At six o’clock in the evening, being in latitude 56 deg. 9’ S., I now made signal to the Adventure to come under my stern; and at eight o’clock the next morning sent her to look out on my starboard beam, having at this time a fresh gale at west and pretty clear weather.  But this was not of long duration; for, at two in the afternoon, the sky became cloudy and hazy, the wind increased to a fresh gale, blew in squalls attended with snow, sleet, and drizzling rain.  I now made signal to the Adventure to come under my stern, and took another reef in each top-sail.  At eight o’clock I hauled up the main-sail, and run all night under the foresail, and two top-sails; our course being N.N.E. and N.E. by N., with a strong gale at N.W.

The 29th, at noon, we observed in latitude 52 deg. 29’ S., the weather being fair and tolerably clear.  But in the afternoon, it again became very thick and hazy with rain; and the gale increased in such a manner as to oblige us to strike top-gallant yards, close-reef and hand the top-sails.  We spent part of the night, which was very dark and stormy, in making a tack to the S.W., and in the morning of the 30th, stood again to the N.E., wind at N.W. and N., a very fresh gale; which split several of our small sails.  This day no ice was seen, probably owing to the thick hazy weather.  At eight o’clock in the evening we tacked and stood to the westward, under our courses; but as the sea run high, we made our course no better than S.S.W.

At four o’clock the next morning, the gale had a little abated; and the wind had backed to W. by S. We again stood to the northward, under courses and double-reefed top-sails, having a very high sea from the N.N.W., which gave us but little hopes of finding the land we were in search of.  At noon we were in the latitude of 50 deg. 56’ S., longitude 56 deg. 48’ E., and presently after we saw two islands of ice.  One of these we passed very near, and found that it was breaking or falling to pieces, by the cracking noise it made; which was equal to the report of a four-pounder.  There was a good deal of loose ice about it; and had the weather been favourable, I should have brought-to, and taken some up.  After passing this, we saw no more, till we returned again to the south.

1773 February

Hazy gloomy weather continued, and the wind remained invariably fixed at N.W., so that we could make our course no better than N.E. by N., and this course we held till four o’clock in the afternoon of the first of February.  Being then in the latitude of 48 deg. 30’, and longitude 58 deg. 7’ E., nearly in the meridian of the island of Mauritius, and where we were to expect to find the land said to be discovered by the French, of which at this time we saw not the least signs, we bore away east.