us, that, when our latitude was 59 deg. 44’, our longitude was 121 deg. 9’.  At three o’clock in the afternoon, the calm was succeeded by a breeze at S.E.  The sky, at the same time, was suddenly obscured, and seemed to presage an approaching storm, which accordingly happened.  For, in the evening, the wind shifted to south, blew in squalls, attended with sleet and rain, and a prodigious high sea.  Having nothing to take care of but ourselves, we kept two or three points from the wind, and run at a good rate to the E.N.E. under our two courses, and close-reefed topsails.

The gale continued till the evening of the 10th.  Then it abated; the wind shifted to the westward; and we had fair weather, and but little wind, during the night; attended with a sharp frost.  The next morning, being in the latitude of 57 deg. 56’, longitude 130 deg., the wind shifted to N.E., and blew a fresh gale, with which we stood S.E., having frequent showers of snow and sleet, and a long hollow swell from S.S.E. and S.E. by S. This swell did not go down till two days after the wind which raised it had not only ceased to blow, but had shifted, and blown fresh at opposite points, good part of the time.  Whoever attentively considers this, must conclude, that there can be no land to the south, but what must be at a great distance.

Notwithstanding so little was to be expected in that quarter, we continued to stand to the south till three o’clock in the morning of the 12th, when we were stopped by a calm; being then in the latitude of 58 deg. 56’ S., longitude 131 deg. 26’ E. After a few hours calm, a breeze sprung up at west, with which we steered east.  The S.S.E. swell having gone down, was succeeded by another from N.W. by W. The weather continued mild all this day, and the mercury rose to 39-1/2.  In the evening it fell calm, and continued so till three o’clock in the morning of the 13th, when we got the wind at E. and S.E., a fresh breeze attended with snow and sleet.  In the afternoon it became fair, and the wind veered round to the S. and S.S.W.  In the evening, being in the latitude of 58 deg. 59’, longitude 134 deg., the weather was so clear in the horizon, that we could see many leagues round us.  We had but little wind during the night, some showers of snow, and a very sharp frost.  As the day broke, the wind freshened at S.E. and S.S.E.; and soon after, the sky cleared up, and the weather became clear and serene; but the air continued cold, and the mercury in the thermometer rose only one degree above the freezing point.

The clear weather gave Mr Wales an opportunity to get some observations of the sun and moon.  Their results reduced to noon, when the latitude was 58 deg. 22’ S., gave us 136 deg. 22’ E. longitude.  Mr Kendal’s watch at the same time gave 134 deg. 42’; and that of Mr Arnold the same.  This was the first and only time they pointed out the same longitude since we left England.  The greatest difference, however, between them, since we left the Cape, had not much exceeded two degrees.