Zealand, as we had not heard of her in all this time. Nevertheless, I was resolved not to leave the coast without looking for her, where I thought it most likely for her to be. It was with this view that I stood over for Cape Teerawhitte, and afterward ran alongshore, from point to point, to Cape Palliser, firing guns every half-hour; but all to no effect. At eight o'clock we brought-to for the night, Cape Palliser bearing south-east by east distant three leagues, in which situation we had fifty fathoms water.

I had now an opportunity of making the following remarks on the coast between Cape Teerawhitte and Cape Palliser. The bay which lies on the west side of the last cape does not appear to run so far inland to the northward as I at first thought, the deception being caused by the land in the bottom of it being low; it is, however, at least five leagues deep, and full as wide at the entrance. Though it seems to be exposed to southerly and southwest winds, it is probable there may be places in the bottom of it sheltered even from these. The bay or inlet on the east side of Cape Teerawhitte, before which we anchored, lies in north inclining to the west, and seemed to be sheltered from all winds. The middle cape or point of land that disjoins these two bays, rises to a considerable height, especially inland; for close to the sea is a skirt of low land, off which lie some pointed rocks, but so near to the shore as to be no ways dangerous. Indeed, the navigation of this side of the strait seems much safer than the other, because the tides here are not near so strong. Cape Teerawhitte and Cape Palliser lie in the direction of N. 69° W. and S. 69° E. from each other, distant ten leagues. The cape which disjoins the two bays above mentioned lies within, or north of this direction. All the land near the coast, between and about these capes, is exceedingly barren; probably owing to its being so much exposed, to the cold southerly winds. From Cape Teerawhitte to the Two Brothers, which lie off Cape Koamaroo, the course is nearly north-west by north, distant sixteen miles. North of Cape Teerawhitte, between it and Entry Island, is an island lying pretty near the shore. I judged this to be an island when I saw it in my former voyage, but not being certain, left it undetermined in my chart of the strait, which is the reason of my taking notice of it now, as also of the bays, &c. above mentioned.

At daylight in the morning of the 26th, we made sail round Cape Palliser, firing guns as usual as we ran along the shore. In this manner we proceeded till we were three or four leagues to the north-east of the cape, when the wind shifting to north-east, we bore away to Cape Campbell, on the other side of the strait. Soon after seeing a smoke ascend, at some distance inland away to the north-east, we hauled the wind, and continued to ply till six o'clock in the evening; which was several hours after the smoke disappeared, and left us not the least signs of people. Every one being unanimously of opinion that the Adventure could neither be stranded on the coast, nor be in any of the harbours thereof, I gave up looking for her, and all thoughts of seeing her any more during the voyage; as no rendezvous was absolutely fixed upon after leaving New Zealand. Nevertheless, this did not discourage me from fully exploring the southern parts of the Pacific Ocean, in the doing of which I intended to employ the whole of the ensuing season.

On our quitting the coast, and, consequently, all hopes of being joined by our consort, I had the satisfaction to find that not a man was dejected, or thought the dangers we had yet to go through were in the least increased by being alone; but as cheerfully proceeding to the south, or wherever I might think proper to lead them, as if the Adventure, or even more ships, had been in our company.

CHAPTER VI.-ROUTE OF THE SHIP FROM NEW ZEALAND IN SEARCH OF A CONTINENT; WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE VARIOUS OBSTRUCTIONS MET WITH FROM THE ICE, AND THE METHODS PURSUED TO EXPLORE THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC OCEAN.

Ar eight o'clock in the evening of the 26th, we took our departure from Cape Palliser, and steered to the south, inclining to the east, having a favourable gale from the north-west and south-west: we daily saw some rock-weed, seals, Port-Egmont hens, albatrosses, pintadoes, and other peterels; and on the 2d of December, being in the latitude of 48° 23′ S.,

longitude 179° 16′ W., we saw a number of red-billed penguins, which remained about us for several days. On the 5th, being in the latitude 50° 17' S., longitude 179° 40′ E., the variation was 18° 25' E. At half an hour past eight o'clock the next evening, we reckoned ourselves antipodes to our friends in London, consequently as far removed from them as possible.

On the 8th, being in latitude 55° 39', longitude 178° 53′ W., we ceased to see penguins and seals, and concluded that those we had seen retired to the southern parts of New Zealand whenever it was necessary for them to be at land. We had now a strong gale at north-west, and a great swell from south-west. This swell we got as soon as the south point of New Zealand came in that direction; and as we had had no wind from that quarter the six preceding days, but, on the contrary, it had been at east, north, and north-west, I conclude there can be no land to the southward, under the meridian of New Zealand, but what must lie very far to the south. The two following days we had very stormy weather, sleet and snow, winds between the north and south-west. The 11th the storm abated, and the weather clearing up, we found the latitude to be 61o 15' S., longitude 173° 4′ W. This fine weather was of short duration in the evening the wind increased to a strong gale at south-west, blew in squalls, attended with thick snow showers, hail, and sleet. The mercury in the thermometer fell to thirty-two, consequently the weather was very cold, and seemed to indicate that ice was not far off.

