We continued standing to the eastward till eight o’clock in the morning of the 21st; when, being in the latitude of 53 deg. 50’, and longitude 29 deg. 24’ E., we hauled to the south, with the wind at west, a fresh gale and hazy, with snow.  In the evening the wind fell and the weather cleared up, so as that we could see a few leagues round us; being in the latitude of 54 deg. 43’ S. longitude 29 deg. 30’ E.

At ten o’clock, seeing many islands of ice a-head, and the weather coming on foggy, with snow, we wore and stood to the northward, till three in the morning, when we stood again to the south.  At eight, the weather cleared up, and the wind came to W.S.W., with which we made all the sail we could to the south; having never less than ten or twelve islands of ice in sight.

Next day we had the wind at S.W. and S.S.W., a gentle gale, with now and then showers of snow and hail.  In the morning, being in the latitude of 55 deg. 20’ S., and longitude 31 deg. 30’ E., we hoisted out a boat to see if there was any current, but found none.  Mr Forster, who went in the boat, shot some of the small grey birds before-mentioned, which were of the peterel tribe, and about the size of a small pigeon.  Their back, and upper side of their wings, their feet and bills, are of a blue-grey colour.  Their bellies, and under side of their wings are white, a little tinged with blue.  The upper side of their quill feathers is a dark-blue tinged with black.  A streak is formed by feathers nearly of this colour, along the upper parts of the wings, and crossing the back a little above the tail.  The end of the tail feathers is also of the same colour.  Their bills are much broader than any I have seen of the same tribe; and their tongues are remarkably broad.  These blue peterels, as I shall call them, are seen no where but in the southern hemisphere, from about the latitude of 28 deg., and upwards.  Thermometer at 33 deg. in the open air, and 32 deg. in the sea at the surface, and at 34-1/2 when drawn, and 6-1/2 minutes in drawing up from 100 fathoms below it, where it had been sixteen minutes.

On the 24th, the wind blew from N.W. to N.E., a gentle gale, fair and cloudy.  At noon we were by observation, in the latitude of 56 deg. 31’ S, and longitude 31 deg. 19’ E., the thermometer at 35.  And being near an island of ice, which was about fifty feet high, and 400 fathoms in circuit, I sent the master in the jolly-boat to see if any water run from it.  He soon returned with an account that there was not one drop, or any other appearance of thaw.  In the evening we sailed through several floats, or fields of loose ice, lying in the direction of S.E. and N.W.; at the same time we had continually several islands of the same composition in sight.