A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels Volume Xv Part 3

These reasons induced me to alter the course to the east, with a very strong gale at north, attended with an exceedingly heavy fall of snow.

The quant.i.ty which lodged on our sails was so great, that we were frequently obliged to throw the ship up in the wind to shake it out of them, otherwise neither they nor the ship could have supported the weight. In the evening it ceased to snow; the weather cleared up, the wind backed to the west, and we spent the night in making two short boards, under close-reefed top-sails and fore-sail.

At day-break on the 7th, we resumed our course to the east, with a very fresh gale at S.W. by W., attended by a high sea from the same direction. In the afternoon, being in the lat.i.tude of 58 24' S., longitude 16 19' west, the variation was 1 52' east. Only three ice-islands seen this day. At eight o'clock, shortened sail, and hauled the wind to the S.E. for the night, in which we had several showers of snow and sleet.

On the 8th at day-light, we resumed our east course with a gentle breeze and fair weather. After sun-rise, being then in the lat.i.tude of 58 30'

S., longitude 15 14' west, the variation, by the mean results of two compa.s.ses, was 2 43' east. These observations were more to be depended on than those made the night before, there being much less sea now than then. In the afternoon, we pa.s.sed three ice-islands. This night was spent as the preceding.

At six next morning, being in the lat.i.tude of 58 27' S., longitude 13 4' W., the variation was 26' E.; and in the afternoon, being in the same lat.i.tude, and about a quarter of a degree more to the east, it was 2'

west. Therefore this last situation must be in or near the Line, in which the compa.s.s has no variation. We had a calm the most part of the day. The weather fair and clear, excepting now and then a snow-shower.

The mercury in the thermometer at noon rose to 40; whereas, for several days before, it had been no higher than 36 or 38. We had several ice-islands in sight, but no one thing that could induce us to think that any land was in our neighbourhood. At eight in the evening a breeze sprung up at S.E., with which we stood to N.E.

During the night the wind freshened and veered south, which enabled us to steer east. The wind was attended with showers of sleet and snow till day-light, when the weather became fair, but piercing cold, so that the water on deck was frozen, and at noon the mercury in the thermometer was no higher than 34-1/2. At six o'clock in the morning, the variation was 23' west, being then in the lat.i.tude of 58 15' S., longitude 11 41' W; and at six in the evening, being in the same lat.i.tude, and in the longitude of 9 24' W., it was 1 51' W. In the evening the wind abated; and during the night, it was variable between south and west.

Ice-islands continually in sight.

On the 11th, wind westerly, light airs attended with heavy showers of snow in the morning; but as the day advanced, the weather became fair, clear, and serene. Still continuing to steer east, at noon we observed in lat.i.tude 58 11', longitude at the same time 7 55' west. Thermometer 34-2/3. In the afternoon we had two hours calm; after which we had faint breezes between the N.E. and S.E.

At six o'clock in the morning of the 12th, being in the lat.i.tude of 58 23' S., longitude 6 54' W., the variation was 3 23' west. We had variable light airs next to a calm all this day, and the weather was fair and clear till towards the evening, when it became cloudy with snow-showers, and the air very cold. Ice-islands continually in sight; most of them small and breaking to pieces.

In the afternoon of the 13th, the wind increased, the sky became clouded, and soon after we had a very heavy fall of snow, which continued till eight or nine o'clock in the evening, when the wind abating and veering to S.E., the sky cleared up, and we had a fair night, attended with so sharp a frost, that the water in all our vessels on deck was next morning covered with a sheet of ice. The mercury in the thermometer was as low as 29, which is 3 below freezing, or rather 4; for we generally found the water freeze when the mercury stood at 33.

Towards noon on the 14th, the wind veering to the south, increased to a very strong gale, and blew in heavy squalls attended with snow. At intervals, between the squalls, the weather was fair and clear, but exceedingly cold. We continued to steer east, inclining a little to the north, and in, the afternoon crossed the first meridian, or that of Greenwich, in the lat.i.tude of 57 50' S. At eight in, the evening, we close-reefed the top-sails, took in the main-sail, and steered east with a very hard gale at S.S.W., and a high sea from the same direction.

