A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume I Part 6

At noon we observed in lat.i.tude 48 36' S., longitude 59 35' E. As we could only see a few miles farther to the south, and as it was not impossible that there might be land not far off in that direction, I gave orders to steer S. 1/2 E., and made the signal for the Adventure to follow, she being by this movement thrown a-stern: The weather continuing hazy till half an hour past six o'clock in the evening, when it cleared up so as to enable us to see about five leagues round us.

Being now in the lat.i.tude of 49 13' S., without having the least signs of land, I wore and stood again to the eastward, and soon after spoke with Captain Furneaux. He told me that he thought the land was to the N.W. of us,; as he had, at one time, observed the sea to be smooth when the wind blew in that direction. Athough this was not conformable to the remarks _we_ had made on the sea, I resolved to clear up the point, if the wind would admit of my getting to the west in any reasonable time.

At eight o'clock in the morning of the 3d, being in the lat.i.tude of 48 56'

S. longitude 60 47' E., and upwards of 8 to the east of the meridian of the Mauritius, I began to despair of finding land to the east; and as the wind had now veered to the north, resolved to search for it to the west. I accordingly tacked and stood to the west with a fresh gale. This increased in such a manner, that, before night, we were reduced to our two courses; and, at last, obliged to lie-to under the fore-sails, having a prodigious high sea from W.N.W., notwithstanding the height of the gale was from N. by W. At three o'clock the next morning, the gale abating, we made sail, and continued to ply to the west till ten o'clock in the morning of the 6th.

At this time, being in the lat.i.tude of 48 6' S., longitude 58 22' E., the wind seemingly fixed at W.N.W., and seeing no signs of meeting with land, I gave over plying, and bore away east a little southerly: Being satisfied, that if there is any land hereabout, it can only be an isle of no great extent. And it was just as probable I might have found it to the E. as to the W.

While we were plying about here we took every opportunity to observe the variation of the compa.s.s, and found it to be from 27 50' to 30 26' W.

Probably the mean of the two extremes, viz. 29 4', is the nearest the truth, as it nearly agrees with the variation observed on board the Adventure. In making these observations, we found that, when the sun was on the larboard side of the ship, the variation was the least; and when on the starboard side, the greatest. This was not the first time we had made this observation, without being able to account for it. At four o'clock in the morning of the 7th, I made the Adventure's signal to keep at the distance of four miles on my starboard beam; and continued to steer E.S.E. This being a fine day, I had all our men's bedding and clothes spread on deck to air; and the ship cleaned and smoked betwixt decks. At noon I steered a point more to the south, being then in the lat.i.tude of 45 49' S., longitude 61 48' E. At six o'clock in the evening, I called in the Adventure; and at the same time took several azimuths, which gave the variation 31 28'.W. These observations could not be taken with the greatest accuracy, on account of the rolling of the ship, occasioned by a very high westerly swell.

The preceding evening, three Port Egmont hens were seen; this morning another appeared. In the evening, and several times in the night, penguins were heard; and, at daylight in the morning of the 8th, several of these were seen; and divers of two sorts, seemingly such as are usually met with on the coast of England. This occasioned us to sound, but we found no ground with a line of 210 fathoms. Our lat.i.tude now was 49 53' S., and longitude 63 39' E. This was at eight o'clock. By this time the wind had veered round by the N.E. to E., blew a brisk gale, and was attended with hazy weather, which soon after turned to a thick fog; and, at the same tine, the wind shifted to N.E.

I continued to keep the wind on the larboard tack, and to fire a gun every hour till noon; when I made the signal to tack, and tacked accordingly.

But, as neither this signal, nor any of the former, was answered by the Adventure, we had but too much reason to think that a separation had taken place; though we were at a loss to tell how it had been effected. I had directed Captain Furneaux, in case he was separated from me, to cruise three days in the place where he last saw me. I therefore continued making short boards, and firing half-hour guns, till the 9th in the afternoon, when, the weather having cleared up, we could see several leagues round us, and found that the Adventure was not within the limits of our horizon. At this time we were about two or three leagues to the eastward of the situation we were in when we last saw her; and were standing to the westward with a very strong gale at N.N.W., accompanied with a great sea from the same direction. This, together, with an increase of wind, obliged us to lie-to till eight o'clock the next morning, during which time we saw nothing of the Adventure, notwithstanding the weather was pretty clear, and we had kept firing guns, and burning false fires, all night. I therefore gave over looking for her, made sail, and steered S.E., with a very fresh gale at W. by N., accompanied with a high sea from the same direction.

