SECOND VOYAGE 119 



order to enable them to support this the better, the sleeves 

 of their jackets were lined with baize, and a cap was made 

 for each man of the same stuff, together with canvas, which 

 proved of great service. 



After proceeding some days through fields and islands 

 of ice, on the 29th they resolved to run as far west as the 

 meridian of Cape Circumcision, provided that they met 

 with no impediment, as the distance was not more than 

 eighty leagues, the wind favourable, and the sea seemed 

 to be pretty clear. At one o'clock they steered for an 

 island of ice, thinking, if there were any loose ice round 

 it, to take some on board, and convert it into fresh water. 

 At four they brought to, close under the lee of the island, 

 where they did riot find what they wanted, but saw upon it 

 eighty-six penguins. This piece of ice was about half a 

 mile in circuit, and one hundred feet high arid upwards ; 

 for they lay for some minutes with every sail becalmed 

 under it. 



They continued to the westward, with a gentle gale, the 

 weather being sometimes tolerably clear, and at other times 

 thick and hazy, with snow. On the 30th they shot one 

 of the white birds, upon which they lowered a boat into 

 the water to take it up, arid by that means killed a penguin, 

 which weighed eleven pounds and a half. The white bird 

 was of the peterel tribe ; the bill, which is rather short, 

 is of a colour between black and dark blue, and the legs 

 and feet are blue. 



On the 2nd of January, 1773, the weather was so clear 

 that they might have seen land at fourteen or fifteen leagues' 

 distance. 



On the 5th, however, they had much snow and sleet, 

 which, as usual, froze on the rigging as it fell, so that every 

 rope was covered with the finest transparent ice. 



On the 9th they brought to, and took up as much ice 

 as yielded fifteen tuns of good fresh water. The pieces 

 taken up were hard, and solid as a rock ; some of them so 

 large, that they were obliged to break them with pickaxes 

 before they could be taken into the boats. 



The salt water which adhered to the ice was so trifling, 

 as not to be tasted, and after it had lain on the deck a 

 short time, entirely drained off ; and the water which the 

 ice yielded was perfectly sweet and well tasted. Captain 

 Cook says, " This is the most expeditious method of 

 watering he ever met with/'* 



* After meeting with this ice, Captain Cook did not think it 

 prudent to persevere further south at present, as the Bummer was 

 already half spent. He had reached the latitude of 67 15' S., the 

 ice being entirely closed to the whole extent from E. to W. S. W., 

 without the least appearance of any opening. 