At day-break on the 15th, we set the main-sail, loosed a reef out of each top-sail, and with a very strong gale at S.W., and fair weather, steered E.N.E. till noon, at which, time we were in lat.i.tude of 50 37'

S., longitude 4 11' E., when we pointed to the N.E., in order to get into the lat.i.tude of Cape Circ.u.mcision. Some large ice-islands were in sight, and the air was nearly as cold as on the preceding day. At eight o'clock in the evening, shortened sail, and at eleven hauled the wind to the N.W., not daring to stand on in the night, which was foggy, with snow-showers, and a smart frost.

At day-break on the 16th, we bore away N.E., with a light breeze at west, which, at noon, was succeeded by a calm and fair weather. Our lat.i.tude at this time was 55 26' S., longitude 5 52' E., in which situation we had a great swell from the southward, but no ice in sight.

At one o'clock in the p.m., a breeze springing up at E.N.E., we stood to S.E. till six, then tacked, and stood to the north, under double-reefed top-sails and courses, having a very fresh gale attended with snow and sleet, which fixed to the masts and rigging as it fell, and coated the whole with ice.

On the 17th the wind continued veering, by little and little, to the south, till midnight, when it fixed at S.W. Being at this time in the lat.i.tude of 54 20' S., longitude 6 33' east, I steered east, having a prodigious high sea from the south, which a.s.sured us no land was near in that direction.

In the morning of the 18th, it ceased to snow; the weather became fair and clear; and we found the variation to be 18 44' west. At noon we were in the lat.i.tude of 54 25', longitude 8 46' east. I thought this a good lat.i.tude to keep in, to look for Cape Circ.u.mcision; because, if the land had ever so little extent in the direction of north and south, we could not miss seeing it, as the northern point is said to lie in 54.

We had yet a great swell from the south, so that I was now well a.s.sured it could only be an island, and it was of no consequence which side we fell in with. In the evening Mr Wales made several observations of the moon, and stars Regulus and Spica; the mean results, at four o'clock when the observations were made, for finding the time by the watch, gave 9 15' 20" east longitude. The watch at the same time gave 9 36' 45".

Soon after the variation was found to be 13 10' west. It is nearly in this situation that Mr Bouvet had 1 east. I cannot suppose that the variation has altered so much since that time; but rather think he had made some mistake in his observations. That there could be none in ours was certain, from the uniformity for some time past. Besides, we found 12 8' west, variation, nearly under this meridian, in January 1773.

During the night the wind veered round by the N.W. to N.N.E. and blew a fresh gale.

At eight in the morning of the 19th, we saw the appearance of land in the direction of E. by S., or that of our course; but it proved a mere fog-bank, and soon after dispersed. We continued to steer E. by S. and S.E., till seven o'clock in the evening, when being in the lat.i.tude of 54 42' S., longitude 13 3' E., and the wind having veered to N.E., we tacked and stood to N.W. under close-reefed topsails and courses; having a very strong gale attended with snow-showers.

At four o'clock next morning, being in the lat.i.tude of 54 30' S., longitude 12 33'. east, we tacked and stretched to N.E. with a fresh gale at S.W., attended with snow-showers and sleet. At noon, being in the lat.i.tude of 54 8' S., longitude 12 59' E., with a fresh gale at W.

by N., and tolerably clear weather, we steered east till ten o'clock in the evening, when we brought-to, lest we might pa.s.s any land in the night, of which we however had not the least signs.

At day-break, having made sail, we bore away E., and at noon observed in lat.i.tude 54 16' S., longitude 16 13' east, which is 5 to the east of the longitude in which Cape Circ.u.mcision is said to lie; so that we began to think there was no such land in existence. I however continued to steer east, inclining a little to the south, till four o'clock in the afternoon of the next day, when we were in lat.i.tude 54 24' S., longitude 19 18' east.

We had now run down thirteen degrees of longitude in the very lat.i.tude a.s.signed for Bouvet's Land. I was therefore well a.s.sured that what he had seen could be nothing but an island of ice; for, if it had been land, it is hardly possible we could have missed it, though it were ever so small. Besides, from the time of leaving the southern lands, we had not met with the least signs of any other. But even suppose we had, it would have been no proof of the existence of Cape Circ.u.mcision; for I am well a.s.sured that neither seals nor penguins, nor any of the oceanic birds, are indubitable signs of the vicinity of land. I will allow that they are found on the coasts of all these southern lands; but are they not also to be found in all parts of the southern ocean? There are, however, some oceanic or aquatic birds which point out the vicinity of land; especially s.h.a.gs, which seldom go out of sight of it; and gannets, b.o.o.bies, and men-of-war birds, I believe, seldom go very far out to sea.

