Chapter XI: Book IV (3)

The interval of clear weather was of very short duration, before we had as thick a fog as ever, attended with rain; on which we tacked in sixty fathoms’ water, and stood to the north. Thus we spent our time involved in a continual thick mist; and for aught we knew, surrounded by dangerous rocks. The shags and soundings were our best pilots; for after we had stood a few miles to the north, we got out of soundings, and saw no more shags. The succeeding day and night were spent in making short boards; and at eight o’clock on the 24th, judging ourselves not far from the rocks by some straggling shags which came about us, we sounded in sixty fathoms’ water, the bottom stones and broken shells. Soon after, we saw the rocks bearing S. S. W. 1/2 W., four miles distant, but still we did not see the Peak. It was, no doubt, beyond our horizon, which was limited to a short distance; and, indeed, we had but a transient sight of the other rocks, before they were again lost in the fog.

With a light air of wind at N., and a great swell from N. E., we were able to clear the rocks to the W.; and at four in the P. M., judging ourselves to be three or four leagues E. and W. of them, I steered S., being quite tired with cruizing about them in a thick fog; nor was it worth my while to spend any more time in waiting for clear weather, only for the sake of having a good sight of a few straggling rocks. At seven o’clock, we had at intervals a clear sky to the W., which gave us a sight of the mountains of the Isle of Georgia, bearing W. N. W., about eight leagues distant. At eight o’clock we steered S. E. by S., and at ten S. E. by E., with a fresh breeze at N., attended with a very thick fog; but we were, in some measure, acquainted with the sea over which we were running. The rocks above-mentioned obtained the name of Clerke’s Rocks, after my second officer, he being the first who saw them.

CHAP. VI.

PROCEEDINGS AFTER LEAVING THE ISLE OF GEORGIA, AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE
DISCOVERY OF SANDWICH LAND; WITH SOME REASONS FOR THERE BEING LAND ABOUT
THE SOUTH POLE.

On the 25th we steered E. S. E., with a fresh gale at N. N. E., attended with foggy weather, till towards the evening, when the sky becoming clear, we found the variation to be 9° 26ʹ E., being at this time in the latitude of 56° 16ʹ S., longitude 32° 9ʹ W.

Having continued to steer E. S. E., with a fine gale at N. N. W., till daylight next morning, on seeing no land to the E., I gave orders to steer S., being at this time in the latitude of 56° 33ʹ S., longitude 31° 10ʹ W. The weather continued clear, and gave us an opportunity to observe several distances of the sun and moon for the correcting our longitude, which at noon was 31° 4ʹ W., the latitude observed 57° 38ʹ S. We continued to steer to the S. till the 27th at noon, at which time we were in the latitude of 59° 46ʹ S., and had so thick a fog that we could not see a ship’s length. It being no longer safe to sail before the wind, as we were to expect soon to fall in with ice, I therefore hauled to the E., having a gentle breeze at N. N. E. Soon after, the fog clearing away, we resumed our course to the S. till four o’clock, when it returned again as thick as ever, and made it necessary for us to haul upon a wind.

I now reckoned we were in latitude 60° S., and farther I did not intend to go, unless I observed some certain signs of soon meeting with land; for it would not have been prudent in me to have spent my time in penetrating to the south, when it was at least as probable that a large tract of land might be found near Cape Circumcision. Besides, I was tired of these high southern latitudes, where nothing was to be found but ice and thick fogs. We had now a long hollow swell from the W., a strong indication that there was no land in that direction; so that I think I may venture to assert that the extensive coast, laid down in Mr. Dalrymple’s chart of the ocean between Africa and America, and the Gulph of Saint Sebastian, do not exist.

At seven o’clock in the evening, the fog receding from us a little, gave us a sight of an ice-island, several penguins and some snow peterels; we sounded, but found no ground at one hundred and forty fathoms. The fog soon returning, we spent the night in making boards over that space which we had, in some degree, made ourselves acquainted with in the day.

