that if there is any land hereabout, it can only be an isle of no great
extent. And it was just as probable I might have found it to the E. as to
the W.

While we were plying about here we took every opportunity to observe the
variation of the compass, and found it to be from 27° 50' to 30° 26' W.
Probably the mean of the two extremes, viz. 29° 4', is the nearest the
truth, as it nearly agrees with the variation observed on board the
Adventure. In making these observations, we found that, when the sun was on
the larboard side of the ship, the variation was the least; and when on the
starboard side, the greatest. This was not the first time we had made this
observation, without being able to account for it. At four o'clock in the
morning of the 7th, I made the Adventure's signal to keep at the distance
of four miles on my starboard beam; and continued to steer E.S.E. This
being a fine day, I had all our men's bedding and clothes spread on deck to
air; and the ship cleaned and smoked betwixt decks. At noon I steered a
point more to the south, being then in the latitude of 45° 49' S.,
longitude 61° 48' E. At six o'clock in the evening, I called in the
Adventure; and at the same time took several azimuths, which gave the
variation 31° 28'.W. These observations could not be taken with the
greatest accuracy, on account of the rolling of the ship, occasioned by a
very high westerly swell.

The preceding evening, three Port Egmont hens were seen; this morning
another appeared. In the evening, and several times in the night, penguins
were heard; and, at daylight in the morning of the 8th, several of these
were seen; and divers of two sorts, seemingly such as are usually met with
on the coast of England. This occasioned us to sound, but we found no
ground with a line of 210 fathoms. Our latitude now was 49° 53' S., and
longitude 63° 39' E. This was at eight o'clock. By this time the wind had