I now steered north, inclining to the east, and in the evening we were overtaken with a furious storm at W.S.W., attended with snow and sleet.  It came so suddenly upon us, that before we could take in our sails, two old top-sails, which we had bent to the yards, were blown to pieces, and the other sails much damaged.  The gale lasted, without the least intermission, till the next morning, when it began to abate; it continued, however, to blow very fresh till noon on the 12th, when it ended in a calm.

At this time we were in the latitude of 50 deg. 14’ S., longitude 95 deg. 18’ W. Some birds being about the ship, we took the advantage of the calm to put a boat in the water, and shot several birds, on which we feasted the next day.  One of these birds was of that sort which has been so often mentioned in this journal under the name of Port Egmont hens.  They are of the gull kind, about the size of a raven, with a dark-brown plumage, except the under-side of each wing, where there are some white feathers.  The rest of the birds were albatrosses and sheer-waters.

After a few hours calm, having got a breeze at N.W., we made a stretch to the S.W. for twenty-four hours; in which route we saw a piece of wood, a bunch of weed, and a diving peterel.  The wind having veered more to the west, made us tack and stretch to the north till noon on the 14th, at which time we were in the latitude of 49 deg. 32’ S., longitude 95 deg. 11’ W. We had now calms and light breezes, succeeding each other, till the next morning, when the wind freshened at W.N.W., and was attended with a thick fog and drizzling rain the three following days, during which time we stretched to the north, inclining to the east, and crossed my track to Otaheite in 1769.  I did intend to have kept more to the west, but the strong winds from that direction put it out of my power.

On the 18th, the wind veered to S.W., and blew very fresh, but was attended with clear weather, which gave us an opportunity to ascertain our longitude by several lunar observations made by Messrs Wales, Clarke, Gilbert, and Smith.  The mean result of all, was 94 deg. 19’ 30” W.; Mr Kendal’s watch, at the same time, gave 94 deg. 46’ W.; our latitude was 43 deg. 53’ S. The wind continued not long at S.W. before it veered back to the west and W.N.W.

As we advanced to the north, we felt a most sensible change in the weather.  The 20th, at noon, we were in the latitude of 39 deg. 58’ S., longitude 94 deg. 37’ W. The day was clear and pleasant, and I may say, the only summer’s day we had had since we left New Zealand.  The mercury in the thermometer rose to 66.

We still continued to steer to the north, as the wind remained in the old quarter; and the next day, at noon, we were in the latitude 37 deg. 54’ S.; which was the same that Juan Fernandez’s discovery is said to lie in.  We, however, had not the least signs of any land lying in our neighbourhood.