Next day towards noon, the wind abating, we loosed all the reefs out of the top-sails, rigged another top-gallant mast, and got the yards across. P.M. little wind, and hazy weather; at midnight calm, that continued till noon the next day, when a breeze sprung up at east, with which we stretched to the northward. At this time we were in the latitude 55° 32' S., longitude 128° 45' W.; some albatrosses and peterels seen. At eight, p.m., the wind veering to N.E., we tacked and stood to E.S.E.
On the 1st of December, thick hazy weather, with drizzling rain, and a moderate breeze of wind, which, at three o'clock p.m. fell to a calm; at this time in latitude 55° 41' S., longitude 127° 5' W. After four hours calm, the fog cleared away, and we got a wind at S.E. with which we stood N.E.
Next day, a fresh breeze at S.E. and hazy foggy weather, except a few hours in the morning, when we found the variation to be 1° 28' E. Latitude 55° 17', longitude 125° 41' W. The variation after this was supposed to increase; for on the 4th, in the morning, being in latitude 53° 31', longitude 121° 31' W., it was 3° 16' E.; in the evening, in latitude 53° 13', longitude 119° 46' W., it was 3° 28' E.; and on the 5th, at six o'clock in the evening, in latitude 53° 8', longitude 115° 58' W., it was 4° 1' E.
For more than twenty-four hours, having had a fine gale at south, this enabled us to steer east, with very little deviation to the north; and the wind now altering to S.W. and blowing a steady fresh breeze, we continued to steer east, inclining a little to south.
On the 6th, had some snow-showers. In the evening, being in latitude 53° 13', longitude 111° 12', the variation was 4° 58' E.; and the next morning, being in latitude 58° 16', longitude 109° 33', it was 5° 1' E.
The wind was now at west, a fine pleasant gale, sometimes with showers of rain. Nothing remarkable happened, till the 9th, at noon, when being in the latitude of 53° 37', longitude 103° 44' W., the wind veered to N.E., and afterwards came insensibly round to the south, by the E. and S.E., attended with cloudy hazy weather, and some showers of rain.
On the 10th, a little before noon, latitude 54°, longitude 102° 7' west, passed a small bed of sea-weed. In the afternoon the wind veered to S.W., blew a fresh gale, attended with dark cloudy weather. We steered east half a point north; and the next day, at six in the evening, being in latitude 53° 35', longitude 95° 52' west, the variation was 9° 58' east. Many and various sorts of albatrosses about the ship.