82 cook's second voyage march, 



satisfy myself if it joined the coast of New South 

 Wales. 



In the night of the 17th, the wind shifted to N. W. 

 and blew in squalls, attended with thick hazy weather 

 and rain. This continued all the 18th, in the even- 

 ing of which day, being in the latitude of 56 15' 

 S. longitude 150, the sky cleared up, and we 

 found the variation by several azimuths to be 13 

 30' E. Soon after, we hauled up with the log a piece 

 of rock-weed, which was in a state of decay, and 

 covered with barnacles. In the night the southern 

 lights were very bright. 



The next morning we saw a seal, and towards 

 noon some penguins, and more rock- weed, being at 

 this time in the latitude of 55 1', longitude 152 

 1 ' E. In the latitude of 54 4', we also saw a Port- 

 Egmont hen, and some weed. Navigators have 

 generally looked upon all these to be certain signs of 

 the vicinity of land ; I cannot, however, support this 

 opinion. At this time we knew of no land, nor is it 

 even probable that there is any, nearer than New 

 Holland, or Van Diemen's Land, from which we 

 were distant 260 leagues. We had, at the same time, 

 several porpuses playing about us ; into one of which 

 Mr. Cooper struck a harpoon ; but, as the ship was 

 running seven knots, it broke its hold, after towing 

 it some minutes, and before we could deaden the 

 ship's way. 



As the wind, which continued between the north 

 and the west, would not permit me to touch at Van 

 Diemen's Land, I shaped my course to New Zealand ; 

 and, being under no apprehensions of meeting with 

 any danger, I was not backward in carrying sail, as 

 well by night as day, having the advantage of a very 

 strong gale, which was attended with hazy rainy 

 weather, and a very large swell from the W. and W. 

 S. W. We continued to meet with, now and then, 

 a seal, Port-Egmont hens, and sea-weed, 



On the morning of the 22d, the wind shifted to 