At eight in the morning of the 28th, we stood to the E., with a gentle gale at N.; the weather began to clear up, and we found the sea strewed with large and small ice; several penguins, snow peterels, and other birds were seen, and some whales. Soon after we had sun-shine, but the air was cold; the mercury in the thermometer stood generally at thirty-five, but at noon it was at 37°; the latitude by observation was 60° 4ʹ S., longitude 29° 23ʹ W.

We continued to stand to the E. till half-past two o’clock P. M., when we fell in, all at once, with a vast number of large ice-islands, and a sea strewed with loose ice. The weather too was become thick and hazy, attended with drizzling rain and sleet, which made it the more dangerous to stand in among the ice. For this reason we tacked and stood back to the W., with the wind at N. The ice-islands, which at this time surrounded us, were nearly all of equal height, and showed a flat even surface; but they were of various extent, some being two or three miles in circuit. The loose ice was what had broken from these isles.

Next morning, the wind falling and veering to S. W., we steered N. E., but this course was soon intercepted by numerous ice-islands; and, having but very little wind, we were obliged to steer such courses as carried us the clearest of them; so that we hardly made any advance, one way or other, during the whole day. Abundance of whales and penguins were about us all the time; and the weather fair, but dark and gloomy.

At midnight the wind began to freshen at N. N. E., with which we stood to N. W. till six in the morning of the 30th, when the wind veering to N. N. W., we tacked and stood to N. E., and soon after sailed through a good deal of loose ice, and passed two large islands. Except a short interval of clear weather about nine o’clock, it was continually foggy, with either sleet or snow. At noon we were, by our reckoning, in the latitude of 59° 30ʹ S., longitude 29° 24ʹ W.

Continuing to stand to N. E., with a fresh breeze at N. N. W., at two o’clock, we passed one of the largest ice-islands we had seen in the voyage, and some time after passed two others, which were much smaller. Weather still foggy, with sleet; and the wind continued at N. by W., with which we stood to N. E. over a sea strewed with ice.

At half an hour past six in the morning, as we were standing N. N. E. with the wind at W., the fog very fortunately clearing away a little, we discovered land a-head, three or four miles distant. On this we hauled the wind to the N., but finding we could not weather the land on this tack, we soon after tacked in one hundred and seventy-five fathoms water, three miles from the shore, and about half a league from some breakers. The weather then cleared up a little more, and gave us a tolerably good sight of the land. That which we had fallen in with proved three rocky islets of considerable height. The outermost terminated in a lofty peak like a sugar-loaf, and obtained the name of Freezeland Peak, after the man who first discovered it. Latitude 59° S., longitude 27° W. Behind this peak, that is to the east of it, appeared an elevated coast, whose lofty snow-clad summits were seen above the clouds. It extended from N. by E. to E. S. E. and I called it Cape Bristol, in honour of the noble family of Hervey. At the same time another elevated coast appeared in sight, bearing S. W. by S., and at noon it extended from S. E. to S. S. W., from four to eight leagues distant; at this time the observed latitude was 59° 13ʹ 30ʺ S., longitude 27° 45ʹ W. I called this land Southern Thule, because it is the most southern land that has ever yet been discovered. It shows a surface of vast height, and is every where covered with snow. Some thought they saw land in the space between Thule and Cape Bristol. It is more than probable that these two lands are connected, and that this space is a deep bay, which I called Forster’s Bay.

At one o’clock, finding that we could not weather Thule, we tacked and stood to the north, and at four, Freezeland Peak bore E., distant three or four leagues. Soon after it fell little wind, and we were left to the mercy of a great westerly swell, which set right upon the shore. We sounded, but a line of two hundred fathoms found no bottom. At eight o’clock, the weather, which had been very hazy, clearing up, we saw Cape Bristol bearing E. S. E., and terminating in a point to the north, beyond which we could see no land. This discovery relieved us from the fear of being carried by the swell on the most horrible coast in the world, and we continued to stand to the north all night, with a light breeze at W.