While we were beating about here; we frequently saw penguins and divers, which made us conjecture the land was not far off; but in what direction it was not possible for us to tell. As we advanced to the south, we lost the penguins, and most of the divers; and, as usual, met with abundance of albatrosses, blue peterels, sheer-waters, &c.

The 11th, at noon, and in the lat.i.tude of 51 15' S., longitude 67 20' E., we again met with penguins: and saw an egg bird, which we also look upon to be a sign of the vicinity of land. I continued to steer to the S.E., with a fresh gale in the north-west quarter, attended with a long hollow swell, and frequent showers of rain, hail, and snow. The 12th, in the morning, being in the lat.i.tude of 52 32' S., longitude 69 47' E., the variation was 31 38' W. In the evening, in the lat.i.tude of 53 7' S., longitude 70 50' E., it was 32 33'; and, the next morning, in the lat.i.tude of 53 37'

S., longitude 72 10', it was 33 8' W. Thus far we had continually a great number of penguins about the ship, which seemed to be different from those we had seen near the ice; being smaller, with reddish bills and brownish heads. The meeting with so many of these birds, gave us some hopes of finding land, and occasioned various conjectures about its situation. The great westerly swell, which still continued, made it improbable that land of any considerable extent lay to the west. Nor was it very probable that any lay to the north; as we were only about 160 leagues to the south of Tasman's track in 1642; and I conjectured that Captain Furneaux would explore this place; which accordingly happened. In the evening we saw a Port Egmont hen, which flew away in the direction of N.E. by E., and the next morning a seal was seen; but no penguins. In the evening, being in the lat.i.tude of 55 49' S., longitude 75 52' E., the variation was 34 48' W., and, in the evening of the 15th, in lat.i.tude 57 2' S., longitude 79 56'

E., it was 38 W. Five seals were seen this day, and a few penguins; which occasioned us to sound, without finding any bottom, with a line of 150 fathoms.

At day-light in the morning of the 16th, we saw an island of ice to the northward; for which we steered, in order to take some on board; but the wind shifting to that direction, hindered us from putting this in execution. At this time we were in the lat.i.tude of 57 8' S., longitude 80 59' E., and had two islands of ice in sight. This morning we saw one penguin, which appeared to be of the same sort which we had formerly seen near the ice. But we had now been so often deceived by these birds, that we could no longer look upon them, nor indeed upon any other oceanic birds, which frequent high lat.i.tudes, as sure signs of the vicinity of land.

The wind continued not long at north, but veered to E. by N.E., and blew a gentle gale, with which we stood to the southward; having frequent showers of sleet and snow. But, in the night, we had fair weather, and a clear serene sky; and, between midnight and three o'clock in the morning, lights were seen in the heavens, similar to those in the northern hemisphere, known by the name of Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights; but I never heard of the Aurora Australia been seen before. The officer of the watch observed that it sometimes broke out in spiral rays, and in a circular form; then its light was very strong, and its appearance beautiful. He could not perceive it had any particular direction; for it appeared, at various times, in different parts of the heavens, and diffused its light throughout the whole atmosphere.

At nine in the morning, we bore down to an island of ice which we reached by noon. It was full half a mile in circuit, and two hundred feet high at least, though very little loose ice about it. But while we were considering whether or no we should hoist out our boats to take some up, a great quant.i.ty broke from the island. Upon this we hoisted out our boats, and went to work to get some on board. The pieces of ice, both great and small, which broke from the island, I observed, drifted fast to the westward; that is, they left the island in that direction, and were, in a few hours, spread over a large s.p.a.ce of sea. This, I have no doubt, was caused by a current setting in that direction. For the wind could have but little effect upon the ice; especially as there was a large hollow swell from the west. This circ.u.mstance greatly r.e.t.a.r.ded our taking up ice. We, however, made a shift to get on board about nine or ten tons before eight o'clock, when we hoisted in the boats and made sail to the east, inclining to the south, with a fresh gale at south; which, soon after, veered to S.S.W. and S.W., with fair but cloudy weather. This course brought us among many ice isles; so that it was necessary to proceed with great caution. In the night the mercury in the thermometer fell two degrees below the freezing point; and the water in the scuttle casks on deck was frozen. As I have not taken notice of the thermometer of late, I shall now observe, that, as we advanced to the north, the mercury gradually rose to 45, and fell again, as we advanced to the south, to what is above-mentioned; nor did it rise, in the middle of the day, to above 34 or 35.

