177£« ROUND THE WORLD. 213 



all this, we were not now in a condition to undertake 

 great things ; nor indeed was there time, had we 

 been ever so well provided. 



These reasons induced me to alter the course to 

 E., with a very strong gale at N., attended with an 

 exceedingly heavy fall of snow. The quantity which 

 lodged in our sails was so great, that we were fre- 

 quently obliged to throw the ship up in the wind to 

 shake it out of them, otherwise neither they nor the 

 ship could have supported the weight. In the 

 evening it ceased to snow ; the weather cleared up ; 

 the wind backed to the W. ; and we spent the night 

 in making two short boards, under close-reefed top- 

 sails and fore-sail. 



At day-break on the 7th, we resumed our course 

 to the E., with a very fresh gale at S.W. by W., 

 attended by a high sea from the same direction. In 

 the afternoon, being in the latitude of 58° 24/ S., 

 longitude 16° 19' W., the variation was 1° 52' E. 

 Only three ice-islands seen this day. At eight o'clock, 

 shortened sail, and hauled the wind to the S.E. for 

 the night, in which we had several showers of snow 

 and sleet. 



On the eighth, at day-light, we resumed our east 

 course with a gentle breeze and fair weather. After 

 sun-rise, being then in the latitude of 58° 30' S., 

 longitude 15° 14/ W. ; the variation, by the mean 

 results of two compasses, was 2° 43' E. These ob- 

 servations were more to be depended on than those 

 made the night before, there being much less sea 

 now than then. In the afternoon, we passed three 

 ice-islands. This night was spent as the preceding. 



At six next morning, being in the latitude of 

 58° %y S., longitude 13° 4' W., the variation was 26' E., 

 and in the afternoon, being in the same latitude, and 

 about a quarter of a degree more to the E., it was 

 2' W. Therefore this last situation must be in or 

 near the line in which the compass has no variation. 

 We had a calm the most part of the day. The 



p 3 



