This page has already been transcribed. You can find new pages to transcribe here.

Transcription

[Page 9]

5.
August 1769.   in search of the Southern Continent

Some sea weed was also seen to pass by the ship but as it was a very small peice our hopes are not very sanguine on that head  The thermometer today 52. which pinches us much who are so lately come from a countrey where it was seldom less than 80. - a swell from SW - 
[Margin note] Weed

31. Blows fresh this morn with a good deal of sea about 7 in the morn   a heap of sea weed passd the ship
an immence quantity of birds are about her today  Albatrosses of both kinds which are easily distinguishd one from the other by their beaks which in one is white in the other black   also large black shearwaters and a smaller sort with grey backs  Pintados; but above all many millions I may safely say of the small bird mentiond yesterday about as large as a dove  greyish on the back  some with a dark colourd line mark going in a crooked direction on that and their its wings  I try'd today to catch some of these numerous attendants with a hook but after the whole morning spent in the atempt caught only one Pintado which provd to be Procellaria capensis of Linnaeus

1. Blows very fresh with a heavy sea  the ship was very troublesome all last night and is not less so today   many birds are about but not so many as yesterday  there are however all the sorts

2. Wind still fresher, ship lays too  bird of all the sorts before mentiond in great numbers round

Current Status: 
Completed