As we were now no more than two degrees of longitude front our route to the south, when we left the Cape of Good Hope, it was to no purpose to proceed any farther to the east under this parallel, knowing that no land could be there. But an opportunity now offering of clearing up some doubts of our having seen land farther to the south, I steered S.E. to get into the situation in which it was supposed to lie.

We continued this course till four o'clock the next morning, and then S.E. by E. and E.S.E., till eight in the evening, at which time we were in the lat.i.tude of 55 25' S., longitude 23 22' east, both deduced from observations made the same day; for, in the morning, the sky was clear at intervals, and afforded an opportunity to observe several distances of the sun and moon, which we had not been able to do for some time past, having had a constant succession of bad weather.

Having now run over the place where the land was supposed to lie, without seeing the least signs of any, it was no longer to be doubted but that the ice-islands had deceived us as well as Mr Bouvet. The wind by this time having veered to the north, and increased to a perfect storm, attended as usual with snow and sleet, we handed the top-sails and hauled up E.N.E. under the courses. During the night the wind abated, and veered to N.W., which enabled us to steer more to the north, having no business farther south.

SECTION VII.

_Heads of what has been done in the Voyage; with some Conjectures concerning the Formation of Ice-Islands; and an Account of our Proceedings till our Arrival at the Cape of Good Hope._

I had now made the circuit of the southern ocean in a high lat.i.tude, and traversed it in such a manner as to leave not the least room for the possibility of there being a continent, unless near the Pole, and out of the reach of navigation. By twice visiting the tropical sea, I had not only settled the situation of some old discoveries, but made there many new ones, and left, I conceive, very little more to be done even in that part. Thus I flatter myself, that the intention of the voyage has, in every respect, been fully answered; the southern hemisphere sufficiently explored, and a final end put to the searching after a southern continent, which has, at times, ingrossed the attention of some of the maritime powers, for near two centuries past, and been a favourite theory amongst the geographers of all ages.

That there may be a continent, or large tract of land, near the Pole, I will not deny; on the contrary I am of opinion there is; and it is probable that we have seen a part of it. The excessive cold, the many islands and vast floats of ice, all tend to prove that there must be land to the south; and for my persuasion that this southern land must lie, or extend, farthest to the north opposite to the southern Atlantic and Indian oceans, I have already a.s.signed some reasons; to which I may add the greater degree of cold experienced by us in these seas, than in the southern Pacific ocean under the same parallels of lat.i.tude.[11]

[Footnote 11: After what has been said of the utter inutility of a southern continent to any human being, or even in the way of hypothesis to explain the const.i.tution of nature, it may seem quite unnecessary to occupy a moment's attention about any arguments for its existence. As, however, a few remarks were hazarded respecting those of a mathematical kind, it may be proper to say a word or two as to others of a physical nature. Two reasons for this supposition have been urged; viz. the presence of rivers necessary to account for the large ma.s.ses of fresh-water ice found in high southern lat.i.tudes; and the existence of firm and immoveable points of land round which these ma.s.ses might form.

