds, and flocks of gulls, it was not thought prudent, with all these
signs of the vicinity of land, to stand on during the whole night. We
therefore tacked at midnight, and steered a few hours to the S.E., and, at
four in the morning of the 24th, again directed our course to the W.N.W.,
and carried a press of sail till seven in the evening, when the wind
shifted from S.S.W. to N., and blew a fresh gale. At this time we were in
the latitude of 40 deg. 57', and the longitude of 145 deg. 20'.

This second disappointment in our endeavours to get to the N.W., together
with the boisterous weather we had met with, and the little likelihood, at
this time of the year, of its becoming more favourable to our views, were
Captain Gore's motives for now finally giving up all farther search for the
islands to the N. of Japan, and for shaping a course W.S.W., for the N.
part of that island. In the night, the wind shifted to the N.E., and blew a
fresh gale, with hard rain, an