1773. ROUND THE WORLD. 57 



put into casks, some we melted in the coppers, and 

 filled up the casks with the water, and some we kept on 

 deck for present use. The melting and stowing 

 away the ice is a little tedious, and takes up some 

 time, otherwise this is the most expeditious way of 

 watering I ever met with. 



Having got on board this supply of water, and the 

 Adventure about two-thirds as much (of which we 

 stood in great need), as we had once broke the ice, 

 I did not doubt of getting more whenever we 

 were in want. I therefore, without hesitation, di- 

 rected our course more to the south, with a gentle 

 gale at N. W. attended, as usual, with snow showers. 

 In the morning of the 11th, being then in the latitude 

 of 62 44' south, longitude 37 east, the variation of 

 the compass was 24 10' west, and the following 

 morning in the latitude of 64 12' south, longitude 

 38 14' east, by the mean of three compasses, it 

 was no more than 23 52' west. In this situation we 

 saw some penguins, and being near an island of ice, 

 from which several pieces had broken, we hoisted 

 out two boats, and took on board as much as filled 

 all our empty casks ; and the Adventure did the 

 same. While this was doing, Mr. Forster shot an al- 

 batross, whose plumage was of a colour between 

 brown and dark grey, the head and upper side of 

 the wings rather inclining to black, and it had white 

 eye-brows. We began to see these birds about the 

 time of our first falling in with the ice islands, and 

 some had accompanied us ever since. These, and 

 the dark -brown sort with a yellow bill, were the only 

 albatrosses that had not now forsaken us. 



At four o'clock P. M. we hoisted in the boats, and 

 made sail to the S. E. with a gentle breeze at S. by 

 W. attended with showers of snow. 



On the 13th, at two o'clock A. M. it fell calm. 

 Of this we took the opportunity to hoist out a 

 boat, to try the current, which we found to set N. W. 

 near one third of a mile an hour. At the time of 

 trying the current, a Fahrenheit's thermometer was 



