se
pretty fast, until we were as far to the eastward as 39 deg. 00'
east, where we found it 31 deg. 00' west; from that longitude to
54 deg. 30' east, it increased very slowly to 32 deg. 00' west,
which was the highest we had; during all that time we were in the
parallels of 40 deg. 00' and 41 deg. 00' south.

We saw many whales, of a very large size, during this part of
our passage, but very few birds. On the 16th, we saw a quantity
of sea weed, which I suppose might have come from the island of
Saint Paul, as we were now near its meridian, and not more than
60 leagues from it. We had at present every prospect of an
excellent passage to Van Diemen's Land: for although the wind
sometimes shifted to the north-east, it seldom continued more
than a few hours; then backed round again to north-west and
south-west, between which quarters it seemed to blow as a trade
wind; from north-north-east to the westward, and round to
south-south-west are in general its limits: we had frequently
hazy weather, but not so thick as to be called foggy; the wind in
general very fresh.

Whenever there was an appearance of hazy weather coming on,
the signal to close was always made, and the convoy kept in as
close order as possible, to prevent those ships which sailed
heavy from the risk of being separated from the Sirius. On the
20th, the wind increased and was steady between west-north-west
and south-west; we seldom sailed less than 50 leagues in the 24
hours, and frequently more. With the north-west winds we
generally had foul weather, but whenever the wind changed to the
south-west quarter, it cleared up and became pleasant. It seems
to be exactly the reverse of the effects produced by those winds
in the northern hemisphere, where it is well known to seamen,
that southerly and south-west winds are generally attended with
hazy and foul weather, often accompanied with strong gales; it
was exactly so here with the wind from the north-west. We knew by
experience, when in the open ocean at a distance from land, in
either hemisphere, that the winds which blow from those quarters
of the compass next to the elevated pole, are generally dry and
clear, and from the opposite, generally wet and hazy.

On the 1st of January we had a very heavy gale of wind from
north-north-west to west-north-west, attended with frequent and
very violent squalls or gusts, and hazy weather; the convoy in
general were brought under a reefed fore top-sail, and the Sir