James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 143

Remarkable Occurrences.  South Seas                   

The first.p.t strong Gales & Squally. remainder a fresh breeze & settled weather at 1. PM was obliged to take in the Topsails, but set them again at 4: at 11AM saw a Bird something like a Snipe only it had a short bill, it had the appearance of a land bird. Several Albetrosses. Pintado birds & Sheer Waters about the Ship, & a Number of Doves of these we have seen more or less ever since the 31st of last Month the day we first saw them    
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Mod.te breezes & Settled wea.r saw a dark brown bird as big as ea Raven-it is a Sea Fowl & are seen in great Numbers about the Faulklands Islands as I am told, we likewise saw several Peices of Sea Weed-
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Little Wind in the day time & Calm in the Night at 8 AM Sounded no ground with 120 fathm of line saw an Emmence number of Birds the most of them were Doves, saw likewise a Seal aSleep upon the Water which we at first took for a Crooked billet, these creatures as they lay upon the Water hold their fins up in a very odd manner & very differant to any I have seen before, we generally reckon that seals never go out of Soundings or far from Land but the few we have seen in this Sea's is certainly an exception to that rule, however one would think that we were not far from some land from the Peices of Rock weed we see daily floating upon the Water. Today we took up a small Peice of Stick but to all appearance it had been a long time at Sea ~
The observ'd Latitude is considerable to the Northw.d of that given by the Log in so much that I think there must be some Current setting from the Southward~
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Little wind. at 3 PM hoisted out a Boat to try the Current but found none, saw several Grampusses. AM had a Boat in the Water & Mr Banks shot an Albetross which measurd 10 feet 8 Inches from the tip of wing to the other he likewise shott 2 birds that were very much like Ducks excepting their head & Bill their Plumage were dark brown, we first saw some of these birds in the Lat.de of 40° Sº. after our first coming into those Seas~
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Little wind & sometimes Calm AM Var.n p Azm.th 13°:22' E.t saw some fish like a Ship Jack & a small sort that appeared very Transparent, took up a very small peice of wood with Barnacles upon it, a proof that it hath been sometime at Sea, some very large Albetrosses ab.t the Ship & other birds: the obs.d Lat.de is 10 Miles to the Northw.d of that given by the Log & it was the same yesterday which I think is a Proof that there must be a Current setting to the Northw.d notwithstanding we did not find any when we try'd it~
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Gentle breezes & Cloudy wea.r PM Variat.n p Azm.th 12°:48'E.t sounded twice but found no ground with 120 fa.m of line saw some rock weed but not in such Plenty as of late