In the morning of the 18th, being in the lat.i.tude of 57 54' S., longitude 83 14' E., the variation was 39 33' W. In the evening, in lat.i.tude 58 2'

S., longitude 84 35' E., it was only 37 8' W., which induced me to believe it was decreasing. But in the evening of the 20th, in the lat.i.tude of 58 47' S., longitude 90 56' E., I took nine azimuths, with Dr Knight's compa.s.s, which gave the variation 40 7', and nine others, with Gregory's, which gave 40 15' W.

This day, at noon, being nearly in the lat.i.tude and longitude just mentioned, we thought we saw land to the S.W. The appearance was so strong that we doubted not it was there in reality, and tacked to work up to it accordingly; having a light breeze at south, and clear weather. We were, however, soon undeceived, by finding that it was only clouds; which, in the evening, entirely disappeared, and left us a clear horizon, so that we could see a considerable way round us; in which s.p.a.ce nothing was to be seen but ice islands.

In the night the Aurora Australis made a very brilliant and luminous appearance. It was seen first in the east, a little above the horizon; and, in a short time, spread over the whole heavens.

The 21st, in the morning, having little wind and a smooth sea, two favourable circ.u.mstances for taking up ice, I steered for the largest ice island before us, which we reached by noon. At this time, we were in the lat.i.tude of 59 S., longitude 92 30' E.; having about two hours before seen three or four penguins. Finding here a good quant.i.ty of loose ice, I ordered two boats out, and sent them to take some on board. While this was doing, the island, which was not less than half a mile in circuit, and three or four hundred feet high above the surface of the sea, turned nearly bottom up. Its height, by this circ.u.mstance, was neither increased nor diminished apparently. As soon as we had got on board as much ice as we could dispose of, we hoisted in the boats, and made sail to the S.E., with a gentle breeze at N. by E., attended with showers of snow, and dark gloomy weather. At this time we had but few ice islands in sight, but, the next day, seldom less than twenty or thirty were seen at once.

The wind gradually veered to the east; and, at last, fixing at E. by S., blew a fresh gale. With this we stood to the south, till eight o'clock in the evening of the 23d; at which time we were in the lat.i.tude of 61 52'

S., longitude 95 2' E. We now tacked and spent the night, which was exceedingly stormy, thick, and hazy, with sleet and snow, in making short boards. Surrounded on every side with danger, it was natural for us to wish for day-light. This, when it came, served only to increase our apprehensions, by exhibiting to our view those huge mountains of ice, which in the night we had pa.s.sed without seeing.

These unfavourable circ.u.mstances, together with dark nights, at this advanced season of the year, quite discouraged me from putting in execution a resolution I had taken of crossing the Antarctic Circle once more.

Accordingly, at four o'clock in the morning, we stood to the north, with a very hard gale at E.S.E., accompanied with snow and sleet, and a very high sea from the same point, which made great destruction among the ice islands. This circ.u.mstance, far from being of any advantage to us, greatly increased the number of pieces we had to avoid. The large pieces which break from the ice islands, are much more dangerous than the islands themselves. The latter are so high out of water, that we can generally see them, unless the weather be very thick and dark, before we are very near them. Whereas the others cannot be seen in the night, till they are under the ship's bows. These dangers were, however, now become so familiar to us, that the apprehensions they caused were never of long duration; and were, in some measure, compensated both by the seasonable supplies of fresh water these ice islands afforded us, (without which we must have been greatly distressed,) and also by their very romantic appearance, greatly heightened by the foaming and dashing of the waves into the curious holes and caverns which are formed in many of them; the whole exhibiting a view which at once filled the mind with admiration and horror, and can only be described by the hand of an able painter.

