clearing it up, and for exploring the southern part of this ocean.

On the 5th, fresh gales, and wet and cloudy weather. At noon observed in
57° 9', latitude made from Cape St John, 5° 2' E. At six o'clock p.m.,
being in the latitude 57° 21', and in longitude 57° 45' W., the
variation was 21° 28' E.

At eight o'clock in the evening of the 6th, being then in the latitude
of 58° 9' S., longitude 53° 14' W., we close-reefed our top-sails, and
hauled to the north, with a very strong gale at west, attended with a
thick haze and sleet. The situation just mentioned is nearly the same
that Mr Dalrymple assigns for the S.W. point of the gulph of St
Sebastian. But as we saw neither land, nor signs of land, I was the more
doubtful of its existence, and was fearful that, by keeping to the
south, I might miss the land said to be discovered by La Roche in 1675,
and by the ship Lion in 1756, which Mr Dalrymple places in 54° 30'
latitude, and 45° of longitude; but on looking over D'Anville's chart, I
found it laid down 9° or 10° more to the west; this difference of
situation being to me a sign of the uncertainty of both accounts,
determined me to get into the parallel as soon as possible, and was the
reason of my hauling to the north at this time.

Towards the morning of the 7th the gale abated, the weather cleared up,
and the wind veered to the W.S.W., where it continued till midnight,
after which it veered to N.W. Being at this time in the latitude of 56°
4' S., longitude 53° 36' W., we sounded, but found no bottom with a line
of one hundred and thirty fathoms. I still kept the wind on the
larboard-tack, having a gentle breeze and pleasant weather. On the 8th,
at noon, a bed of sea-weed passed the ship. In the afternoon, in
latitude 55° 4', longitude 51° 43' W., the variation was 20° 4' E.