On the 11th, having by signal brought the store-ship under our stern, I sent the carpenter, with proper assistants, on board to stop the leak; but they found that very little could be done:  We then completed our provisions, and those of the Swallow, from her stores, and put on board her all our staves, iron hoops, and empty oil jars.  The next day I sent a carpenter and six seamen to relieve the men that had been sent to assist her on the 27th of October, who, by this time, began to suffer much by their fatigue.  Several of her crew having the appearance of the scurvy, I sent the surgeon on board her with some medicines for the sick.  This day, having seen some albatrosses, turtles, and weeds, we sounded, but had no ground with 180 fathom.

On the 12th, being now in latitude 30 south, we began to find it very cold; we therefore got up our quarter cloths, and fitted them to their proper places, and the seamen put on their thick jackets.  This day we saw a turtle, and several albatrosses, but still had no ground with 180 fathom.  We continued to see weeds and birds on board the ship, but had no ground till the 18th, when we found a soft muddy bottom at the depth of fifty-four fathom.  We were now in lat. 35 deg. 40’ S. long. 49 deg. 54’ W.; and this was the first sounding we had after our coming upon the coast of Brazil.

On the 19th, about eight o’clock in the evening, we saw a meteor of a very extraordinary appearance in the north-east, which, soon after we had observed it, flew off in a horizontal line to the south-west, with amazing rapidity:  It was near a minute in its progress, and it left a train of light behind it so strong, that the deck was not less illuminated than at noon-day.  This day we saw a great number of seals about the ship, and had soundings at fifty-five fathom, with a muddy bottom.  The next day the seals continued, and we had soundings at fifty-three fathom, with a dark-coloured sand; upon which we bent our cables.

On the 21st we had no ground with 150 fathom.  Our lat. at noon was 37 deg. 40’ S. long 51 deg. 24’ W.

On the 22d we had soundings again at seventy fathom, with a dark brown sand, and saw many whales and seals about the ship, with a great number of butterflies, and birds, among which were snipes and plovers.  Our lat. at noon was 38 deg. 55’ long. 56 deg. 47’ W.

Our soundings continued from forty to seventy fathom, till the eighth of December, when, about six o’clock in the morning, we saw land bearing from S.W. to W. by S. and appearing like many small islands.  At noon it bore from W. by S. to S.S.W. distant eight leagues; our latitude then being 47 deg. 16’ S. long. 64 deg. 58’ W. About three o’clock Cape Blanco bore W.N.W. distant six leagues, and a remarkable double saddle W.S.W. distant about three leagues.  We had now soundings from twenty to sixteen fathom, sometimes with coarse sand and gravel, sometimes with small black stones and shells.  At eight in the evening the Tower rock at Port Desire bore S.W. by W. distant about three leagues; and the extremes of the land from S. by E. to N.W. by N. At nine, Penguin Island bore S.W. by W. 1/2 W. distant two leagues; and at four o’clock in the morning of the ninth, the land seen from the mast-head bore from S.W. to W. by N.