the N.W., not daring to stand on in the night, which was foggy, with
snow-showers, and a smart frost.

At day-break on the 16th, we bore away N.E., with a light breeze at
west, which, at noon, was succeeded by a calm and fair weather. Our
latitude at this time was 55° 26' S., longitude 5° 52' E., in which
situation we had a great swell from the southward, but no ice in sight.
At one o'clock in the p.m., a breeze springing up at E.N.E., we stood to
S.E. till six, then tacked, and stood to the north, under double-reefed
top-sails and courses, having a very fresh gale attended with snow and
sleet, which fixed to the masts and rigging as it fell, and coated the
whole with ice.

On the 17th the wind continued veering, by little and little, to the
south, till midnight, when it fixed at S.W. Being at this time in the
latitude of 54° 20' S., longitude 6° 33' east, I steered east, having a
prodigious high sea from the south, which assured us no land was near in
that direction.

In the morning of the 18th, it ceased to snow; the weather became fair
and clear; and we found the variation to be 18° 44' west. At noon we
were in the latitude of 54° 25', longitude 8° 46' east. I thought this a
good latitude to keep in, to look for Cape Circumcision; because, if the
land had ever so little extent in the direction of north and south, we
could not miss seeing it, as the northern point is said to lie in 54°.
We had yet a great swell from the south, so that I was now well assured
it could only be an island, and it was of no consequence which side we
fell in with. In the evening Mr Wales made several observations of the
moon, and stars Regulus and Spica; the mean results, at four o'clock
when the observations were made, for finding the time by the watch, gave