At half an hour past six next morning, as we were standing N.N.E. with the wind at west, the fog very fortunately clearing away a little, we discovered land ahead, three or four miles distant.  On this we hauled the wind to the north; but finding we could not weather the land on this tack, we soon after tacked in one hundred and seventy-five fathoms water, three miles from the shore, and about half a league from some breakers.  The weather then cleared up a little more, and gave us a tolerably good sight of the land.  That which we had fallen in with proved three rocky islets of considerable height.  The outermost terminated in a lofty peak like a sugar-loaf, and obtained the name of Freezeland Peak, after the man who first discovered it.  Latitude 59 deg.  S., longitude 27 deg.  W. Behind this peak, that is to the east of it, appeared an elevated coast, whose lofty snow-clad summits were seen above the clouds.  It extended from N. by E. to E.S.E., and I called it Cape Bristol, in honour of the noble family of Hervey.  At the same time another elevated coast appeared in sight, bearing S.W. by S., and at noon it extended from S.E. to S.S.W., from four to eight leagues distant; at this time the observed latitude was 59 deg. 13’ 30” S., longitude 27 deg. 45’ W. I called this land Southern Thule, because it is the most southern land that has ever yet been discovered.  It shews a surface of vast height, and is every where covered with snow.  Some thought they saw land in the space between Thule and Cape Bristol.  It is more than probable that these two lands are connected, and that this space is a deep bay, which I called Forster’s Bay.

At one o’clock, finding that we could not weather Thule, we tacked and stood to the north, and at four, Freezeland Peak bore east, distant three or four leagues.  Soon after, it fell little wind, and we were left to the mercy of a great westerly swell, which set right upon the shore.  We sounded, but a line of two hundred fathoms found no bottom.

At eight o’clock, the weather, which had been very hazy, clearing up, we saw Cape Bristol bearing E.S.E., and terminating in a point to the north, beyond which we could see no land.  This discovery relieved us from the fear of being carried by the swell on the most horrible coast in the world, and we continued to stand to the north all night, with a light breeze at west.

On the 1st of February, at four o’clock in the morning, we got sight of a new coast, which at six o’clock bore N. 60 deg. east.  It proved a high promontory, which I named Cape Montagu, situated in latitude 58 deg. 27’ S., longitude 26 deg. 44’ west, and seven or eight leagues to the north of Cape Bristol.  We saw land from space to space between them, which made me conclude that the whole was connected.  I was sorry I could not determine this with greater certainty; but prudence would not permit me to venture near a coast, subject to thick fogs, on which there was no anchorage; where every port was blocked or filled up with ice; and the whole country, from the summits of the mountains, down to the very brink of the cliffs which terminate the coast, covered, many fathoms thick, with everlasting snow.  The cliffs alone was all which was to be seen like land.