'lJ4f cook's VOYAGE TO JAN. 



the fore-top-gallant-mast was converted into one for 

 our immediate use. 



The wind continued westerly., blew a fresh gale, 

 and was attended with clear weather ; so that scarcely 

 a day passed without being able to get observations 

 for fixing the longitude, and the variation of the 

 compass. The latter decreased in such a manner, 

 that in the latitude of 44 18' S., longitude 132 c 2' E., 

 it was no more than 5 34' 18 /7 W. ; and on the 22d, 

 being then in the latitude of 43 27' S., longitude 

 141 50' E., it was 1 24' 15 /7 E. So that we had 

 crossed the line where the compass has no variation. 



On the 24th, at three o'clock in the morning, we 

 discovered the coast of Van Diemen's Land, bearing 

 N. ^ W. At four o'clock, the south-west Cape bore 

 N.N.Wj W. ; and the Mewstone, N. E. by E. three 

 leagues distant. There are several islands and high 

 rocks lying scattered along this part of the coast, the 

 southernmost of which is the Mewstone. It is a 

 round elevated rock, five or six leagues distant from 

 the south-west Cape, in the direction of S. 55 E. 



At noon, our latitude was 43 47' S., longitude 

 147 E ; and the situation of the lands round us, as 

 follows : An elevated round-topped hill bore N. 17 

 W.; the south-west Cape N. 74 W.; the Mewstone, 

 W. \ N. ; Swilly Isle or Rock, S. 49 E. ; and the 

 south-east or South Cape, N. 40 E. distant near 

 three leagues. The land between the south-west and 

 the south capes is broken and hilly, the coast wind- 

 ing, with points shooting out from it ; but we were 

 too far off, to be able to judge whether the bays 

 formed by these points were sheltered from the sea- 

 winds. The bay which appeared to be the largest 

 and deepest, lies to the westward of the peaked hill 

 above-mentioned. The variation of the compass 

 here, was 5 \b' E. 



At six o'clock in the afternoon we sounded, and 

 found sixty fathoms' water, over a bottom of broken 