On the 1st of February, at four o’clock in the morning, we got sight of a new coast, which at six o’clock bore N. 60° E. It proved a high promontory, which I named Cape Montagu, situated in latitude 58° 27ʹ S., longitude 26° 44ʹ W., and seven or eight leagues to the north of Cape Bristol. We saw land from space to space between them, which made me conclude that the whole was connected. I was sorry I could not determine this with greater certainty; but prudence would not permit me to venture near a coast, subject to thick fogs, on which there was no anchorage; where every port was blocked or filled up with ice; and the whole country, from the summits of the mountains, down to the very brink of the cliffs which terminate the coast, covered, many fathoms thick, with everlasting snow. The cliffs alone was all which was to be seen like land.

Several large islands lay upon the coast; one of which attracted my notice. It had a flat surface, was of considerable extent both in height and circuit, and had perpendicular sides, on which the waves of the sea had made no impression; by which I judged that it had not been long from land, and that it might have lately come out of some bay on the coast, where it had been formed.

At noon we were east and west of the northern part of Cape Montagu, distant about five leagues, and Freezeland Peak bore S. 16° E., distant twelve leagues; latitude observed 58° 25ʹ S. In the morning the variation was 10° 11ʹ E. At two in the afternoon, as we were standing to the north, with a light breeze at S. W. we saw land bearing N. 25ʹ E., distant fourteen leagues. Cape Montagu bore at this time, S. 66° E.; at eight it bore S. 40° E.; Cape Bristol, S. by E.; the new land extending from N. 40° to 52° E.; and we thought we saw land still more to the E., and beyond it.

Continuing to steer to the north all night, at six o’clock the next morning, a new land was seen bearing N. 12° E., about ten leagues distant. It appeared in two hummocks just peeping above the horizon; but we soon after lost sight of them; and having got the wind at N. N. E., a fresh breeze, we stood for the northernmost land we had seen the day before, which at this time bore E. S. E. We fetched in with it by ten o’clock, but could not weather it, and were obliged to tack three miles from the coast, which extended from E. by S. to S. E., and had much the appearance of being an island of about eight or ten leagues’ circuit. It shows a surface of considerable height, whose summit was lost in the clouds, and, like all the neighbouring lands, covered with a sheet of snow and ice, except on a projecting point on the north side, and two hills seen over this point, which probably might be two islands. These only were clear of snow, and seemed covered with a green turf. Some large ice-islands lay to the N. E., and some others to the S.

We stood off till noon, and then tacked for the land again, in order to see whether it was an island or no. The weather was now become very hazy, which soon turning to a thick fog, put a stop to discovery, and made it unsafe to stand for the shore; so that after having run the same distance in, as we had run off, we tacked and stood to N. W. for the land we had seen in the morning, which was yet at a considerable distance. Thus we were obliged to leave the other, under the supposition of its being an island, which I named Saunders, after my honourable friend Sir Charles. It is situated in the latitude of 57° 49ʹ S., longitude 26° 44ʹ W.; and N., distant thirteen leagues from Cape Montagu.

At six o’clock in the evening, the wind shifting to the W., we tacked, and stood to the N., and at eight the fog clearing away, gave us a sight of Saunders’s isle, extending from S. E. by S. to E. S. E. We were still in doubt if it were an island; for, at this time, land was seen bearing E. by S., which might, or might not be connected with it; it might also be the same that we had seen the preceding evening. But, be this as it may, it was now necessary to take a view of the land to the north before we proceeded any farther to the east. With this intention, we stood to the north, having a light breeze at W. by S., which, at two o’clock in the morning of the 3d, was succeeded by a calm that continued till eight, when we got the wind at E. by S., attended with hazy weather. At this time we saw the land we were looking for, and which proved to be two isles. The day on which they were discovered, was the occasion of calling them Candlemas isles; latitude 57° 11ʹ S., longitude 27° 6ʹ W. They are of no great extent, but of considerable height, and were covered with snow. A small rock was seen between them, and perhaps there may be more; for the weather was so hazy that we soon lost sight of the islands, and did not see them again till noon, at which time they bore W., distant three or four leagues.

