On the 19th, being in the latitude of 36 deg. 34’, longitude 133 deg. 7’ W., we steered N. 1/2 W., having still the advantage of a hard gale at south, which the next day veered to S.E. and E., blew hard and by squalls, attended with rain and thick hazy weather.  This continued till the evening of the 21st, when the gale abated, the weather cleared up, and the wind backed to the S. and S.E.

We were now in the latitude of 32 deg. 30’, longitude 133 deg. 40’ W., from this situation we steered N.N.W. till noon the next day, when we steered a point more to the west; being at this time in the latitude of 31 deg. 6’, longitude 134 deg. 12’ W. The weather was now so warm, that it was necessary to put on lighter clothes; the mercury in the thermometer at noon rose to 63.  It had never been lower than 46, and seldom higher than 54, at the same time of the day, since we left New Zealand.[5]

This day was remarkable by our not seeing a single bird.  Not one had passed since we left the land, without seeing some of the following birds, viz. albatrosses, sheerwaters, pintadoes, blue peterels, and Port Egmont hens.  But these frequent every part of the Southern Ocean in the higher latitudes:  Not a bird, nor any other thing, was seen that could induce us to think that we had ever been in the neighbourhood of any land.

The wind kept veering round from the S. by the W. to N.N.W., with which we stretched north till noon the next day, when, being in the latitude of 29 deg. 22’, we tacked and stretched to the westward.  The wind soon increased to a very hard gale, attended with rain, and blew in such heavy squalls as to split the most of our sails.  This weather continued till the morning of the 25th, when the wind became more moderate, and veered to N.W. and W.N.W., with which we steered and stretched to N.E., being at that time in the latitude of 29 deg. 51’, longitude 130 deg. 28’ W. In the afternoon the sky cleared up, and the weather became fair and settled.  We now met the first tropic bird we had seen in this sea.

On the 26th, in the afternoon, being in the latitude of 28 deg. 44’, we had several observations of the sun and moon, which gave the longitude 135 deg. 30’ W. My reckoning at the same time was 135 deg. 27’, and I had no occasion to correct it since I left the land.  We continued to stretch to the north, with light breezes from the westward, till noon, the next day, when we were stopped by a calm; our latitude at this time being 27 deg. 53’, longitude 135 deg. 17’ W. In the evening, the calm was succeeded by a breeze from the N. and N.W., with which we plied to the N.

On the 29th I sent on board the Adventure to enquire into the state of her crew, having heard that they were sickly; and this I now found was but too true.  Her cook was dead, and about twenty of her best men were down in the scurvy and flux.  At this time we had only three men on the sick list, and only one of them attacked with the scurvy.  Several more, however, began to shew symptoms of it, and were accordingly put upon the wort, marmalade of carrots, rob of lemons and oranges.