The first of these is glaringly erroneous in point of principle and fact. In the first place, it is most certain, that the waters of the ocean admit of being frozen, and that when so, they either do or do not contain the salts they held in solution, according to certain circ.u.mstances, which the argument does not require to be explained. And, secondly, it is absurd to imagine that lands in the vicinity of the Pole should have any rivers, as the snow-line, as it has been called, reaches so low down there as the surface of the earth, and as the temperature of the atmosphere, reckoning from what is known of it in high lat.i.tudes, can scarcely ever be above that point at which water becomes solid. The second argument is equally unsubstantial, and may be as readily invalidated. In fact, the princ.i.p.al thing requisite for the congelation of water in any circ.u.mstances of situation, is the reduction of the temperature to a certain point, to the effect of which, it is well known, the agitation of the water often materially contributes. It may be remarked also, that as the beat of the ocean seems to diminish in pretty regular progression from the surface downwards, so it is highly probable, that, even at considerable distances from the Pole, the lower strata may be in a state of congelation; much more probably, therefore, there may exist at and near the Pole, a ma.s.s of ice of indefinite size and durability, which, extending to greater or smaller distances according to different circ.u.mstances, may serve as the basis, or _point d'appui_, of all the islands and fields of ice discoverable in this region. Ice, in fact, is just as capable of a fixed position as earth is, or any other solid body, and may accordingly have const.i.tuted the substratum of the southern hemisphere within the polar circle, since the time that this planet a.s.sumed its present form and condition. So much then on the subject of a southern continent, which, after all, we see is not worth being disputed about, and appears to be set up, as it were, in absolute derision of human curiosity and enterprise. Wise men, it is likely, notwithstanding such promissory eulogiums as Mr Dalrymple held out, will neither venture their lives to ascertain its existence, nor lose their time and tempers in arguing about it. Cook's observation, it is perhaps necessary to remark, as to the ice extending further towards the north opposite the Atlantic and Indian oceans than any where else, may be accounted for without the supposition he makes in explanation of it. Thus certain warm currents of water may be conceived to proceed from the north, towards those other parts where the ice has not been seen to extend so far, and to prevent the formation of it to the same distance; or again, there may be islands and rocks, to which the ice adheres, in the situations mentioned by Cook. Both causes, indeed, may operate, and there may be others also quite equivalent to the effect. But it is full time to leave this merely curious subject. Mr G.F. has somewhat wittily remarked, that the opinion of the existence of a southern continent maintained by some philosophers, though much invalidated by this voyage, is nevertheless a proof of their great intelligence, considering the few _data_ on which they could proceed. Some readers may incline, perhaps, to give as much credit to the writer, for hazarding, on about equal grounds, any opinion in opposition to it.--E.]

In this last ocean, the mercury in the thermometer seldom fell so low as the freezing point, till we were in 60 and upwards; whereas in the others, it fell as low in the lat.i.tude of 54. This was certainly owing to there being a greater quant.i.ty of ice, and to its extending farther to the north, in these two seas than in the south Pacific; and if ice be first formed at, or near land, of which I have no doubt, it will follow that the land also extends farther north.

The formation or coagulation of ice-islands has not, to my knowledge, been thoroughly investigated. Some have supposed them to be formed by the freezing of the water at the mouths of large rivers, or great cataracts, where they acc.u.mulate till they are broken off by their own weight. My observations will not allow me to acquiesce in this opinion; because we never found any of the ice which we took up incorporated with earth, or any of its produce, as I think it must have been, had it been coagulated in land-waters. It is a doubt with me, whether there be any rivers in these countries. It is certain, that we saw not a river, or stream of water, on all the coast of Georgia, nor on any of the southern lands. Nor did we ever see a stream of water run from any of the ice-islands. How are we then to suppose that there are large rivers? The valleys are covered, many fathoms deep, with everlasting snow; and, at the sea, they terminate in icy cliffs of vast height. It is here where the ice-islands are formed; not from streams of water, but from consolidated snow and sleet, which is almost continually falling or drifting down from the mountains, especially in the winter, when the frost must be intense. During that season, the ice-cliffs must so acc.u.mulate as to fill up all the bays, be they ever so large. This is a fact which cannot be doubted, as we have seen it so in summer. These cliffs acc.u.mulate by continual falls of snow, and what drifts from the mountains, till they are no longer able to support their own weight; and then large pieces break off, which we call ice-islands. Such as have a flat even surface, must be of the ice formed in the bays, and before the flat vallies; the others, which have a tapering unequal surface, must be formed on, or under, the side of a coast composed of pointed rocks and precipices, or some such uneven surface. For we cannot suppose that snow alone, as it falls, can form, on a plain surface, such as the sea, such a variety of high peaks and hills, as we saw on many of the ice-isles. It is certainly more reasonable to believe that they are formed on a coast whose surface is something similar to theirs. I have observed that all the ice-islands of any extent, and before they begin to break to pieces, are terminated by perpendicular cliffs of clear ice or frozen snow, always on one or more sides, but most generally all round. Many, and those of the largest size, which had a hilly and spiral surface, shewed a perpendicular cliff, or side, from the summit of the highest peak down to its base. This to me was a convincing proof, that these, as well as the flat isles, must have broken off from substances like themselves, that is, from some large tract of ice.

