214 COOK'S SECOND VOYAGE FEB. 



weather fair and clear, excepting now and then a 

 snow shower. The mercury in the thermometer at 

 noon rose to 40 ; whereas for several days before, it 

 had been no higher than 36 or 38. We had several 

 ice-islands in sight, but no one thing that could in- 

 duce us to think that any land was in our neighbour- 

 hood. At eight in the evening, a breeze sprung up 

 at S.E., with which we stood to N.E. 



During the night the wind freshened and veered 

 to south, which enabled us to steer east. The wind 

 was attended with showers of sleet and snow till day- 

 light, when the weather became fair, but piercing 

 cold, so that the water on deck was frozen, and at 

 noon the mercury in the thermometer was no higher 

 than 34i. At six o'clock in the morning, the varia- 

 tion was 23' west, being then in the latitude of 58° 16' 

 S., longitude 11° 41' W., and at six in the evening, 

 being in the same latitude, and in the longitude of 

 9° 24' W., it was 1° 5 V W. In the evening the wind 

 abated ; and during the night it was variable between 

 south and west. Ice-islands continually in sight. 



On the 11th, wind westerly, light airs attended 

 with heavy showers of snow in the morning ; but, as 

 the day advanced, the weather became fair, clear, 

 and serene. Still continuing to steer east, at noon 

 we observed in latitude 58° IT, longitude at the same 

 time 7° 55' west. Thermometer 34f . In the after- 

 noon we had two hours' calm, after which we had 

 faint breezes between the N. E. and S. E. 



At six o'clock in the morning of the 12th, being 

 in the latitude of 58° 23' S., longitude 6° 54' W., the 

 variation was 3° %& W. We had variable light airs 

 next to a calm all this day, and the weather was fair 

 and clear till towards the evening, when it became 

 cloudy, with snow showers, and the air very cold. 

 Ice-islands continually in sight ; most of them small 

 and breaking to pieces. 



In the afternoon of the 13th the wind increased, 

 the sky became clouded, and soon after we had a very 



