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[Page 19]

15.
Octr. 1769   in Search of the Southern Continent

3. Calm almost this morn   about 5 a sudden squall came on with such violence that the officer of the watch was obligd to settle the topsails  it did not however last above 5 minutes  this we look upon as a sure sign of land as such squalls are rarely (if ever) met with at any considerable distance from it   I go in the boat & kill Procellaria Capensis  longipeslatirostris  in the course of the day several peices of sea weed are taken up of species very new & one peice of wood coverd with Striated Barnacles Lepas Anserina?

Now do I wish that our freinds in England could by the assistance of some magical spying glass take a peep at our situation   Dr Solander setts at the Cabbin table describing  myself at my Bureau Journalizing, between us on hangs a large bunch of sea weed   upon the table lays the wood & barnacles  they would see that notwisthstanding our different occupations our lips move very often & without being conjurors might guess that we were talking about what we should see upon the land which there is now no doubt we shall see very soon

4. Several small peices of sea weed are seen today but no heaps   weather pleasant   breeze rather of the gentlest  towards evening we were entertaind by a large shoal of Porpoises like those of the 30th of last

 

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