When I consider the vast quant.i.ty of ice we saw, and the vicinity of the places to the Pole where it is formed, and where the degrees of longitude are very small, I am led to believe that these ice-cliffs extend a good way into the sea, in some parts, especially in such as are sheltered from the violence of the winds. It may even be doubted if ever the wind is violent in the very high lat.i.tudes. And that the sea will freeze over, or the snow that falls upon it, which amounts to the same thing, we have instances in the northern hemisphere. The Baltic, the Gulph of St Laurence, the Straits of Belle-Isle, and many other equally large seas, are frequently frozen over in winter.[12] Nor is this at all extraordinary, for we have found the degree of cold at the surface of the sea, even in summer, to be two degrees below the freezing point; consequently nothing kept it from freezing but the salt it contains, and the agitation of its surface. Whenever this last ceaseth in winter, when the frost is set in, and there comes a fall of snow, it will freeze on the surface as it falls, and in a few days, or perhaps in one night, form such a sheet of ice as will not be easily broken up. Thus a foundation will be laid for it to acc.u.mulate to any thickness by falls of snow, without its being at all necessary for the sea-water to freeze. It may be by this means these vast floats of low ice we find in the spring of the year are formed, and which, after they break up, are carried by the currents to the north. For, from all the observations I have been able to make, the currents every where, in the high lat.i.tudes, set to the north, or to the N.E. or N.W.; but we have very seldom found them considerable.

[Footnote 12: Forster the elder, in his observations, has related many instances of this sort, and given some very ingenious remarks on the subject of the formation of ice in high lat.i.tudes; but it is impossible to do justice to them within the compa.s.s of a note, and perhaps most readers are of opinion that the text is abundantly copious on this part of the voyage.--E.]

If this imperfect account of the formation of these extraordinary floating islands of ice, which is written wholly from my own observations, does not convey some useful hints to an abler pen, it will, however, convey some idea of the lands where they are formed: Lands doomed by Nature to perpetual frigidness; never to feel the warmth of the sun's rays; whose horrible and savage aspect I have not words to describe. Such are the lands we have discovered; what then may we expect those to be which lie still farther to the south? For we may reasonably suppose that we have seen the best, as lying most to the north. If any one should have resolution and perseverance to clear up this point by proceeding farther than I have done, I shall not envy him the honour of the discovery; but I will be bold to say, that the world will not be benefited by it.

I had, at this time, some thoughts of revisiting the place where the French discovery is said to lie. But then I considered that, if they had really made this discovery, the end would be as fully answered as if I had done it myself. We know it can only be an island; and if we may judge from the degree of cold we found in that lat.i.tude, it cannot be a fertile one. Besides, this would have kept me two months longer at sea, and in a tempestuous lat.i.tude, which we were not in a condition to struggle with. Our sails and rigging were so much worn, that something was giving way every hour; and we had nothing left either to repair or to replace them. Our provisions were in a state of decay, and consequently afforded little nourishment, and we had been a long time without refreshments. My people, indeed, were yet healthy, and would have cheerfully gone wherever I had thought proper to lead them; but I dreaded the scurvy laying hold of them at a time when we had nothing left to remove it. I must say farther, that it would have been cruel in me to have continued the fatigues and hardships they were continually exposed to, longer than was absolutely necessary. Their behaviour, throughout the whole voyage, merited every indulgence which it was in my power to give them. Animated by the conduct of the officers, they shewed themselves capable of surmounting every difficulty and danger which came in their way, and never once looked either upon the one or the other, as being at all heightened, by our separation from our consort the Adventure.[13]

[Footnote 13: "The sour krout, that excellent anti-s...o...b..tic food, of which sixty large casks were put on board our ship, was now entirely consumed, and the want of it was severely felt from the captain down to the sailor. It enabled us to eat our portion of salt meat, of which it corrected the septic quality. The wish for a speedy release from this nauseous diet now became universal, and our continuance in the high lat.i.tudes was disagreeable to all on board."--G.F.]

All these considerations induced me to lay aside looking for the French discoveries, and to steer for the Cape of Good Hope; with a resolution, however, of looking for the isles of Denia and Ma.r.s.eveen, which are laid down in Dr Halley's variation chart in the lat.i.tude of 41 1/2 S., and about 4 of longitude to the east of the meridian of the Cape of Good Hope. With this view I steered N.E., with a hard gale at N.W. and thick weather; and on the 25th, at noon, we saw the last ice island, being at this time in the lat.i.tude of 52 52' S., longitude 26 31' E.

