next at New Zealand, to recruit
our water, to take in wood, and to make hay for the cattle. Their
number, by this time, had been considerably diminished; two young bulls,
one of the heifers, two rams, and several of the goats, having of late
died, while we were employed in exploring this desolate coast.

The 31st in the morning, being the day after we stood out to sea, we had
several observations of the sun and moon. Their results gave the
longitude 72 deg. 33' 36" E. The timekeeper, in this situation, gave 72 deg. 38'
15". These observations were the more useful, as we had not been able to
get any for some time before, and they now served to assure us that no
material error had crept into the time-keeper.

On the 1st of January, being then in the latitude of 48 deg. 41' S.
longitude 76 deg. 50' E., the variation was 30 deg. 39' W.; and in the next day,
in the latitude of 48 deg. 22' S. longitude 80 deg. 22' E., it was 30 deg. 47' 18"
W. This was the greatest variation we found in this passage; for
afterward it began to decrease, but so slowly, that on the 3d, in the
evening, being then in the latitude of 48 deg. 16' S. longitude 85 deg. E., it
was 29 deg. 38' W.

Thus far we had fresh gales from the W. and S.W., and tolerably clear
weather. But now the wind veered to the N. where it continued eight
days, and was attended with a thick fog. During this time we ran above
300 leagues in the dark. Now and then the weather would clear up, and
give us a sight of the sun; but this happened very seldom, and was
always of short continuance. On the 7th I hoisted out a boat, and sent
an order to Captain Clerke, appointing Adventure Bay, in Van Diemen's
Land, as our place of rendezvous, in case of separation before we
arrived in the meridian of that land. But we were fortunate enough,
amidst all this foggy weather, by frequently firing guns as signals,
though we seldom saw each other, not to lose company.

On the 12th, being in the latitude of 48 deg. 40' S. longitude 110 deg. 26' E.
the northerly winds ended in a calm; which, after a few hours, was
succeeded by a wind from the southward. This, with rain, continued for
twenty-four hours, when it freshened, and veered to the W. and N.W., and
brought on fair and clear weather.

We continued our course to the eastward, without meeting with any thing
worthy of notice, till four o'clock in the morning of the 19th, when, in
a sudden squall of wind, though the Discovery received no d