unless we foon difcover fome certain figns of falling in with land, the captain determined to make this the limit of his voyage to the fouth. Indeed, it would not have been prudent to have fquandered away time in feeking farther to the fouth, when there was as great a probability of finding a large track of land near Cape Circumcifion. Befides, it was an irksome task to traverse in high fouthern latitudes, where nothing was to be discovered but ice.

At this time a long hollow fwell from the west, indicated, that no land was to be expected in fuch a direction and, upon the whole, we may venture to affert, that the extenfive coaft laid down by Mr. Dalrymple, and his Gulph of St. Sebaftian, do not exift. On the 28th, at eight o'clock, A. M. we flood to the caft, with a gentle breeze at north. The weather cleared away, and we perceived the fea ftrewed with large and fmali bodies of ice. Some whales, penguins, fnow petterels, and other birds were feen. We had now fun-fhine, but the air was cold. At noon, by observation, we were in 60 deg. 40 min. S. and in 29 deg. 23 min. W. longitude. At half paft two o'clock, having continued our courfe to the eaft, we fuddenly fell in with a vaft number of large ice-iflands, and a fea ftrewed with loose ice, and the weather becoming hazy, made it dangerous to ftand in among them. We therefore tacked, and flood back to the weft, with the wind at north. We were now furrounded with ice-iflands, all nearly of an equal hight, with a flat furface, but of various

extent.

On Sunday the 19th, having little wind, we were obliged to traverse in such courfes, as were most likely to carry us clear of them, fo that we hardly made any progrefs, one way or other, throughout, the whole day. The weather was fair, but remark

ably

ably gloomy, and we were vifited by penguins and whales in abundance. On the 30th, we tacked and ftood to the N. E. and almoft throughout the day it was foggy, with either fleet or fnow. At noon we were in latitude 59 deg. 30. min. S. and in 29 deg. 24 min. W. At two o'clock, paffed one of the largest ice islands we had feen during our voyage; and fometime after two smaller ones. On the gift, we difcovered land a-head, diftand about one league. This land confifted of three rockey iflots of confiderable height. The out moft terminated in a lofty peak, like a fugar-loaf, to which we gave the name of Freezland Peak, after the man who firft difcovered it. The latitude is 59 deg. S. and 27 deg. W. longitude. To the eaft of this peak, was feen an elevated coaft, whose snow-caped fummits were above the clouds. We named it Cape Bristol, in honour of the noble family of Hervey. Alfo in latitude 59 deg. 13 min. 30 fec. S. and in 27 deg. 45 min. W. another elevated coaft appeared in fight, diftant from four to eight leagues. This land we called Southern Thule, becaufe the moft fouthern that has yet been difcovered. Its furface rifes high, and is every where covered with fnow. There were thofe of our company, who thought they faw land in the fpace between Thule and Cape Briftol. We judged it more than probable that these two lands are connected, and the space is a deep bay, which, though these are mere fuppofitions, was called Forfter's Bay. Being not able to weather Southern Thule, we tacked and flood to the north, at one o'clock, and at four Freezland Peak was diftant four leagues. Soon after the wind fell, and we were left to the mercy of a great wefterly fwell, which fet right upon the fhore; but at eight o'clock, the weather clearing up, we faw Cape Briftol, which bore

E. S. E. ending in a point to the north, beyond which we could fee no land. Thus we were relieved from the fear of being caft away by the fwell, and caft on the most horrible coaft in the world. We continued our course to the north all night, with a light breeze at weft.