Towards the evening the gale abated, and in the night we had two or three hours calm. This was succeeded by a light breeze at west, with which we steered east, under all the sail we could set, meeting with many ice islands.

This night we saw a Port Egmont hen; and next morning, being the 25th, another. We had lately seen but few birds; and those were albatrosses, sheer-waters, and blue peterels. It is remarkable that we did not see one of either the white or Antarctic peterels, since we came last amongst the ice. Notwithstanding the wind kept at W. and N.W. all day, we had a very high sea from the east, by which we concluded that no land could be near in that direction. In the evening, being in the lat.i.tude 60 51', longitude 95 41' E., the variation was 43 6' W., and the next morning, being the 26th, having advanced about a degree and a half more to the east, it was 41 30', both being determined by several azimuths.

We had fair weather all the afternoon, but the wind was unsettled, veering round by the north to the east. With this we stood to the S.E. and E., till three o'clock in the afternoon; when, being in the lat.i.tude of 61 21' S., longitude 97 7', we tacked and stood to the northward and eastward as the wind kept veering to the south. This, in the evening, increased to a strong gale, blew in squalls, attended with snow and sleet, and thick hazy weather, which soon brought us under our close-reefed top-sails.

Between eight in the morning of the 26th, and noon the next day, we fell in among several islands of ice; from whence such vast quant.i.ties had broken as to cover the sea all round us, and render sailing rather dangerous.

However, by noon, we were clear of it all. In the evening the wind abated, and veered to S.W. but the weather did not clear up till the next morning, when we were able to carry all our sails, and met with but very few islands of ice to impede us. Probably the late gale had destroyed a great number of them. Such a very large hollow sea had continued to accompany the wind as it veered from E. to S.W. that I was certain no land of considerable extent could lie within 100 or 150 leagues of our situation between these two points.

The mean height of the thermometer at noon, for some days past, was at about 35, which is something higher than it usually was in the same lat.i.tude about a month or five weeks before, consequently the air was something warmer. While the weather was really _warm_, the gales were not only stronger, but more frequent, with almost continual misty, dirty, wet weather. The very animals we had on board felt its effects. A sow having in the morning farrowed nine pigs, every one of them was killed by the cold before four o'clock in the afternoon, notwithstanding all the care we could take of them. From the same cause, myself as well as several of my people, had fingers and toes chilblained. Such is the summer weather we enjoyed!

1773 March

The wind continued unsettled, veering from the south to the west, and blew a fresh gale till the evening. Then it fell little wind, and soon after a breeze sprung up at north, which quickly veered to N.E. and N.E. by E., attended with a thick fog, snow, sleet, and rain. With this wind and weather we kept on to the S.E., till four o'clock in the afternoon of the next day, being the first of March, when it fell calm, which continued for near twenty-four hours. We were now in the lat.i.tude of 60 36' S., longitude 107 54', and had a prodigious high swell from the S.W., and, at the same time, another from the S. or S.S.E. The dashing of the one wave against the other, made the ship both roll and pitch exceedingly; but at length the N.W. swell prevailed. The calm continued till noon the next day, when it was succeeded by a gentle breeze from S.E., which afterwards increased and veered to S.W. With this we steered N.E. by E., and E. by N., under all the sail we could set.

In the afternoon of the 3d, being in lat.i.tude 60 13', longitude 110 18', the variation was 39 4' W. But the observations, by which this was determined, were none of the best, being obliged to make use of such as we could get, during the very few and short intervals when the sun appeared. A few penguins were seen this day, but not so many islands of ice as usual.

The weather was also milder, though very changeable; thermometer from 36 to 38. We continued to have a N.W. swell, although the wind was unsettled, veering to N.W. by the W. and N., attended with hazy sleet and drizzling rain.

We prosecuted our course to the east, inclining to the south, till three o'clock in the afternoon of the 4th, when, (being in the lat.i.tude of 60 37', longitude 113 24') the wind shifting at once to S.W. and S.W. by S., I gave orders to steer E. by N. 1/2 N. But in the night we steered E. 1/2 S. in order to have the wind, which was at S.S.W., more upon the beam, the better to enable us to stand back, in case we fell in with any danger in the dark. For we had not so much time to spare to allow us to lie-to.

