1769. ROUND THE WORLD. ^15 



the westward, and strong gales, I wore, and stood 

 back to the northward, fearing that we might receive 

 such damage in our sails and rigging, as would hin- 

 der the prosecution of the voyage. 



On the next day, there being strong gales to the 

 westward, I brought to, with the ship's head to the 

 northward ; but in the morning of the 3d, the wind 

 being more moderate, we loosened the reef of the 

 main-sail, set the top-sails, and plied to the westward. 



We continued our course till the 19th, when our 

 latitude being 29° and our longitude 159° 29', we 

 observed the variation to be 8° 32' E. On the 24th, 

 bein^ in latitude 33° 18', longitude 162° 51', we ob- 

 served a small piece of sea-weed, and a piece ot wood 

 covered with barnacles: the variation here was 10° 

 48' E. 



On the 27th, being in latitude 28° 59', longitude 

 169° 5', we saw a seal asleep upon the water, and 

 several bunches of sea-weed. The next day we saw 

 more sea-weed in bunches, and on the 29th, a bird, 

 which we thought a land-bird; it somewhat resembled 

 a snipe, but had a short bill. On the 1st of Octo- 

 ber, we saw birds innumerable, and another seal 

 asleep upon the water ; it is a general opinion, that 

 seals never go out of soundings, or far from land, 

 but those that we saw in these seas prove the con- 

 trary. Rock- weed is, however, a certain indication 

 that land is not far distant. The next day, it being 

 calm, we hoisted out the boat, to try whether there 

 was a current, but found none. Our latitude was 

 37° 10; longitude 172° 54' W. On the 3d, being in 

 latitude S^° 5ij\ longitude 173° ^7', we took up more 

 sea-weed, and another piece of wood covered with 

 barnacles. The next day, we saw two more seals, 

 and a brown bird, about as big as a raven, with some 

 white feathers under the wing. Mr. Gore told us, 

 that birds of this kind were seen in great numbers 

 about Falkland's Islands, and our people gave them 

 the name of Port-Egmont hens. 



T 2 