As the wind kept veering to the S. we were obliged to stand to the N. E., in which route we met with several large ice-islands, loose ice, and many penguins; and, at midnight, came at once into water uncommonly white, which alarmed the officer of the watch so much that he tacked the ship instantly. Some thought it was a float of ice, others that it was shallow water; but as it proved neither, probably it was a shoal of fish.

We stood to the south till two o’clock next morning, when we resumed our course to the E., with a faint breeze at S. S. E., which having ended in a calm, at six, I took the opportunity of putting a boat in the water to try if there were any current; and the trial proved there was none. Some whales were playing about us, and abundance of penguins; a few of the latter were shot, and they proved to be of the same sort that we had seen among the ice before, and different both from those on Staten Land, and from those at the isle of Georgia. It is remarkable, that we had not seen a seal since we left that coast. At noon we were in the latitude of 56° 44ʹ S., longitude 25° 33ʹ W. At this time we got a breeze at E., with which we stood to the S., with a view of gaining the coast we had left; but at eight o’clock the wind shifted to the S., and made it necessary to tack and stand to the E; in which course we met with several ice-islands and some loose ice, the weather continuing hazy with snow and rain.

No penguins were seen on the 5th, which made me conjecture that we were leaving the land behind us, and that we had already seen its northern extremity. At noon we were in the latitude of 57° 8ʹ S., longitude 23° 34ʹ W., which was 3° of longitude to the east of Saunders’s isle. In the afternoon the wind shifted to the W., this enabled us to stretch to the S., and to get into the latitude of the land, that, if it took an east direction, we might again fall in with it.

We continued to steer to the S. and S. E. till next day at noon, at which time we were in the latitude of 58° 15ʹ S., longitude 21° 34ʹ W., and seeing neither land nor signs of any, I concluded that what we had seen, which I named Sandwich Land, was either a group of islands, or else a point of the continent; for I firmly believe that there is a track of land near the pole which is the source of most of the ice that is spread over this vast Southern Ocean. I also think it probable that it extends farthest to the north opposite the southern Atlantic and Indian Oceans, because ice was always found by us farther to the north in these oceans than any where else, which I judge could not be, if there were not land to the S.; I mean a land of considerable extent. For if we suppose that no such land exists, and that ice may be formed without it, it will follow of course that the cold ought to be every where nearly equal round the pole, as far as 70° or 60° of latitude, or so far as to be beyond the influence of any of the known continents; consequently we ought to see ice every where under the same parallel, or near it; and yet the contrary has been found. Very few ships have met with ice going round Cape Horn; and we saw but little below the sixtieth degree of latitude, in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Whereas in this ocean, between the meridian of 40° W. and 50° or 60° E., we found ice as far N. as 51°. Bouvet met with some in 48°; and others have seen it in a much lower latitude. It is true, however, that the greatest part of this southern continent (supposing there is one) must lie within the polar circle, where the sea is so pestered with ice that the land is thereby inaccessible. The risk one runs in exploring a coast, in these unknown and icy seas, is so very great, that I can be bold enough to say that no man will ever venture farther than I have done; and that the lands which may lie to the south will never be explored. Thick fogs, snow-storms, intense cold, and every other thing that can render navigation dangerous, must be encountered; and these difficulties are greatly heightened, by the inexpressibly horrid aspect of the country; a country doomed by nature never once to feel the warmth of the sun’s rays, but to lie buried in everlasting snow and ice. The ports which may be on the coast, are, in a manner, wholly filled up with frozen snow of vast thickness; but if any should be so far open as to invite a ship into it, she would run a risk of being fixed there for ever, or of coming out in an ice-island. The islands and floats on the coast, the great falls from the ice-cliffs in the port, or a heavy snow storm attended with a sharp frost, would be equally fatal.

