tinued cold, and the mercury in the thermometer rose only
one degree above the freezing point.

The clear weather gave Mr Wales an opportunity to get some observations of
the sun and moon. Their results reduced to noon, when the latitude was 58 deg.
22' S., gave us 136 deg. 22' E. longitude. Mr Kendal's watch at the same time
gave 134 deg. 42'; and that of Mr Arnold the same. This was the first and only
time they pointed out the same longitude since we left England. The
greatest difference, however, between them, since we left the Cape, had not
much exceeded two degrees.

The moderate, and I might almost say, pleasant weather, we had, at times,
for the last two or three days, made me wish I had been a few degrees of
latitude farther south; and even tempted me to incline our course that way.
But we soon had weather which convinced us that we were full far enough;
and that the time was approaching, when these seas were not to be navigated
without enduring intense cold; which, by the bye, we were pretty well used
to. In the afternoon, the serenity of the sky was presently obscured: The
wind veered round by the S.W. to W., and blew in hard squalls, attended
with thick and heavy showers of hail and snow, which continually covered
our decks, sails, and rigging, till five o'clock in the evening of the
15th. At this time, the wind abated, and shifted to S.E.; the sky cleared
up; and the evening was so serene and clear, that we could see many leagues
round us; the horizon being the only boundary to our sight.

We were now in the latitude of 59 deg. 17' S., longitude 140 deg. 12' E., and had
such a large hollow swell from W.S.W., as assured us that we had left no
land behind us in that direction. I was also well assured that no land lay
to the south on this side 60 deg. of latitude. We had a smart frost during the
night, which was curiously illuminated with the southern lights.

At ten o'clock in the morning of the 16th, (which was as soon as the sun
appeared,) in the latitude of 58 deg. 51' S., our longitude was 144 deg. 10' E.
This good weather was, as usual, of short duration. In the afternoon of
this day, we had again thick snow showers; but, at intervals, it was
tolerably clear; and, in the evening being in the latitude of 58 deg. 58' S.,
longitude 144 deg. 37' E., I found the variation by several azimuths to be 31'
E.

I was not a little pleased with being able to determine, with so much
precision, this point of the Line