1775* ROUND THE WORLD. 217 



appearance of land in the direction of E. by S. or 

 that of our course ; but it proved a mere fog-bank, 

 and soon after dispersed. We continued to steer E. 

 by S. and S. E. till seven o'clock in the evening, 

 when, being in the latitude of 54° 4<2' S., longitude 

 13° 3' E., and the wind having veered to N. E., we 

 tacked and stood to N. W. under close-reefed top- 

 sails and courses ; having a very strong gale, attended 

 with snow showers. 



At four o'clock next morning, being in the latitude 

 of ,54° 30' S., longitude 12° 33' E., we tacked, and 

 stretched to N. E., with a fresh gale at S. "W., attended 

 with snow-showers and sleet. At noon, being in the 

 latitude of 54° 8' 8., longitude 12° 5W E., with a fresh 

 gale at W. by N. and tolerably clear weather, we 

 steered E. till ten o'clock in the evening, when we 

 brought to, lest we might pass any land in the night, 

 of which we however had not the least signs. 



At day-break, having made sail, we bore away 

 east, and at noon observed in latitude 54° 16' S., longi- 

 tude l(f 13' E., which is 5° to the east of the lon- 

 gitude in which Cape Circumcision is said to lie ; so 

 that we began to think there was no such land in ex- 

 istence. I however continued to steer east, inclin- 

 ing a little to the south, till four o'clock in the after- 

 noon of the next day, when we were in latitude of 

 54°24'S., longitude 19° 18' E. 



We had now 7 run down thirteen degrees of longi- 

 tude, in the very latitude assigned for Bouvet's Land; 

 I was therefore well assured that what he had seen 

 could be nothing but an island of ice ; for, if it had 

 been land, it is hardly possible we could have missed 

 it, though it were ever so small. Besides, from the 

 time of leaving the southern lands, we had not met 

 with the least signs of any other. But even suppose 

 we had, it would have been no proof of the existence 

 of Cape Circumcision ; for I am well assured that 

 neither seals, nor penguins, nor any of the oceanic 

 birds, are indubitable signs of the vicinity of land. I 



