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.
and snow, till six in the evening, when the wind veered to N.W., and we tacked and stood to the eastward, meeting with many islands of ice of different magnitudes, and some loose pieces:  The thermometer from 30 to 34; weather very hazy, with sleet and snow, and more sensibly colder than the thermometer seemed to point out, insomuch that the whole crew complained.  In order to enable them to support this weather the better, I caused the sleeves of their jackets (which were so short as to expose their arms) to be lengthened with baize; and had a cap made for each man of the same stuff, together with canvas; which proved of great service to them.

Some of our people appearing to have symptoms of the scurvy, the surgeons began to give them fresh wort every day, made from the malt we had on board for that purpose.  One man in particular was highly scorbutic; and yet he had been taking the rob of lemon and orange for some time, without being benefited thereby.  On the other hand, Captain Furneaux told me, that he had two men, who, though far gone in this disease, were now in a manner entirely cured by it.

We continued standing to the eastward till eight o’clock in the morning of the 21st; when, being in the latitude of 53 deg. 50’, and longitude 29 deg. 24’ E., we hauled to the south, with the wind at west, a fresh gale and hazy, with snow.  In the evening the wind fell and the weather cleared up, so as that we could see a few leagues round us; being in the latitude of 54 deg. 43’ S. longitude 29 deg. 30’ E.

At ten o’clock, seeing many islands of ice a-head, and the weather coming on foggy, with snow, we wore and stood to the northward, till three in the morning, when we stood again to the south.  At eight, the weather cleared up, and the wind came to W.S.W., with which we made all the sail we could to the south; having never less than ten or twelve islands of ice in sight.

Next day we had the wind at S.W. and S.S.W., a gentle gale, with now and then showers of snow and hail.  In the morning, being in the latitude of 55 deg. 20’ S., and longitude 31 deg. 30’ E., we hoisted out a boat to see if there was any current, but found none.  Mr Forster, who went in the boat, shot some of the small grey birds before-mentioned, which were of the peterel tribe, and about the size of a small pigeon.  Their back, and upper side of their wings, their feet and bills, are of a blue-grey colour.  Their bellies, and under side of their wings are white, a little tinged with blue.  The upper side of their quill feathers is a dark-blue tinged with black.  A streak is formed by feathers nearly of this colour, along the upper parts of the wings, and crossing the back a little above the tail.  The end of the tail feathers is also of the same colour.  Their bills are much broader than any I have seen of the same tribe; and their tongues are remarkably broad.  These blue peterels, as I shall call them, are seen no where but in the southern hemisphere, from about the latitude of 28 deg., and upwards.  Thermometer at 33 deg. in the open air, and 32 deg. in the sea at the surface, and at 34-1/2 when drawn, and 6-1/2 minutes in drawing up from 100 fathoms below it, where it had been sixteen minutes.

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