A General History & Collection of Voyages and Travels ... - Nauticus

It is a general opinion, that the ice I have been speaking of, is formed in bays and rivers. Under thissupposition we were led to believe that land was not far distant; and that it even lay to the southwardbehind the ice, which alone hindered us from approaching to it. Therefore, as we had now sailed abovethirty leagues along the edge of the ice, without finding a passage to the south, I determined to run thirty orforty leagues to the east, afterwards endeavour to get to the southward, and, if I met with no land, or otherimpediment, to get behind the ice, and put the matter out of all manner of dispute. With this view, we keptstanding to the N.W., with the wind at N.E. and N., thick foggy weather, with sleet and snow, till six in theevening, when the wind veered to N.W., and we tacked and stood to the eastward, meeting with manyislands of ice of different magnitudes, and some loose pieces: The thermometer from 30 to 34; weathervery 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, Icaused the sleeves of their jackets (which were so short as to expose their arms) to be lengthened withbaize; and had a cap made for each man of the same stuff, together with canvas; which proved of greatservice to them.Some of our people appearing to have symptoms of the scurvy, the surgeons began to give them fresh wortevery day, made from the malt we had on board for that purpose. One man in particular was highlyscorbutic; and yet he had been taking the rob of lemon and orange for some time, without being benefitedthereby. On the other hand, Captain Furneaux told me, that he had two men, who, though far gone in thisdisease, were now in a manner entirely cured by it.[6][6] "The encomiums on the efficacy of malt cannot be exaggerated, and this useful remedy oughtnever to be forgotten on board of ships bound on long voyages; nor can we bestow too much care toprevent its becoming damp and mouldy, by which means its salutary qualities are impaired, as weexperienced during the latter part of our voyage."-- G.F.We continued standing to the eastward till eight o'clock in the morning of the 21st; when, being inthe latitude of 53° 50', and longitude 29° 24' E., we hauled to the south, with the wind at west, afresh gale and hazy, with snow. In the evening the wind fell and the weather cleared up, so as thatwe could see a few leagues round us; being in the latitude of 54° 43' S. longitude 29° 30' E.At ten o'clock, seeing many islands of ice a-head, and the weather coming on foggy, with snow, wewore and stood to the northward, till three in the morning, when we stood again to the south. Ateight, the weather cleared up, and the wind came to W.S.W., with which we made all the sail wecould 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 snowand hail. In the morning, being in the latitude of 55° 20' S., and longitude 31° 30' E., we hoisted outa boat to see if there was any current, but found none. Mr Forster, who went in the boat, shot someof the small grey birds before-mentioned, which were of the peterel tribe, and about the size of asmall pigeon. Their back, and upper side of their wings, their feet and bills, are of a blue-greycolour. Their bellies, and under side of their wings are white, a little tinged with blue. The upper sideof their quill feathers is a dark-blue tinged with black. A streak is formed by feathers nearly of thiscolour, along the upper parts of the wings, and crossing the back a little above the tail. The end ofthe tail feathers is also of the same colour. Their bills are much broader than any I have seen of thesame tribe; and their tongues are remarkably broad. These blue peterels, as I shall call them, are seenno where but in the southern hemisphere, from about the latitude of 28°, and upwards. Thermometerat 33° in the open air, and 32° in the sea at the surface, and at 34-1/2 when drawn, and 6-1/2 minutesin drawing up from 100 fathoms below it, where it had been sixteen minutes.