The

For

At four o'clock the next morning, being in the latitude of 62° 10′ S., longitude 172° W., we saw the first ice island, 112° farther S. than the first ice we saw the preceding year after leaving the Cape of Good Hope. At the time we saw this ice, we also saw an antarctic peterel, some grey albatrosses, and our old companions, pintadoes and blue peterels. wind kept veering from S.W. by the N.W. to N.N.E., for the most part a fresh gale, attended with a thick haze and snow; on which account we steered to the S.E. and E., keeping the wind always on the beam, that it might be in our power to return back nearly on the same track, should our course have been interrupted by any danger whatever. some days we had a great sea from the N.W. and S. W., so that it is not probable there can be any land near between these two points. We fell in with several large islands on the 14th, and, about noon, with a quantity of loose ice, through which we sailed. Latitude 64° 55′ S., longitude 163° 20′ W. Grey albatrosses, blue peterels, pintadoes, and fulmers were seen. As we advanced to the S.E. by E., with a fresh gale at W., we found the number of ice islands increase fast upon us. Between noon and eight in the evening we saw but two, but before four o'clock in the morning of the 15th, we had passed seventeen, besides a quantity of loose ice which we ran through. At six o'clock we were obliged to haul to the north-east, in order to clear an immense field which lay to the south and south-east. The ice in most part of it lay close packed together; in other places there appeared partitions in the field, and a clear sea beyond it. However, I did not think it safe to venture through, as the wind would not permit us to return the same way that we must go in. Besides, as it blew strong, and the weather at times was exceedingly foggy, it was the more necessary for us to get clear of this loose ice, which is rather more dangerous than the great islands. It was not such ice as is usually found in bays or rivers, and near shore, but such as breaks off from the islands, and may not improperly be called parings of the large pieces, or the rubbish or fragments which fall off when the great islands break loose from the place where they are formed.

We had not stood long to the north-east before we found ourselves embayed by the ice, and were obliged to tack and stretch to the south-west, having the field or loose ice to the south, and many huge islands to the north. After standing two hours on this tack, the wind very luckily veering to the westward, we tacked, stretched to the north, and soon got clear of all the loose ice, but not before we had received several hard knocks from the larger pieces, which, with all our care, we could not avoid. After clearing one danger, we still had another to encounter; the weather remained foggy, and many large islands lay in our way; so that we had to luff for one, and bear up for another. One we were very near falling aboard of, and if it had happened, this circumstance would never have been related. These difficulties, together with the improbability of finding land farther south, and the impossibility of exploring

it on account of the ice, if we should find any, determined me to get more to the north. At the time we last tacked, we were in the longitude of 159° 20′ W., and in the latitude of 66° 0'S. Several penguins were seen on some of the ice islands, and a few antarctic peterels on the wing.

We continued to stand to the north, with a fresh gale at west, attended with thick snow showers till eight o'clock in the evening, when the wind abated, the sky began to clear up, and, at six o'clock in the morning of the 16th, it fell calm. Four hours after, it was succeeded by a breeze at north-east, with which we stretched to the south-east, having thick hazy weather, with snow showers, and all our rigging coated with ice. In the evening, we attempted to take some out of the sea, but were obliged to desist, the sea running too high, and the pieces being so large, that it was dangerous for the boat to come near them. The next morning, being the 17th, we succeeded better; for falling in with a quantity of loose ice, we hoisted out two boats, and by noon got on board as much as we could manage. We then made sail for the east, with a gentle breeze northerly, attended with snow and sleet, which froze to the rigging as it fell. At this time we were in the latitude of 64° 41′ S., longitude 155° 44′ W. The ice we took up proved to be none of the best, being chiefly composed of frozen snow, on which account it was porous, and had imbibed a good deal of salt water; but this drained off after lying a while on deck, and the water then yielded was fresh. We continued to stretch to the east, with a piercing cold northerly wind, attended with a thick fog, snow, and sleet, that decorated all our rigging with icicles. We were hourly meeting with some of the large ice islands, which in these high latitudes render navigation so very dangerous. At seven in the evening, falling in with a cluster of them, we narrowly escaped running aboard of one, and with difficulty wore clear of the others. stood back to the west till ten o'clock, at which time the fog cleared away, and we resumed our course to the east. At noon the next day, we were in the latitude of 64° 49′ S., longitude 149° 19′ W. Some time after, our longitude, by observed distance of the sun and moon, was 149° 19′ W.; by Mr. Kendal's watch, 148° 36'; and by my reckoning, 148° 43', latitude 64° 48' S.

