Remarkable Occurrences South Sea
Very strong Gales with heavy squalls of Wind hail & rain at 4 PM being in the Lat.de of 40:22So. & having not the least Vifsible signs of land we wore & brought too under the Foresail & reefs to the Mainsail & handed it I did intend to have stood to the Southward if the winds had been Moderate so long as they continued Westerly notwithstanding we had no prospect of meeting with land Rather than stand back to the Northward on the same Track as we came but as the weather was so very Tempestious I laid aside this design & thought it more advisable to stand to the Northward into better weather least we should receive such Damages in our Sails & Rigging as might hinder the further Prosecutions of the Voyage some Albetrofses Pintado birds & Doves about the Ship & a Bird larger than a Duck, his plumage of a Dark Brown with a Yellow beak. we saw of these Birds in our Pafsages to the Northward after doubling Cape Horn. at Noon the weather was more moderate set the Reef'd Mainsail a great Sea from the WSW.t
The fore & Middle parts fresh gales with hard Squalls. Latter more mod.te at 5AM loos'd the Reef out of the Mainsail & set the Tops.l double reefd. & before noon had all the Reefs out.
First & latter parts little wind & Cloudy. in the night Calm. very few Birds about the Ship
Fresh breezes & Cloudy wea.r at 2
PM saw a piece of rook Weed Variat.n of Azmth 7°0'Et.
Fresh Gales & Squally with rain. at Noon saw a Bird which was all white except the Tip of each Wing it was nearly as big as an Albetrofs. we saw 2 of these Birds in Lat.de 19° before we arrived at Georges Island~
Fresh Gales & hard squalls with rain at 9
PM saw something upon the Water which must either have been a Billet of Wood or a Seal, at Noon a hard gale & Squally which obliged us to take in the Topsails ~
PM. very strong Gales & Squally.
AM more mod.te set the Tops.ls at Noon the Observed Lat.de was 13 Miles to the North of the Log this I take to be owing to the great Sea we have had constantly of Late from the SW.t
Mod.te breezes & dark cloudy wea.r sometimes Hazey with Drizling Rain
Fresh breezes & Cloudy at 9
AM we thought the Colour of the Sea was Paler than Usual which occasioned us to sound but had no ground with 100 fa.
m~
Fresh breezes & for the most part thick hazey weather with rain ~
Fresh breezes & Cloudy a Swell from the SSW.t some Albetrofses & Pintado Birds about the Ship ~