so 



cook's second voyage 



MARCH, 



and S. E., a fresh breeze, attended with snow and 

 sleet. In the afternoon it became fair, and the wind 

 veered to S. andS. S.W. In the evening, being 

 then in the latitude of 58 59', longitude 134, the 

 weather was so clear in the horizon, that we could 

 see many leagues round us. We had but little wind 

 during the night, some showers of snow, and a very- 

 sharp frost. As the day broke, the wind freshened 

 at S. E. and S. S. E., and soon after, the sky cleared 

 up, and the weather became clear and serene ; but 

 the air continued cold, and the mercury in the 

 thermometer rose only one degree above the freezing 

 point. 



The clear weather gave Mr. Wales an opportunity 

 to get some observations of the sun and moon. 

 Their results reduced to noon, when the latitude 

 was 58 Zl' south, gave us 136 %&' east longitude. 

 Mr. Kendal's watch, at the same time, gave 134 42' ; 

 and that of Mr. Arnold, the same. This was the 

 first and only time they pointed out the same longi- 

 tude, since we left England. The greatest difference, 

 however, between them, since we left the cape, had 

 not much exceeded two degrees. 



The moderate, and I might almost say the plea- 

 sant weather we had, at times, for the last two or 

 three days, made me wish I had been a few degrees 

 of latitude farther south ; and even tempted me to 

 incline our course that way. But we soon had 

 weather which convinced us that we were full 

 far enough ; and that the time was approaching, 

 when these seas were not to be navigated with- 

 out enduring intense cold ; which, by the bye, we 

 were pretty well used to. In the afternoon, the 

 serenity of the sky was presently obscured ; the 

 wind veered round by the S. W. to W., and blew in 

 hard squalls, attended with thick and heavy showers 

 of hail and snow, which continually covered our 

 decks, sails, and rigging, till five o'clock in the even- 



