THE JOURNAL OF JOHN BISCOE. 825 
fortable in bad weather and ships a great deal of water, and is now on 
her outside, both hull and ropes where the spray can reach, one mass of 
ice; butas the land has hitherto tended to the north-eastward, I am still 
in hopes to fall in with it in that direction clear of ice, as I have still a 
great space on the charts unexplored. From this time until the 22nd, 
we had S.E. gales with little intermission, and consequently were enabled 
to make but little progress ; on the 23rd the wind came round to N.W. 
by W., which enabled us to make a run of 87 knots to the eastward ; but 
during the day it again shifted, and blew a hard gale on the night of the 
23rd and the 24th from E.S.E. to $.S.E. with a heavy sea on. Our lati- 
tude L.O. noon 62° 26'8.; longitude 52° 24’ HE. Temperature 32°, and 
I much fear shall have no more fine weather this season, the nights in- 
tolerably long and dark. The Aurora Australis has made its appearance 
several times, and sometimes very brilliant, which I took to be an indica~ 
tion of wind. For some days back we have had many birds about us. 
March 25.—We had hard gales from 8.8.W., the weather still con- 
tinuing very thick. On the 26th the wind came round to E.S8.E. again, 
with fresh gales and squalls. Towards noon it calmed. 
March 27.—Strong winds 8.E., squally with much snow and sleet, 
intervals of calm, which left a most distressing sea; a great quantity of 
black eaglets and other small birds about us. Very thick weather at 
times. 
March 28.—During the night the weather became clear, with a 
moderate breeze from the northward. At 8 saw the appearance of 
land S.8.E. Towards noon the weather thickened, and blew a strong 
gale from N.N.E. Wore round to the N.W. to wait for clear weather. 
Latitude, L.O. 60° 43’, dead reckoning 60° 33’; longitude, L.O. 55° 17’ E. 
I have not had an observation since the 14th. I have six of the crew 
laid up with pains and swellings in their legs. 
March 29.—Strong breezes. All night from the northward, hove 
to. Daylight, bore up S.E. Noon, altered course to S.S.E. No land 
in sight. p.m., ditto weather. 
March 30.—Strong gales from N.E. to N.N.W., with frequent squalls 
of snow and sleet, and for the most part very thick. Bore up and hove 
as the weather required. Passed several ice-islands during these gales. 
P.M., ditto wind. Altered course to south. Daylight, bore up and made 
sail, steering south. Noon, moderate. Latitude by observation 59° 50’, 
from last observation 60° 55’. Longitude by chronometer 61° 28’, from 
last observation 60° 46’, which gives a current north 33° E., 78 miles 
in 15 days, but in all probability the error arose from the continual 
gales we have had since our last observations. 8 p.m., thick weather, 
hove to. Daylight, bore up 8. Moderate breezes from the northward, 
with showers of snow and a heavy swell. (I very much fear several 
of the crew have got the scurvy.) Noon, latitude by observation 
60° 38' S., longitude by chronometers 63° 08’ E., temperature 344°. 
