1*775. ROUND THE WORLD. 215 



heavy fall of snow, which continued till eight or nine 

 o'clock in the evening, when the wind abating and 

 veering to S. E., the sky cleared up, and we had a fair 

 night, attended with so sharp a frost, that the water 

 in all our vessels on deck was next morning covered 

 with a sheet of ice. The mercury in the thermome- 

 ter was as low as 29°, which is 3° below freezing, or 

 rather 4 ; for we generally found the water freeze 

 when the mercury stood at 33°. 



Towards noon on the 14th, the wind veering to 

 the south, increased to a very strong gale, and blew 

 in heavy squalls, attended with snow. At intervals, 

 between the squalls, the weather was fair and clear, 

 but exceedingly cold. We continued to steer east, 

 inclining a little to the north, and in the afternoon 

 crossed the first meridian, or that of Greenwich, in 

 the latitude of 57° 50' S. At eight in the evening, 

 we close-reefed the top-sails, took in the main-sail, 

 and steered east, with a very hard gale at S. S. W., 

 with a high sea from the same direction. 



At day-break on the 15th, we set the main-sail, 

 loosed a reef out of each top-sail, and with a very 

 strong gale at S. W. and fair weather, steered E.N.E. 

 till noon, at which time we were in the latitude of 

 56° 37' S., longitude 4° 1 V east, when we pointed to 

 the N. E., in order to get into the latitude of Cape 

 Circumcision. Some large ice-islands were in sight, 

 and the air was nearly as cold as on the preceding 

 day. At eight o'clock in the evening, shortened sail, 

 and at eleven hauled the wind to the N. W., not daring 

 to stand on in the night, which was foggy, with snow- 

 showers, and a smart frost. 



At day -break on the 16th, we bore away N. E. 

 with a light breeze at west, which, at noon, was suc- 

 ceeded by a calm and fair weather. Our latitude at 

 this time was 55° 26' S., longitude 5° 5%' east, in which 

 situation we had a great swell from the southward, 

 but no ice in sight. At one o'clock in the P. M., a 

 breeze springing up at E. N. E., we stood to S.E. till 



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