On the 23d, at noon, we were in the latitude of 62 deg. 22’ S., longitude 110 deg. 24’.  In the afternoon, we passed an ice island.  The wind, which blew fresh, continued to veer to the west; and at eight o’clock the next morning it was to the north of west, when I steered S. by W. and S.S.W.  At this time we were in the latitude of 63 deg. 20’ S., longitude 108 deg. 7’ W., and had a great sea from S.W.  We continued this course till noon the next day, the 25th, when we steered due south.  Our latitude, at this time, was 65 deg. 24’ S., longitude 109 deg. 31’ W.; the wind was at north; the weather mild and not unpleasant; and not a bit of ice in view.  This we thought a little extraordinary, as it was but a month before, and not quite two hundred leagues to the east, that we were in a manner blocked up with large islands of ice in this very latitude.  Saw a single pintadoe peterel, some blue peterels, and a few brown albatrosses.  In the evening, being under the same meridian, and in the latitude of 65 deg. 44’ S., the variation was 19 deg. 27’ E.; but the next morning, in the latitude of 66 deg. 20’ S., longitude the same as before, it was only 18 deg. 20’ E.; probably the mean between the two is the nearest the truth.  At this time, we had nine small islands in sight; and soon after we came, the third time, within the antartic polar circle, in the longitude of 109 deg. 31’ W. About noon, seeing the appearance of land to the S.E., we immediately trimmed our sails and stood towards it.  Soon after it disappeared, but we did not give it up till eight o’clock the next morning, when we were well assured that it was nothing but clouds, or a fog bank; and then we resumed our course to the south, with a gentle breeze at N.E., attended with a thick fog, snow, and sleet.

We now began to meet with ice islands more frequently than before; and, in the latitude of 69 deg. 38’ S., longitude 108 deg. 12’ W., we fell in with a field of loose ice.  As we began to be in want of water, I hoisted out two boats and took up as much as yielded about ten tons.  This was cold work, but it was now familiar to us.  As soon as we had done, we hoisted in the boats, and afterwards made short boards over that part of the sea we had in some measure made ourselves acquainted with.  For we had now so thick a fog, that we could not see two hundred yards round us; and as we knew not the extent of the loose ice, I durst not steer to the south till we had clear weather.  Thus we spent the night, or rather that part of twenty-four hours which answered to night; for we had no darkness but what was occasioned by fogs.

At four o’clock in the morning of the 29th, the fog began to clear away; and the day becoming clear and serene, we again steered to the south with a gentle gale at N.E. and N.N.E.  The variation was found to be 22 deg. 41’ E. This was in the latitude of 69 deg. 45’ S., longitude 108 deg. 5’ W.; and, in the afternoon, being in the same longitude, and in the latitude of 70 deg. 23’