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Captain Furneaux had been ordered by Captain Cook , in cafe he was feparated, tocruize three days in the place where he laft faw him; he therefore continued makingfhort boards, and firing half-hour guns, till the 9th in the afternoon, when the weatherhaving cleared up, they could fee feveral leagues round them, and found that the. Ad-venture was not within the limits of their horizon. At this time they were about twoor three leagues to the eaftward of the fituation they were in when they laft fawher. Next day they faw nothing of her, notwithftanding the weather was pretty clear,and Captain Cook had kept firing guns, and burning falfe fires all night. He there-fore gave over looking for her, made fail, and fleered fouth-eaft, with a frefh gale atweft-by-north, accompanied with a high fea from the fame direction.
On the 17th, at nine in the morning, they bore down to an ifland of ice, which theyreached by noon. It was full half a mile in circuit, and two hundred feet high at leaft Jthough very little loofe ice about it. But while they were confidering whether or nothey fhould hoift out boats to take fome up, a great quantity broke from the ifland-Of this detached part, they made a fhift to get on board about nine or ten tons beforeeight o’clock, when they hoifted in the boats and made fail to the eaft, inclining to thefouth, with a frefh gale at fouth : which, foon after, veered to fouth-fouth-weft and•fouth-weft, with fair but cloudy weather.
On the 23d, they tacked, and fpent the night, which was exceedingly ftormy, thick,.and hazy, with fleet and fnow, in making fhort boards. Surrounded on every fid 2with danger, they wifhed for day-light. This, when it came, ferved only to increafetheir apprehenfions, by exhibiting to view thofe huge mountains of ice, which, in thenight, they had pafled without feeing.
Thefe dangers were, however, now become fo familiar, that the apprehenfions theycaufed were never of long duration C .and were, in fome meafure, compenfated both bythe feafonable fupplies of frefh water thefe ice iflands afforded,, (without which theyinuft have been greatly diftreffed,) and alfo by their very romantic appearance, greatlyheightened by the foaming of the waves into the curious holes and caverns which areformed in many of them; the whole exhibiting a view, which at once filled the mindwith admiration and horror, and can only be defcribed by the hand of an ablepainter.
The 28th, a fow having in the morning farrowed nine pigs, every one of them v/askilled by the cold before four o’clock in the afternoon, notwithftanding great care wastaken of them: chilbains were alfo common. Such is the. fummer weather theyenjoyed!
On Sunday, the 7th of March, the weather became fair, the fky cleared up,the night was remarkably pleafant, as well as the morning of the next day; which f° rthe brightnefs of the fky, and ferenity and mildnefs of the weather, gave place to n°n ethey had feen fince they had left the Cape of Good Hope . It was fuch as is lid eknown in this fea; and, to .make it ftill more agreeable, they had not one ifland of ice.in fight. . , -
March 17th, Captain Cook now came to a refolution to quit the high fouthern & ~tudes, and to proceed to New Zealand , to look for the Adventure, and to refrefh hispeople.
This day they faw feveral porpoifes,.into one of which Mr. Cooper ftruck a harpoon ?but, as the fhip was running feven knots, it broke its hold, after towing it fo meminutes, and before they could deaden the fhip’s way. _
As the wind, which continued between the north and weft, would not permit theto touch at Van Dieman’s Land, they fhaped their courfe to New Zealand ; and being