156 COOK'S SECOND VOYAGE DEC. 



W. we steered E. ; and on the 14th, in the morning, 

 found the variation to be 13° 25' E., latitude 53° 25', 

 longitude 87° 53' W. ; and in the afternoon, being in 

 the same latitude, and the longitude of 86° 2' W. it 

 was 15° 3' E., and increased in such a manner, that 

 on the 15th, in the latitude of 53° 30', longitude 

 82° 23' W., it was 17° E. ; and the next evening, in 

 the latitude of 53° 25', longitude 78° 40', it was 

 17° 38' E. About this time, we saw a penguin and 

 a piece of weed ; and the next morning, a seal and 

 some diving peterels. For the three last days, the 

 wind had been at W., a steady fresh gale, attended, 

 now and then, with showers of rain or hail. 



At six in the morning of the 17th, being nearly 

 in the same latitude as above, and in the longitude of 

 77° 10' W., the variation was 18° 33' E. ; and in the 

 afternoon it was 21° 38', being at that time in latitude 

 53° 16' S., longitude 75° 9' W. In the morning, as 

 well as in the afternoon, I took some observations to 

 determine the longitude by the watch ; and the 

 results, reduced to noon, gave 76° 18' 30" W. At 

 the same time, the longitude, by my reckoning, was 

 76° 17' W. But I have reason to think, that we 

 were about half a degree more to the west than 

 either the one or the other \ our latitude, at the same 

 time, was 53° 21' S. 



We steered E. by N. and E. £ N. all this day, 

 under all the sail we could cairy, with a fine fresh 

 gale at N.W by W. in expectation of seeing the 

 land before night \ but not making it till ten o'clock, 

 we took in the studding-sails, top-gallant sails, and a 

 reef in each topsail, and steered E.N.E. in order to 

 make sure of falling in with Cape Deseada. 



Two hours after, we made the land* extending 

 from N.E. by N. to E. by S. about six leagues distant. 

 On this discovery, we wore and brought to, with the 

 ship's head to the S., and having sounded, found 

 seventy-five fathoms water, the bottom stone and 

 shells. The land now before us could be no other 



