Dec] 



KERGUELEN'S LAND. 



357 



long. 5° 45' E., we took strong gales from the west and west-by-north, 

 accompanied with a heavy sea. Although our little bark was an ex- 

 cellent sea-boat, and made good weather of it, yet it was a very 

 fatiguing time for me, as it was necessary for me to stand the deck 

 nearly all the time, the officers being still confined to the cabin, and too 

 weak to help themselves. The convalescent invalids in the forecastle, 

 also, claimed much of my attention and assistance. 



We continued running before the wind, under the head of the fore- 

 sail and close-reefed fore-topsail, making a direct course for the north 

 cape of Kerguelen's Land, or the island of Desolation,* going a great 

 part of the time at the rate of thirteen miles an hour, in snow and 

 hail-squalls, for about a fortnight. 



December 5th. — On Saturday, the 5th day of December, at four, A. 

 3VI., we made the north cape of Desolation, bearing south-east, distant 

 three leagues ; and at six, A. M., we were close in with the entrance 

 of Christmas Harbour. But finding the wind coming out of the bay 

 in such violent gusts as took the water up in sheets, we were obliged 

 to relinquish the idea of working into the anchorage. We therefore 

 stood alongshore, on the east side of the island, towards the south, 

 under easy sail, examining the islets and coast as we went along for 

 fur-seal, but found none. On the different beaches, however, we saw 

 about a thousand sea-elephants. 



December 6th. — xAs I had not averaged more than one hour and a 

 half of sleep in each twenty-four hours since we crossed the equator, 

 and being nearly overcome with fatigue and anxiety of mind, I was 

 desirous to bring the Antarctic to a safe anchorage for a few hours, in 

 order that I might enjoy sufficient repose to restore my exhausted 

 energies. But this desirable object could not be conveniently effected ; 

 for on the night of the 6th the wind increased to a perfect gale from 

 west-north-west, attended with a thick snow-storm. Being satisfied, 

 from the range of coast which we had already examined, and from the 

 thorough survey that I had given this island on a former voyage, that 

 there were no fur-seal to be procured here, we bore up at four, A. M., 

 and steered east-south-east, before the wind, under a three-reefed fore- 

 sail, the two bonnets off the jib, and a close-reefed fore-topsail. Under 

 this little canvass we made three hundred and twenty-seven miles' 

 distance in twenty-four hours ; averaging more than thirteen and a half 

 miles an hour for the whole distance. We continued running at this 

 rate for three days, when we found that we had made nine hundred 

 and fifty-seven miles' distance by log, and nine hundred and eighty- 

 two by astronomical observations. 



December ISth. — The wind now moderated, and hauled to the south- 

 south-east, with light breezes and fair weather ; but on Friday, the 18th, 

 being in lat. 50° 30' S., long. 127° 15' E., we again took a strong 

 breeze from west-by-south, attended with squalls of hail and snow. 

 We continued our course, steering for Lord Auckland's Group, without 

 seeing any indications of land, or any ice ; but great numbers of oceanic 



* See the First Voyage, Chapter IV., p. 62. 