After such an explanation as this, the reader must not expect to find me much farther to the south. It was, however, not for want of inclination, but for other reasons. It would have been rashness in me to have risked all that had been done during the voyage, in discovering and exploring a coast, which, when discovered and explored, would have answered no end whatever, or have been of the least use, either to navigation or geography, or indeed to any other science. Bouvet’s discovery was yet before us, the existence of which was to be cleared up; and besides all this, we were not now in a condition to undertake great things; nor indeed was there time, had we been ever so well provided.

These reasons induced me to alter the course to E., with a very strong gale at N., attended with an exceedingly heavy fall of snow. The quantity which lodged in 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 W.; 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 E., 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 latitude of 58° 24ʹ S., longitude 16° 19ʹ W., the variation was 1° 52ʹ E. 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 eighth, at day-light, we resumed our east course with a gentle breeze and fair weather. After sun-rise, being then in the latitude of 58° 30ʹ S., longitude 15° 14ʹ W.; the variation, by the mean results of two compasses, was 2° 43ʹ E. 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 passed three ice-islands. This night was spent as the preceding.

At six next morning, being in the latitude of 58° 27ʹ S., longitude 13° 4ʹ W., the variation was 26ʹ E., and in the afternoon, being in the same latitude, and about a quarter of a degree more to the E., it was 2ʹ W. Therefore this last situation must be in or near the line in which the compass 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 to 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 23ʹ west, being then in the latitude of 58° 15ʹ S., longitude 11° 41ʹ W., and at six in the evening, being in the same latitude, and in the longitude of 9° 24ʹ W., it was 1° 51ʹ 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 latitude 58° 11ʹ, longitude at the same time 7° 55ʹ 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 latitude of 58° 23ʹ S., longitude 6° 54ʹ W., the variation was 3° 23ʹ W. 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 latitude of 57° 50ʹ 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., with 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 the latitude of 56° 37ʹ S., longitude 4° 11ʹ east, when we pointed to the N. E., in order to get into the latitude of Cape Circumcision. 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 latitude at this time was 55° 26ʹ S., longitude 5° 52ʹ east, 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 latitude of 54° 20ʹ S., longitude 6° 33ʹ east, I steered east, having a prodigious high sea from the south, which assured 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 13° 44ʹ west. At noon we were in the latitude of 54° 25ʹ, longitude 8° 46ʹ east. I thought this a good latitude to keep in, to look for Cape Circumcision; 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 assured 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° 15ʹ 20ʺ east longitude. The watch at the same time gave 9° 36ʹ 45ʺ. Soon after the variation was found to be 13° 10ʹ 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° 8ʹ 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 latitude of 54° 42ʹ S., longitude 13° 3ʹ E., and the wind having veered to N. E., we tacked and stood to N. W. under close-reefed top-sails and courses; having a very strong gale, attended with snow showers.

At four o’clock next morning, being in the latitude of 54° 30ʹ S., longitude 12° 33ʹ E., 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 latitude of 54° 8ʹ S., longitude 12° 59ʹ E., with a fresh gale at W. by N. and tolerably clear weather, we steered E. till ten o’clock in the evening, when we brought to, lest we might pass any land in the night, of which we however had not the least signs.

At day-break, having made sail, we bore away east, and at noon observed in latitude 54° 16ʹ S., longitude 16° 13ʹ E., which is 5° to the east of the longitude in which Cape Circumcision 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 latitude of 54° 24ʹ S., longitude 19° 18ʹ E.

We had now run down thirteen degrees of longitude, in the very latitude assigned for Bouvet’s Land; I was therefore well assured 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 Circumcision; for I am well assured 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 shags, which seldom go out of sight of it; and gannets, boobies, 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 from our route to the south, when we left the Cape of Good Hope, it was to no purpose to proceed any further 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 latitude of 55° 25ʹ S., longitude 23° 22ʹ E., 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.