In the morning of the 5th, we steered E. by N., under all the sail we could set, pa.s.sing one ice island and many small pieces, and at nine o'clock the wind, which of late had not remained long upon any one point, shifted all at once to east, and blew a gentle gale. With this, we stood to the north, at which time we were in the lat.i.tude of 60 44' S., and longitude 116 50'

E. The lat.i.tude was determined by the meridian alt.i.tude of the sun, which appeared, now and then, for a few minutes, till three in the afternoon.

Indeed the sky was, in general, so cloudy, and the weather so thick and hazy, that we had very little benefit of sun or moon; very seldom seeing the face of either the one or the other. And yet, even under these circ.u.mstances, the weather, for some days past, could not be called very cold. It, however, had not the least pretension to be called summer weather, according to my ideas of summer in the northern hemisphere, as far as 60 of lat.i.tude, which is nearly as far north as I have been.

In the evening we had three islands of ice in sight, all of them large; especially one, which was larger than any we had yet seen. The side opposed to us seemed to be a mile in extent; if so, it could not be less than three in circuit. As we pa.s.sed it in the night, a continual cracking was heard, occasioned, no doubt, by pieces breaking from it. For, in the morning of the 6th, the sea, for some distance round it, was covered with large and small pieces; and the island itself did not appear so large as it had done the evening before. It could not be less than 100 feet high; yet such was the impetuous force and height of the waves which were broken against it, by meeting with such a sudden resistance, that they rose considerably higher. In the evening we were in lat.i.tude of 59 58' S., longitude 118 39' E. The 7th, the wind was variable in the N.E. and S.E. quarters, attended with snow and sleet till the evening. Then the weather became fair, the sky cleared up, and the night was remarkably pleasant, as well as the morning of the next day; which, for the brightness of the sky, and serenity and mildness of the weather, gave place to none we had seen since we left the Cape of Good Hope. It was such as is little known in this sea; and to make it still more agreeable, we had not one island of ice in sight.

The mercury in the thermometer rose to 40. Mr Wales and the master made some observations of the moon and stars, which satisfied us, that, when our lat.i.tude was 59 44', our longitude was 121 9'. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the calm was succeeded by a breeze at S.E. The sky, at the same time, was suddenly obscured, and seemed to presage an approaching storm, which accordingly happened. For, in the evening, the wind shifted to south, blew in squalls, attended with sleet and rain, and a prodigious high sea.

Having nothing to take care of but ourselves, we kept two or three points from the wind, and run at a good rate to the E.N.E. under our two courses, and close-reefed topsails.

The gale continued till the evening of the 10th. Then it abated; the wind shifted to the westward; and we had fair weather, and but little wind, during the night; attended with a sharp frost. The next morning, being in the lat.i.tude of 57 56', longitude 130, the wind shifted to N.E., and blew a fresh gale, with which we stood S.E., having frequent showers of snow and sleet, and a long hollow swell from S.S.E. and S.E. by S. This swell did not go down till two days after the wind which raised it had not only ceased to blow, but had shifted, and blown fresh at opposite points, good part of the time. Whoever attentively considers this, must conclude, that there can be no land to the south, but what must be at a great distance.

Notwithstanding so little was to be expected in that quarter, we continued to stand to the south till three o'clock in the morning of the 12th, when we were stopped by a calm; being then in the lat.i.tude of 58 56' S., longitude 131 26' E. After a few hours calm, a breeze sprung up at west, with which we steered east. The S.S.E. swell having gone down, was succeeded by another from N.W. by W. The weather continued mild all this day, and the mercury rose to 39-1/2. In the evening it fell calm, and continued so till three o'clock in the morning of the 13th, when we got the wind at E. and S.E., a fresh breeze attended with snow and sleet. In the afternoon it became fair, and the wind veered round to the S. and S.S.W. In the evening, being in the lat.i.tude of 58 59', longitude 134, the weather was so clear in the horizon, that we could see many leagues round us. We had but little wind during the night, some showers of snow, and a very sharp frost. As the day broke, the wind freshened at S.E. and S.S.E.; and soon after, the sky cleared up, and the weather became clear and serene; but the air continued cold, and the mercury in the thermometer rose only one degree above the freezing point.