We

The clear weather and the wind veering to north-west tempted me to steer south, which course we continued till seven in the morning of the 20th, when the wind changing to northeast, and the sky becoming clouded, we hauled up south-east. In the afternoon the wind increased to a strong gale, attended with a thick fog, snow, sleet, and rain, which constitutes the very worst of weather. Our rigging at this time was so loaded with ice that we had enough to do to get our top-sails down to double the reef. At seven o'clock in the evening, in the longitude of 147° 46', we came the second time within the antarctic or polar circle, continuing our course to the south-east till six o'clock the next morning. At that time, being in the latitude of 67° 5′ S., all at once we got in among a cluster of very large ice islands, and a vast quantity of loose pieces; and, as the fog was exceedingly thick, it was with the utmost difficulty we wore clear of them. This done, we stood to the north-west till noon, when the fog being somewhat dissipated, we resumed our course again to the south-east. The ice islands we met with in the morning were very high and rugged, forming at their tops many peaks; whereas the most of those we had seen before were flat at top, and not so high, though many of them were between two and three hundred feet in height, and between two and three miles in circuit, with perpendicular cliffs or sides, astonishing to behold. Most of our winged companions had now left us, the grey albatrosses only remained, and instead of the other birds we were visited by a few antarctic peterels.

The 22nd we steered east-south-east with a fresh gale at north, blowing in squalls, one of which took hold of the mizen top-sail, tore it all to rags, and rendered it for ever after useless. At six o'clock in the morning, the wind veering toward the west, our course was east-northerly. At this time we were in the latitude of 67° 31', the highest we had yet been in, longitude 142° 54' west. We continued our course to the east by north till noon the 23d, when, being in the latitude of 67° 12′, longitude 138° 0', we steered south-east, having then twenty-three ice islands in sight from off the deck, and twice that number from the masthead, and yet we could not see above two or three miles round us, At four o'clock in the afternoon, in the latitude of 67° 20′, longitude 137° 12', we fell in with such a quantity of

field or loose ice, as covered the sea in the whole extent from south to east, and was so thick and close as wholly to obstruct our passage. At this time, the wind being pretty moderate, and the sea smooth, we brought to at the outer edge of the ice, hoisted out two boats, and sent them to take some up. In the mean time, we laid hold of several large pieces alongside, and got them on board with our tackle. The taking up ice proved such cold work, that it was eight o'clock by the time the boats had made two trips; when we hoisted them in, and made sail to the west, under double-reefed topsails and courses, with a strong gale at north, attended with snow and sleet, which froze to the rigging as it fell, making the ropes like wires, and the sails like boards or plates of metal. The sheaves also were frozen so fast in the blocks, that it required our utmost efforts to get a topsail down and up; the cold so intense as hardly to be endured; the whole sea, in a manner covered with ice; a hard gale, and a thick fog.

Under all these unfavourable circumstances, it was natural for me to think of returning more to the north, seeing no probability of finding any land here, nor a possibility of getting farther south; and to have proceeded to the east, in this latitude, must have been wrong, not only on account of the ice, but because we must have left a vast space of sea to the north unexplored; a space of 24° of latitude, in which a large tract of land might have lain. Whether such a supposition was well grounded, could only be determined by visiting those parts.

While we were taking up ice, we got two of the antarctic peterels so often mentioned, by which our conjectures were confirmed of their being of the peterel tribe. They are about the size of a large pigeon; the feathers of the head, back, and part of the upper side of the wings, are of a light brown; the belly and under side of the wings, white; the tail-feathers are also white, but tipped with brown; at the same time, we got another new peterel, smaller than the former, and all of a dark-grey plumage. We remarked that these birds were fuller of feathers than any we had hitherto seen; such care has nature taken to clothe them suitably to the climate in which they live. At the same time we saw a few chocolate-coloured albatrosses; these, as well as the peterels above mentioned, we nowhere saw but among the ice; hence one may, with reason, conjecture that there is land to the south. If not, I must ask where these birds breed? A question which perhaps will never be determined; for hitherto we have found these lands, if any, quite inaccessible. Besides these birds, we saw a very large seal, which kept playing about us some time. One of our people who had been at Greenland called it a sea-horse; but every one else who saw it took it for what I have said. Since our first falling in with the ice, the mercury in the thermometer had been from 33 to 31 at noon-day.

On the 24th, the wind abated, veering to the north-west, and the sky cleared up, in the latitude of 67° 0', longitude 138° 15'. As we advanced to the north-east, with a gentle gale at north-west, the ice islands increased so fast upon us, that this day at noon we could see near 100 round us, besides an immense number of small pieces. Perceiving that it was likely to be calm, I got the ship into as clear a berth as I could, where she drifted along with the ice; and by taking the advantage of every light air of wind, was kept from falling aboard any of these floating isles. Here it was we spent Christmas-day, much in the same manner as we did the preceding one. We were fortunate in having continual daylight and clear weather; for had it been as foggy as on some of the preceding days, nothing less than a miracle could have saved us from being dashed to pieces.

