The calm was succeeded by a wind from the south; between which point and the N.W., it continued for the six succeeding days, but never blew strong.  It was, however, attended with a great hollow swell from the S.W. and W., a sure indication that no large land was near in those directions.  We now steered east, inclining to the south, and on the 10th, in the latitude of 43 deg. 39’, longitude 144 deg. 43’ W., the variation was found, by several azimuths, to be more than 3 deg.  E., but the next morning it was found to be 4 deg. 5’ 30”, and in the afternoon, 5 deg. 56’ E. The same day, at noon, we were in the latitude of 43 deg. 44’, longitude 141 deg. 56’ W.

At nine o’clock in the morning of the 12th, the longitude was observed as follows, viz.

  Self 1st set 139 deg. 47’ 15”
  Ditto, 2d set 140 7 30
  Mr Wales 1st set 141 22 15
  Mr Wales 2d set 140 10 0
  Mr Clerke 140 56 45
  Mr Gilbert 140 2 0
                              --------------
  Mean 140 24 17-1/2 West.

This differed from my reckoning only 2 deg. 1/2.  The next morning, in the latitude of 43 deg. 3’, longitude 139 deg. 20’ W., we had several lunar observations, which were consonant to those made the day before, allowing for the ship’s run in the time.  In the afternoon we had, for a few hours, variable light airs next to a calm; after which we got a wind from the N.E., blowing fresh and in squalls, attended with dark gloomy weather, and some rain.

We stretched to the S.E. till five o’clock in the afternoon on the 14th, at which time, being in the latitude of 43 deg. 15’, longitude 137 deg. 39’ W., we tacked and stood to the north under our courses, having a very hard gale with heavy squalls, attended with rain, till near noon the next day, when it ended in a calm.  At this time we were in the latitude of 42 deg. 39’, longitude 137 deg. 58’ W. In the evening, the calm was succeeded by a breeze from S.W., which soon after increased to a fresh gale; and fixing at S.S.W, with it we steered N.E. 1/2 E. in the latitude of 41 deg. 25’, longitude 135 deg. 58’ W., we saw floating in the sea a billet of wood, which seemed to be covered with barnacles; so that there was no judging how long it might have been there, or from whence or how far it had come.

We continued to steer N.E. 1/2 E., before a very strong gale which blew in squalls, attended with showers of rain and hail, and a very high sea from the same quarter, till noon, on the 17th.  Being then in the latitude of 39 deg. 44’, longitude 133 deg. 32’ W., which was a degree and a half farther east than I intended to run; nearly in the middle between my track to the north in 1769, and the return to the south in the same year, and seeing no signs of land, I steered north-easterly, with a view of exploring that part of the sea lying between the two tracks just mentioned, down as low as the latitude of 27 deg., a space that had not been visited by any preceding navigator that I knew of.[4]