The wind abating and veering to the south, on the first of March, we steered west, in order to get farther from Mr Bouvet's track, which was but a few degrees to the east of us, being at this time in the lat.i.tude of 46 44' S., longitude 33 20' E., in which situation we found the variation to be 23 36' W. It is somewhat remarkable, that all the time we had northerly winds, which were regular and constant for several days, the weather was always thick and cloudy; but, as soon as they came south of west, it cleared up, and was fine and pleasant. The barometer began to rise several days before this change happened; but whether on account of it, or our coming northward, cannot be determined.[14]

[Footnote 14: It may be worth while preserving here the remark made by Mr Wales. When off, and in the neighbourhood of Georgia, the cold was much less severe when the wind blew from the south, than when it came from the north. He a.s.signs no reason for it, and perhaps the observations were too limited to place and time to justify any general inferences. It may, however, be suggested, with little risk of error, that the northerly wind would be most loaded with moisture, hence the cloudy sort of weather noticed during its continuance; and that, on very well-ascertained principles, moisture is a considerable source of cold.--E.]

The wind remained not long at south before it veered round by the N.E.

to the N.W., blowing fresh and by squalls, attended, as before, with rain and thick misty weather. We had some intervals of clear weather in the afternoon of the 3d, when we found the variation to be 22 26' W.; lat.i.tude at this time 45 8' S., longitude 30 50' E. The following night was very stormy, the wind blew from S.W. and in excessively heavy squalls. At short intervals between the squalls the wind would fall almost to a calm, and then come on again with such fury, that neither our sails nor rigging could withstand it, several of the sails being split, and a middle stay-sail being wholly lost. The next morning the gale abated, and we repaired the damage we had sustained in the best manner we could.

On the 8th, being in the lat.i.tude of 41 30' S., longitude 26 51' E., the mercury in the thermometer rose to 61, and we found it necessary to put on lighter clothes. As the wind continued invariably fixed between N.W. and W., we took every advantage to get to the west, by tacking whenever it shifted any thing in our favour; but as we had a great swell against us, our tacks were rather disadvantageous. We daily saw albatrosses, peterels, and other oceanic birds; but not the least sign of land.

On the 11th, in the lat.i.tude of 40 40' S., longitude 23 47' E., the variation was 20 48' W. About noon the same day the wind shifted suddenly from N.W. to S.W., caused the mercury in the thermometer to fall as suddenly from 62 to 52; such was the different state of the air, between a northerly and southerly wind. The next day, having several hours calm, we put a boat in the water, and shot some albatrosses and peterels, which, at this time, were highly acceptable.

We were now nearly in the situation where the isles which we were in search of, are said to lie; however, we saw nothing that could give us the least hope of finding them.

The calm continued till five o'clock of the next morning, when it was succeeded by a breeze at W. by S., with which we stood to N.N.W., and at noon observed in lat.i.tude 38 51' S. This was upwards of thirty miles more to the north than our log gave us; and the watch shewed that we had been set to the east also. If these differences did not arise from some strong current, I know not how to account for them. Very strong currents have been found on the African coast, between Madagascar and the Cape of Good Hope, but I never heard of their extending so far from the land; nor is it probable they do. I rather suppose that this current has no connection with that on the coast; and that we happened to fall into some stream which is neither lasting nor regular. But these are points which require much time to investigate, and must therefore be left to the industry of future navigators.

We were now two degrees to the north of the parallel in which the isles of Denia and Ma.r.s.eveen are said to lie. We had seen nothing to encourage us to persevere in looking after them, and it must have taken up some time longer to find them, or to prove their non-existence. Every one was impatient to get into port, and for good reasons: As for a long time we had had nothing but stale and salt provisions, for which every one on board had lost all relish. These reasons induced me to yield to the general wish, and to steer for the Cape of Good Hope, being at this time in the lat.i.tude of 38 38' S., longitude 23 37' E.

The next day the observed lat.i.tude at noon was only seventeen miles to the north of that given by the log; so that we had either got out of the strength of the current, or it had ceased.