In the morning of the 26th, the whole sea was in a manner covered with ice, 200 large islands and upwards being seen within the compass of four or five miles, which was the limits of our horizon, besides smaller pieces innumerable. Our latitude at noon was 66° 15′, longitude 134° 22′. By observation we found that the ship had drifted, or gone about 20 miles to the north-east or east-north-east, whereas by the ice islands it appeared that she had gone little or nothing; from which we concluded that the ice drifted nearly in the same direction, and at the same rate, At four o'clock a breeze sprung up at west-south-west, and enabled us to steer north, the most probable course to extricate ourselves from these dangers. We continued our course to the north with a gentle breeze at west, attended with clear weather, till four o'clock the next morning, when, meeting with a quantity of loose ice, we

brought to, and took on board as much as filled all our empty casks, and for several days' present expense. This done, we made sail, and steered north-west, with a gentle breeze at north-east, clear frosty weather. Our latitude at this time was 65° 53′ S., longitude 133° 42′ W.; islands of ice not half so numerous as before.

At four in the morning of the 28th, the wind having veered more to the east and southeast, increased to a fresh gale, and was attended with snow showers. Our course was north till noon the next day. Being then in the latitude of 62° 24', longitude 134° 37′, westeered north-west by north. Some hours after the sky cleared up, and the wind abating, veered more to the south. On the 30th, had little wind westerly; dark gloomy weather, with snow and sleet at times; several whales seen playing about the ship, but very few birds; islands of ice in plenty, and a swell from west-north-west. On the 31st, little wind from the westward; fair and clear weather, which afforded an opportunity to air the spare sails, and to clean and smoke the ship betwixt decks. At noon our latitude was 59° 40′ S., longitude 135° 11′ W. Our observation to-day gave us reason to conjecture that we had a southerly current. Indeed, this was no more than what might reasonably be supposed, to account for such huge masses of ice being brought from the south. In the afternoon, had a few hours' calm, succeeded by a breeze from the east, which enabled us to resume our north-west by north course.

January 1st, the wind remained not long at east; but veered round by the south to west; blew fresh, attended with snow showers. In the evening, being in the latitude of 58° 39′ S. we passed two islands of ice; after which we saw no more till we stood again to the south. At five o'clock in the morning on the 2nd, it fell calm: being at this time in the latitude of 58° 2′, longitude 137° 12'. The calm being succeeded by a breeze at east, we steered N.W. by W. My reason for steering this course was to explore part of the great space of sea between us and our track to the south.

On the 3rd, at noon, being in latitude 56° 46', longitude 139° 45', the weather became fair, and the wind veered to south-west. About this time we saw a few small divers (as we call them) of the peterel tribe, which we judged to be such as are usually seen near land, especially in the bays, and on the coast of New Zealand. I cannot tell what to think of these birds. Had there been more of them, I should have been ready enough to believe that we were at this time not very far from land, as I never saw one so far from known land before. Probably these few had been drawn thus far by some shoal of fish, for such were certainly about us, by the vast number of blue peterels, albatrosses, and such other birds as are usually seen in the great ocean; all or most of which left us before night. Two or three pieces of sea-weed were also seen; but these appeared old and decayed.

At eight o'clock in the evening, being in the latitude of 56° S., longitude 140° 31' west, the wind fixing in the western board, obliged us to steer north-easterly, and laid me under the necessity of leaving unexplored a space of the sea to the west, containing near 40° of longitude and a half that in latitude. Had the wind continued favourable, I intended to have run 15 or 20 degrees of longitude more to the west, in the latitude we were then in, and back again to the east in the latitude of 50°. This route would have so intersected the space above mentioned, as hardly to have left room for the bare supposition of any land lying there. Indeed, as it was, we have little reason to believe that there is; but rather the contrary, from the great hollow swell we had had for several days, from the W. and N.W., though the wind had blown from a contrary direction great part of the time; which is a great sign we had not been covered by any land between these two points. While we were in the high latitudes, many of our people were attacked with a slight fever, occasioned by colds. It happily yielded to the simplest remedies; was generally removed in a few days; and at this time we had not above one or two on the sick list.

We proceeded N.E. by N. till the 6th, at noon. Being then in the latitude 52° 0′ S., longitude 135° 32′ W., and about 200 leagues from our track to Otaheite, in which space it was not probable, all circumstances considered, there is any extensive land; and it being still less probable any lay to the west, from the great mountainous billows we had had, and still continued to have from that quarter; I therefore steered N.E. with a fresh gale at W.S.W.