CHAP. 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 latitude, 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 assigned 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 latitude.

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 latitude of 54°. This was certainly owing to there being a greater quantity 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 accumulate 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 accumulate 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 accumulate 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 valleys; 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, showed 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 quantity 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 latitudes. 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. 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 salts 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 accumulate 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 latitudes, set to the N., or to the N. E. or N. W.; but we have very seldom found them considerable.

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 latitude, it cannot be a fertile one. Besides, this would have kept me two months longer at sea, and in a tempestuous latitude, 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 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 have 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 showed 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.

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 Marseveen, which are laid down in Dr. Halley’s variation chart in the latitude 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 26th at noon, we saw the last ice-island, being at this time in the latitude of 52° 52ʹ S., longitude 26° 31ʹ E.

The wind abating and veering to the S., on the 1st of March, we steered W., 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 latitude of 46° 44ʹ S., longitude 33° 20ʹ E., in which situation we found the variation to be 23° 36ʹ west. 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 S. of W. 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.

The wind remained not long at south before it veered round by the N. E. to N. W., blowing fresh and by squalls, attended, as before, with rain and thick misty weather. We had some intervals of clear weather on the afternoon of the 3d, when we found the variation to be 22° 26ʹ W.; latitude at this time 45° 8ʹ S., longitude 30° 50ʹ 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 latitude of 41° 30ʹ S., longitude 26° 51ʹ 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 latitude of 40° 40ʹ S., longitude 23° 47ʹ E., the variation was 20° 48ʹ W. About noon the same day, the wind shifting 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 latitude 38° 51ʹ 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 Marseveen 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 latitude of 38° 38ʹ S., longitude 23° 37ʹ E.

The next day the observed latitude 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.

On the 15th the observed latitude at noon, together with the watch, shewed that we had had a strong current setting to the S. W. the contrary direction to what we had experienced on some of the preceding days, as hath been mentioned.

At day-light, on the 16th, we saw two sail in the N. W. quarter standing to the westward, and one of them shewing Dutch colours. At ten o’clock we tacked and stood to the west also, being at this time in the latitude of 35° 9ʹ S., longitude 22° 38ʹ E.

I now, in pursuance of my instructions, demanded of the officers and petty officers, the log-books and journals they had kept; which were delivered to me accordingly, and sealed up for the inspection of the Admiralty. I also enjoined them, and the whole crew, not to divulge where we had been, till they had their Lordships’ permission so to do. In the afternoon the wind veered to the west, and increased to a hard gale, which was of short duration; for, the next day, it fell, and at noon veered to S. E. At this time we were in the latitude of 34° 49ʹ S., longitude 22° E.; and, on sounding, found fifty-six fathoms water. In the evening we saw the land in the direction of E. N. E., about six leagues distant; and, during the forepart of the night, there was a great fire or light upon it.

At day-break on the 18th, we saw the land again, bearing N. N. W., six or seven leagues distant, and the depth of water forty-eight fathoms. At nine o’clock, having little or no wind, we hoisted out a boat and sent on board one of the two ships before mentioned, which were about two leagues from us; but we were too impatient after news to regard the distance. Soon after, a breeze sprung up at west, with which we stood to the south; and, presently, three sail more appeared in sight to windward, one of which shewed English colours.

At one P. M. the boat returned from on board the Bownkerke Polder, Captain Cornelius Bosch, a Dutch Indiaman from Bengal. Captain Bosch, very obligingly, offered us sugar, arrack, and whatever he had to spare. Our people were told by some English seamen on board this ship, that the Adventure had arrived at the Cape of Good Hope twelve months ago, and that the crew of one of her boats had been murdered and eaten by the people of New Zealand; so that the story which we heard in Queen Charlotte’s Sound was now no longer a mystery.