[Footnote 14:  It may be worth while preserving here the remark made by Mr Wales.  When off, and in the neighbourhood of Georgia, the cold was much less severe when the wind blew from the south, than when it came from the north.  He assigns no reason for it, and perhaps the observations were too limited to place and time to justify any general inferences.  It may, however, be suggested, with little risk of error, that the northerly wind would be most loaded with moisture, hence the cloudy sort of weather noticed during its continuance; and that, on very well-ascertained principles, moisture is a considerable source of cold.—­E.]

The wind remained not long at south before it veered round by the N.E. to the N.W., blowing fresh and by squalls, attended, as before, with rain and thick misty weather.  We had some intervals of clear weather in the afternoon of the 3d, when we found the variation to be 22 deg. 26’ W.; latitude at this time 45 deg. 8’ S., longitude 30 deg. 50’ E. The following night was very stormy, the wind blew from S.W. and in excessively heavy squalls.  At short intervals between the squalls the wind would fall almost to a calm, and then come on again with such fury, that neither our sails nor rigging could withstand it, several of the sails being split, and a middle stay-sail being wholly lost.  The next morning the gale abated, and we repaired the damage we had sustained in the best manner we could.

On the 8th, being in the latitude of 41 deg. 30’ S., longitude 26 deg. 51’ E., the mercury in the thermometer rose to 61, and we found it necessary to put on lighter clothes.  As the wind continued invariably fixed between N.W. and W., we took every advantage to get to the west, by tacking whenever it shifted any thing in our favour; but as we had a great swell against us, our tacks were rather disadvantageous.  We daily saw albatrosses, peterels, and other oceanic birds; but not the least sign of land.

On the 11th, in the latitude of 40 deg. 40’ S., longitude 23 deg. 47’ E., the variation was 20 deg. 48’ W. About noon the same day the wind shifted suddenly from N.W. to S.W., caused the mercury in the thermometer to fall as suddenly from 62 deg. to 52 deg.; such was the different state of the air, between a northerly and southerly wind.  The next day, having several hours calm, we put a boat in the water, and shot some albatrosses and peterels, which, at this time, were highly acceptable.  We were now nearly in the situation where the isles which we were in search of, are said to lie; however, we saw nothing that could give us the least hope of finding them.