the
people to float a line with hooks baited to endeavour to catch them and
their attempts were successful. The method they used was to fasten the
bait a foot or two before the hook and, by giving the line a sudden jerk
when the bird was at the bait, it was hooked in the feet or body.

Sunday 6.

On the 6th the weather was moderate and continued so till the 9th with
the wind veering between the north-west and south-west; of which we were
able to take advantage.

Monday 7.

On the 7th observed the variation 27 degrees 9 minutes east; our latitude
60 degrees 24 minutes south and longitude 75 degrees 54 minutes west.

Wednesday 9.

On the 9th at noon we were in latitude 59 degrees 31 minutes south and
our longitude 76 degrees 58 minutes west, which is farther to the west
than we had yet been. The weather was now unfavourable again, blowing
strong from the westward with a high sea.

On the 10th we saw some fish which appeared spotted and about the size of
bonetos: these were the only fish we had seen in this high latitude.

Saturday 12.

The stormy weather continued with a great sea. The ship now began to
complain and required to be pumped every hour; which was no more than we
had reason to expect from such a continuance of gales of wind and high
seas. The decks also became so leaky that it was obliged to allot the
great cabin, of which I made little use except in fine weather, to those
people who had wet berths to hang their hammocks in, and by this means
the between decks was less crowded.

Every morning all the hammocks were taken down from where they hung, and
when the weather was too bad to keep them upon deck they were put in the
cabin; so that the between decks were cleaned daily and aired with fires
if the hatchways could not be opened. With all this bad weather we had
the additional mortification to find at the end of every day that we were
losing ground; for notwithstanding our utmost exertions and keeping on
the most advantageous tacks (which if the weather had been at all
moderate would have sufficiently answered our purpose) yet the greater
part of the time we were doing little better than drifting before the
wind.

Sunday 13.

Birds as usual were about the ship and some of them caught; and for the
first time since we left Staten Land we saw some whales. This morning,
owing to the violent motion of the ship, the cook fell and broke one of
his ribs, and another man, by a fall, dislocated his shou