The clear weather gave Mr Wales an opportunity to get some observations of the sun and moon. Their results reduced to noon, when the lat.i.tude was 58 22' S., gave us 136 22' E. longitude. Mr Kendal's watch at the same time gave 134 42'; and that of Mr Arnold the same. This was the first and only time they pointed out the same longitude since we left England. The greatest difference, however, between them, since we left the Cape, had not much exceeded two degrees.

The moderate, and I might almost say, pleasant weather, we had, at times, for the last two or three days, made me wish I had been a few degrees of lat.i.tude farther south; and even tempted me to incline our course that way.

But we soon had weather which convinced us that we were full far enough; and that the time was approaching, when these seas were not to be navigated without enduring intense cold; which, by the bye, we were pretty well used to. In the afternoon, the serenity of the sky was presently obscured: The wind veered round by the S.W. to W., and blew in hard squalls, attended with thick and heavy showers of hail and snow, which continually covered our decks, sails, and rigging, till five o'clock in the evening of the 15th. At this time, the wind abated, and shifted to S.E.; the sky cleared up; and the evening was so serene and clear, that we could see many leagues round us; the horizon being the only boundary to our sight.

We were now in the lat.i.tude of 59 17' S., longitude 140 12' E., and had such a large hollow swell from W.S.W., as a.s.sured us that we had left no land behind us in that direction. I was also well a.s.sured that no land lay to the south on this side 60 of lat.i.tude. We had a smart frost during the night, which was curiously illuminated with the southern lights.

At ten o'clock in the morning of the 16th, (which was as soon as the sun appeared,) in the lat.i.tude of 58 51' S., our longitude was 144 10' E.

This good weather was, as usual, of short duration. In the afternoon of this day, we had again thick snow showers; but, at intervals, it was tolerably clear; and, in the evening being in the lat.i.tude of 58 58' S., longitude 144 37' E., I found the variation by several azimuths to be 31' E.

I was not a little pleased with being able to determine, with so much precision, this point of the Line, in which the compa.s.s has no variation.

For I look upon half a degree as next to nothing; so that the intersection of the lat.i.tude and longitude just mentioned, may be reckoned the point without any sensible error. At any rate, the Line can only pa.s.s a very small matter west of it.

I continued to steer to the east, inclining to the south, with a fresh gale at S.W., till five o'clock the next morning, when, being in the lat.i.tude of 59 7' S., longitude 146 53' E., I bore away N.E., and, at noon, north, having come to a resolution to quit the high southern lat.i.tudes, and to proceed to New Zealand to look for the Adventure, and to refresh my people.

I had also some thoughts, and even a desire to visit the east coast of Van Diemen's Land, in order to satisfy myself if it joined the coast of New South Wales.

In the night of the 17th, the wind shifted to N.W., and blew in squalls, attended with thick hazy weather and rain. This continued all the 18th, in the evening of which day, being in the lat.i.tude of 56 15' S., longitude 150, the sky cleared up, and we found the variation by several azimuths to be 13 30' E. Soon after, we hauled up, with the log, a piece of rock-weed, which was in a state of decay, and covered with barnacles. In the night the southern lights were very bright.

The next morning we saw a seal; and towards noon, some penguins, and more rock-weed, being at this time in the lat.i.tude of 55 1', longitude 152 1'

E. In the lat.i.tude of 54 4', we also saw a Port Egmont hen, and some weed.

Navigators have generally looked upon all these to be certain signs of the vicinity of land; I cannot, however, support this opinion. At this time we knew of no land, nor is it even probable that there is any, nearer than New Holland, or Van Diemen's Land, from which we were distant 260 leagues. We had, at the same time, several porpoises playing about us; into one of which Mr Cooper struck a harpoon; but as the ship was running seven knots, it broke its hold, after towing it some minutes, and before we could deaden the ship's way.

As the wind, which continued between the north and the west, would not permit me to touch at Van Diemen's Land, I shaped my course to New Zealand; and, being under no apprehensions of meeting with any danger, I was not backward in carrying sail, as well by night as day, having the advantage of a very strong gale, which was attended with hazy rainy weather, and a very large swell from the W. and W.S.W. We continued to meet with, now and then, a seal, Port Egmont hens, and sea-weed.