Sunday 20.

The latitude at noon was 40 degrees 30 minutes south and longitude 60 degrees 7 minutes east.  We were at this time scudding under the fore-sail and close-reefed main-top-sail, the wind blowing strong from the west.  An hour after noon the gale increased and blew with so much violence that the ship was almost driven forecastle under before we could get the sails clewed up.  As soon as the sails were taken in we brought the ship to the wind, lowered the lower yards, and got the top-gallant-masts upon deck, which eased the ship very much.

Monday 21.

We remained lying to till eight the next morning when we bore away under a reefed fore-sail.  In the afternoon the sea ran so high that it became very unsafe to stand on:  we therefore brought to the wind again, and remained lying to all night without accident excepting that the man at the steerage was thrown over the wheel and much bruised.

Tuesday 22.

Towards noon the violence of the storm abated and we again bore away under the reefed fore-sail.  Our latitude at noon 38 degrees 49 minutes south:  in the afternoon saw some whales.

We continued running to the eastward in this parallel, it being my intention to make the island St. Paul.

Monday 28.

On Monday the 28th at six in the morning we saw the island bearing east by north 12 leagues distant:  between 10 and 11 o’clock we ran along the south side at about a league distant from the shore.  There was a verdure that covered the higher parts of the land, but I believe it was nothing more than moss which is commonly found on the tops of most rocky islands in these latitudes.  We saw several whales near the shore.  The extent of this island is five miles from east to west; and about two or three from north to south.  As we passed the east end we saw a remarkable high sugarloaf rock, abreast of which I have been informed is good anchorage in 23 fathoms, the east point bearing south-west by south by true compass.  I had this information from the captain of a Dutch packet in which I returned to Europe.  He likewise said there was good fresh water on the island and a hot spring which boiled fish in as great perfection as on a fire.  By his account the latitude which he observed in the road is 38 degrees 39 minutes south; and from the anchoring place the island of Amsterdam was in sight to the northward.  We had fair weather all the forenoon, but just at noon a squall came on which was unfavourable for our observation.  I had however two sets of double altitudes and a good altitude exactly at noon according to the timekeeper.  The result of these gave for the latitude of the centre of St. Paul 38 degrees 47 minutes south.  The longitude I make 77 degrees 39 minutes east.  The variation of the compass, taking the mean of what it was observed to be the day before we saw the island and the day after, is 19 degrees 30 minutes west.

At noon we were three leagues past the island.  We kept on towards the east-south-east, and for several days continued to see rock-weed, which is remarked to be generally the case after ships pass St. Paul’s; but to the westward of it very seldom any is seen.