On Wednesday the firft of February, at four o'clock in the morning, we had a view of a new coaft. At fix it bore north 60 deg. E. and being a high promontory, we named it Cape Montague. It is fituated in latitude 58 deg. 37 min. S. and in 26 deg. 44 min. W. longitude; eight leagues to the north of Bristol. We faw land in feveral places between them, whence we concluded the whole might be connected. We wish it had been in our power to have determined this with greater certainty, but prudence would not permit the attempt, nor to venture near a coaft, the dangers of which have been already fufficently pointed out. One ice-illand, among many others on this coaft, particularly attracted our notice. It was level in furface, of great extent both in height and circuit, and its fides were perpendicular, on which the waves of the fea had not made the leaft impreffion. We thought it might have come out from fome bay on the coaft. At noon by observation we found our latitude to be 58 deg. 25 min. In the afternoon, at two o'clock, when ftanding to the north we saw land, which bore north 25 deg. E. It extended from north 40 deg. to 52 deg. E. and it was imagined more land lay beyond it to the east.

On the 2d, at fix o'clock A. M. having fteered to north during the night, land was difcovered, bearing north 12 deg. E. diftant 10 leagues. We faw two hummocks just above the horizon, of which we foon loft fight. We now ftood, having a fresh breeze at

N.

N. N. E. for the northernmoft land we had feen the preceding day, which, at this time, bore E. S. E. By ten o'clock we fatched in with it; but not having it in our power to weather the fame, we tacked at three miles from the coaft. This extended from E. by S. to S. E. and appeared to be an island of about 10 leagues circuit. The furface was high, and its fummit loft in the clouds. Like all the neighbouring lands, it was covered with a fheet of fnow and ice, except on a point on the north fide, and on two hills seen over it, which probably were two iflands. These were not only clear of fnow, but seemed covered with green turf. We faw alfo large iceiflands to the fouth, and others to the N. E. At noon we tacked for the land again, in order, if poffible, to determine whether it was an ifland; but a thick fog foon prevented the difcovery, by making it unfafe to ftand for the fhore; fo that having returned, we tacked and flood to N. W. to make the land we had seen in the morning. We left the other under the fuppofition of its being an island, and named it Saunders ifle, after Capt. Cook's honourable friend Sir Charles Saunders. It lies in latitude 57 deg. 49 min. S. and in 26 deg. 44 min. W. longitude, diftant 13 leagues from Cape Montague. The wind having shifted at fix o'clock, we flood to the north; and at eight we faw Saunders Island, extending from S. E. by S. to E. S. E. We were fill in doubt if it were an ifland, and could not at this time clear it up, as we found it neceffary to take a view of the land to the north, before we proceeded any further to the east. With this intent we ftood to the north, and on the 3d, at two o'clock A. M. we came in fight of the land we were fearching after, which proved to be two ifles. On account of the day on which they were discovered, we called them Candlemas

Pp

dlemas Ifles. They lie in latitude 57 deg. 11 min., S. and in 27 deg. 6 min. W. longitude. Between these we observed a small rock; there may perhaps be others; for the weather being hazy, occafioned us to lofe fight of the islands, and we did not fee them again till noon, at which time they were three or four leagues off. We now ftood to the N. E. and at midnight came fuddenly into water uncommonly white, at which appearance the officer on watch was fo much alarmed, that he immediately ordered the fhip to put about, and we accordingly tacked inftantly. There were various opinions a board concerning this matter; probably it might be a fhoal of fish; but some said it was a fhoal of ice; and others thought it was fhallow water.

On Sunday the 4th, at noon by obfervation we found ourselves in latitude 56 deg. 44 min. S. and in longitude 25 deg. 33 min. W. We now having a breeze at eaft, ftood to the fouth, intending to regain the coaft we had loft; but the wind at eight o'clock in the evening, obliged us to ftand to the east, in which run we faw many ice-iflands and fome loofe ice. As the formation of ice-iflands has not been fully inveftigated, we will here offer a few hints and obfervations refpecting them.

We do not think as fome others do, that they are formed by the water at the mouths of great cataracts or large rivers, which, when accumulated, break off, owing to their ponderous weight; becaufe we never found any of the ice, which we took up, in the leaft incorporated, or connected with the earth, which muft neceffarily adhere to it, were this conjecture true. Furthermore, we are not certain whether there are any rivers in thefe countries, as we faw neither rivers nor ftreams of fresh water there The ice-iflands at least in those parts, muft be formed

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