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Towards New Holland.]

see them further south. The spouting of a whale was occasionally perceived, and became more frequent on approaching the island; the number of small blue petrels was also increased, and a few Cape hens then made their appearance.

At five in the evening of the 24th, the mean variation from three compasses on the binnacle, was observed to be 23° 7′ west, with the ship's head E.S.E., or 20° 4′ true. Our latitude was then 38° 20′ south, longitude 76° 26′ east; and at eleven at night, having nearly reached the longitude of Amsterdam, whose situation I wished to compare with the time keepers, we hove to, in a parallel between it and the island St. Paul. At five next morning, we steered southward to make Amsterdam; but having reached its latitude, and no land being visible, our eastwardly course was resumed. The weather was thick, so that objects could not be distinguished beyond five or six miles; and at noon the ship was found to have been set 23′ of longitude to the east of what the log gave. From these joint causes it must have been that Amsterdam was not perceived, if its situation of 38° 43′ south and 77° 40′ east, as made in His Majesty's ship Providence, in 1792, were rightly ascertained.

In passages like this, when fortunately made, it is seldom that any circumstance occurs, of sufficient interest to be related. Our employments were to clean, dry, and air the ship below; and the seamen's clothes and bedding, with the sails, upon deck. These, with the exercise of the great guns and small arms, were our principal employments in fine weather; and when otherwise, we were wet and uncomfortable, and could do little. It was a great satisfaction that frequent pumping of the ship was not now required, the greatest quantity of water admitted during this passage being less than two inches an hour. The antiseptics issued were sour krout and vinegar, to the extent of the applications for them; and at half an hour before noon every day, a pint of strong wort, made by pouring boiling water upon the essence of malt, was given to each man,