A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1.

A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 438 pages of information about A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1.

At nine in the morning on the 23d, the sky began to clear up, and the gale to abate, so that we could carry close-reefed top-sails.  At eleven o’clock we were close in with Cape Turnagain, when we tacked and stood off; at noon the said Cape bore west a little northerly, distant six or seven miles.  Latitude observed 41 deg. 30’ south.  Soon after, the wind falling almost to a calm, and flattering ourselves that it would be succeeded by one more favourable, we got up another top-gallant-mast, rigged top-gallant-yards, and loosed all the reefs out of the top-sails.  The event was not equal to our wishes.  The wind, indeed, came something more favourable, that is at W. by N., with which we stretched along shore to the southward; but it soon increased in such a manner, as to undo what we had but just done, and at last stripped us to our courses, and two close-reefed top-sails under which sails we continued all night.  About day-light, the next morning, the gale abating, we were again tempted to loose out the reefs, and rig top-gallant-yards, which proved all lost labour; for, by nine o’clock, we were reduced to the same sail as before.  Soon after, the Adventure joined us; and at noon Cape Palliser bore west, distant eight or nine leagues.  This Cape is the northern point of Eaheinomauwe.  We continued to stretch to the southward till midnight, when the wind abated and shifted to S.E.  Three hours after, it fell calm, during which we loosed the reefs out, with the vain hopes that the next wind which came would be favourable.  We were mistaken; the wind only took this short repose, in order to gain strength, and fall the heavier upon us.  For at five o’clock in the morning, being the 25th, a gale sprung up at N.W. with which we stretched to S.W.; Cape Palliser at this time bore N.N.W., distant eight or nine leagues.  The wind increased in such a manner, as obliged us to take in one reef after another; and, at last, it came on with such fury, as made it necessary to take in all our sails with the utmost expedition, and to lie-to under bare poles.  The sea rose in proportion with the wind; so that we had a terrible gale and a mountainous sea to encounter.  Thus after beating up against a hard gale for two days, and arriving just in sight of our port, we had the mortification to be driven off from the land by a furious storm.  Two favourable circumstances attended it, which gave us some consolation; it was fair over head, and we were not apprehensive of a lee-shore.

The storm continued all the day without the least intermission.  In the evening we bore down to look for the Adventure, she being out of sight to leeward, and after running the distance we supposed her to be off, brought to again without seeing her; it being so very hazy and thick in the horizon, that we could not see a mile round us, occasioned by the spray of the sea being lifted up to a great height by the force of the wind.  At midnight the gale abated; soon after fell little wind; and at last shifted

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A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World, Volume 1 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.