1773. HOUND THE WORLD. 63 



and then left us in the direction of N. E. They are 

 a short thick bird about the size of a large crow, of 

 a dark brown or chocolate colour, with a whitish 

 streak under each wing in the shape of a half-moon. 

 I have been told that these birds are found in great 

 plenty at the Fero isles, north of Scotland ; and that 

 they never go far from land. Certain it is, I never 

 before saw them above forty leagues off ; but I do 

 not remember ever seeing fewer than two together, 

 whereas, here was but one, which, w T ith the islands 

 of ice, may have come a good way from land. 



At nine o'clock, the wind veering to E. N. E. 

 we tacked and stood to the S. S. E., but at four in 

 the morning of the 20th, it returned back to its 

 old point, and we resumed our northerly course. 

 One of the above birds was seen this morning ; pro- 

 bably the same we saw the night before, as our situ- 

 ation was not much altered. As the day advanced, 

 the gale increased, attended with thick hazy weather, 

 sleet and snow, and at last obliged us to close-reef 

 our top-sails, and strike top-gallant-yards. But in 

 the evening, the wdnd abated so as to admit us to 

 carry whole top-sails and top-gallant-yards aloft. 

 Hazy weather, with snow and sleet continued. * 



In the afternoon of the 21st, being in the latitude 

 of 62 24' south, longitude 42 ] 9' east, we saw a 

 white albatross with black-tipped wings, and a pintadoe 

 bird. The wind was now at south and S. W. a fresh 

 gale. With this we steered N. E. against a very 

 high sea, which did not indicate the vicinity of land in 

 that quarter ; and yet it was there we were to expect 

 it. The next day we had intervals of fair weather ; 

 the wind was moderate, and we carried our stud- 

 ding sails. In the morning of the 23d, we were 

 in latitude 60 27' south, longitude 45 33' east. 

 Snow showers continued, and the weather was so 

 cold, that the water in our water vessels on deck had 

 been frozen for several preceding nights. 



3 



