202 cook's second VOYAGE JAtf. 



had seen before, which we had now been quite 

 round : and therefore it could be no more than a few 

 detached rocks, receptacles for birds, of which we now 

 saw vast numbers, especially shags, who gave us no- 

 tice of the vicinity of land before we saw it. These 

 rocks lie in the latitude of 55° S. and S. 75° E,, dis- 

 tant twelve leagues from Cooper's Isle. 



The interval of clear weather was of very short 

 duration, before we had as thick a fog as ever, at- 

 tended with rain ; on which we tacked in sixty 

 fathoms' water, and stood to the north. Thus we 

 spent our time involved in a continual thick mist ; 

 and for aught we knew, surrounded by dangerous 

 rocks. The shags and soundings were our best 

 pilots ; for after we had stood a few miles to the 

 north, we got out of soundings, and saw no more 

 shags. The succeeding day and night were spent in 

 making short boards ; and at eight o'clock on the 

 24th, judging ourselves not far from the rocks by 

 some straggling shags which came about us, we 

 sounded in sixty fathoms' water, the bottom stones and 

 broken shells. Soon after, we saw the rocks bear- 

 ing S.S.W. i W., four miles distant, but still we 

 did not not see the Peak. It was, no doubt, be- 

 yond our horizon, which was limited to a short dis- 

 tance ; and, indeed, we had but a transient sight 

 of the other rocks, before they were again lost in 

 the fog. 



With a light air of wind at N., and a great swell 

 frornN. E., we were able to clear the rocks to the W. ; 

 and at four in the P.M., judging ourselves to be 

 three or four leagues E. and W. of them, I steered 

 S., being quite tired with cruizing about them in a 

 thick fog ; nor was it worth my while to spend any 

 more time in waiting for clear weather, only for the 

 sake of having a good sight of a few straggling rocks. 

 At seven o'clock, we had at intervals a clear sky to 

 the W., which gave us a sight of the mountains of 

 the Isle of Georgia, bearing W.N.W., about eight 



