60 
got none. Spoke a brig from Bergen, 
15th, One sail in sight. 
On the 16th we were encountered by 
a violent storm from the north ; and after 
running, as near as we could calculate, 
about fifty leagues in a south-westerly 
direction, we were met by a great num¬ 
ber of birds; this clearly shewed us to 
be at no great distance from land, and 
had we continued under the same course, 
we perhaps would soon have fallen in 
with Iceland; here, however, we lay-to 
under close reefed top-sails, till the wea¬ 
ther moderated, and on the 17th we sail¬ 
ed in a north-east direction. The wea¬ 
ther at this time was so hazy, that we 
could not take an observation; and after 
a gale, and laying-to, not much reliance 
can be placed on the reckoning by ac¬ 
count. 
I may here remark, that top-sails are 
now generally reckoned the best sails for 
a ship to lay-to under. They are not 
