In the afternoon, the leach-rope of the Resolution's fore top-sail gave way, and split the sail. As this accident had often happened to us in Captain Cook's life-time, he had ordered the foot and leach ropes of the topsails to be taken out, and larger fixed in their stead; and as these also proved unequal to the strain that was on them, it is evident, that the proper proportion of strength between those ropes and the sail is exceedingly miscalculated in our service. This day a land-bird perched on the rigging, and was taken; it was larger than a sparrow, but, in other respects, very like one.
The gale now abated gradually; so that, in the morning of the 22d, we let out the reefs of the topsails, and made more sail. At noon, we were in latitude 40° 58', and longitude 148° 17', the variation 3° E. In the afternoon, another little wanderer from the land pitched on the ship, and was so worn out with fatigue, that it suffered itself to be taken immediately, and died a few hours afterward. It was not bigger than a wren, had a tuft of yellow feathers on its head, and the rest of its plumage like that of the linnet. The sparrow, being stronger, lived a long time. These birds plainly indicating, that we could not be at any great distance from the land, and the wind, after varying a little, fixing in the evening at N., our hopes of making the land again revived, and we hauled up to the W.N.W., in which direction, the southernmost islands seen by Spanberg, and said to be inhabited by hairy men, lay at the distance of about fifty leagues. But the wind not keeping pace with our wishes, blew in such light airs, that we made little way, till eight next morning, when we had a fresh breeze from the S.S.W., with which we continued to steer W.N.W. till the evening. At noon, we were in latitude 40° 35', longitude 146° 45'; the latter deduced from several lunar observations taken during the night. The variation of the needle we found to be 17' E. In the evening, we had strong squally gales attended with rain, and having passed, in the course of the day, several patches of green grass, and seen a shag, many small land- birds, and flocks of gulls, it was not thought prudent, with all these signs of the vicinity of land, to stand on during the whole night. We therefore tacked at midnight, and steered a few hours to the S.E., and, at four in the morning of the 24th, again directed our course to the W.N.W., and carried a press of sail till seven in the evening, when the wind shifted from S.S.W. to N., and blew a fresh gale. At this time we were in the latitude of 40° 57', and the longitude of 145° 20'.