5^7
were lengthened with baize; and had a cap made for each man of the fame fluff,together with canvas; which proved of great fervice to them.
On the 24th, being near an ifland of ice, which was about fifty feet high and fourhundred fathoms in circuit, the mafter went in the jolly-boat to fee if any water ranfrom it. He foon returned with an account that there was not one drop, or any otherappearance of thaw. They failed this day through feveral floats, or fields of loofe ice,lying in the direction of fouth-eaft and north-wefl.
On the 29th, they came to a refolution to run as far weft as the meridian of CapeCircumcifion, provided they met with no impediment, as the diftance was not morethan eighty leagues, the wind favourable, and the fea feemed to be pretty clear of ice.At one o’clock they fleered for an ifland of ice, thinking, if there were any loofe iceround it, to take fome on board, and convert it into frefh water. At four they broughtto, clofe under the lee of the ifland, where they did not find what they wanted, butfaw upon it eighty-fix penguins. This piece of ice was about half a mile in circuit,and one hundred feet high and upwards; for they lay for fome minutes with everyfail becalmed under it. The fide on which the penguins were, rofe Hoping from thelea, fo as to admit them to creep up it.
They continued to the weft ward, with a gentle gale at eaft-north-eaft ; the weatherbeing fometimes tolerably clear, and at other times thick and hazy, with fnow. Onthe 30th, they fhot one of the white birds; upon which they lowered a boat into thewater to take it up ; and by that means killed a penguin which weighed eleven poundsand a half. The white bird was of the peterel tribe ; the bill, which is rather fhort, is ofa colour between black and dark-blue ; and their legs and feet are blue.
On the 2d of January, 1773, the weather was fo clear that they might have feenland at fourteen or fifteen leagues diftance.
On the 5th, they had much fnow and fleet, which, as ufual, froze on the rigging as
fell ; fo that every rope was covered with the fineft tranfparent ice. This affordedan agreeable fight enough to the eye, but conveyed to the mind an idea of coldnefs,jnuch greater than it really was; for the weather was rather milder than it had been*°r fome time paft, and the fea lefs incumbered with ice.
On the 9th they brought to, and hoifted out three boats ; and in about five or fixhours, took up as much ice as yielded fifteen tons of good frefh water. The piecestaken up were hard, and folid as a rock ; fome of them fo large, that they wereobliged to break them with pick-axes, before they could be taken into the boats.
. ^ he fait-water which adhered to the ice was fo trifling as not to be tafted, and afterh had lain on the deck a fhort time, entirely drained off ; and the water which the iceyielded, was perfedtly fweet and well tafted. Captain Cook fays, <c This is the moftex peditious method of watering he ever met with.”
On the 17th they faw no lefs than thirty-eight ice-iflands, one was fixteen or eighteen® et high at leaft, and of great extent. Here alfo they faw many whales playing about. ice; and, for two days before, had feen feveral flocks of the brown and whiteP In -tadoes, which were named antarctic peterels, becaufe they feem to be natives of thatre gion.
. On the iff of February, at half paft four o’clock in the afternoon, Captain Furneaux^formed Captain Cook that he had juft feen a large float of fea or rock-weed, andk ° u t it feveral birds (divers.) Thefe were, certainly, figns of the vicinity of land ;u t whether it lay to the eaft or weft, was not poflible for them to know.
. On the 8th of February, having loft fight of the Adventure, they fufpected a fepara-° n had taken place, though they were at a lofs to tell how it had been effected.
Captain