A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 404 pages of information about A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 2.

A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 2 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 404 pages of information about A Voyage Towards the South Pole and Round the World Volume 2.

At day-break on the 16th we had no sight of the reef; and at eleven, a breeze springing up at S.S.W., we hoisted in the boats, and made sail to S.E.  At noon we observed in 19 deg. 35’ S., which was considerably more to the south than we expected, and shewed that a current or tide had been in our favour all night, and accounted for our getting so unexpectedly clear of the shoals.  At two o’clock p.m. we had again a calm which lasted till nine, when it was succeeded by a light air from E.N.E. and E., with which we advanced but slowly.

On the 17th at noon, we observed in latitude 19 deg. 54’, when the isle of Balabea bore S. 68 deg.  W., ten and a half leagues distant.  We continued to ply, with variable light winds, between N.E. and S.E., without meeting with any thing remarkable till the 20th at noon, when Cape Colnett bore N. 78 deg.  W., distant six leagues.  From this cape the land extended round by the south to E.S.E. till it was lost in the horizon, and the country appeared with many hills and vallies.  Latitude observed 20 deg. 41’, longitude made from Observatory Isle 1 deg. 8’ E. We stood in shore with a light breeze at east till sun-set, when we were between two and three leagues off.  The coast extended from S. 42 deg. 1/2 E. to N. 59 deg.  W. Two small islets lay without this last direction, distant from us four or five miles; some others lay between us and the shore, and to the east, where they seemed to be connected by reefs, in which appeared some openings from space to space.  The country was mountainous, and had much the same aspect as about Balade.  On one of the western small isles was an elevation like a tower; and over a low neck of land within the isle were seen many other elevations, resembling the masts of a fleet of ships.

Next day at sun-rise, after having stood off all night with a light breeze at S.E., we found ourselves about six leagues from the coast; and in this situation we were kept by a calm till ten in the evening, when we got a faint land-breeze at S.W., with which we steered S.E. all night.,

On the 22d at sun-rise the land was clouded, but it was not long before the clouds went off, and we found, by our land-marks, that we had made a good advance.  At ten o’clock, the land-breeze being succeeded by a sea-breeze at E. by S., this enabled us to stand in for the land, which at noon extended from N. 78 deg.  W. to S. 31 deg. 1/2 E., round by the S. In this last direction the coast seemed to trend more to the south in a lofty promontory, which, on account of the day, received the name of Cape Coronation.  Latitude 22 deg. 2’, longitude 167 deg. 7’ 1/2 E. Some breakers lay between us and the shore, and probably they were connected with those we had seen before.

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