14 knots upon a bowline with the yards braced sharp up is certainly wonderful work and scarcely to be believed if it were not satisfactorily proved by the observation of the sun at noon, from which it appears we have sailed 308 miles in last 24 hours with a current against us, which is always supposed on this coast to run about a knot an hour with the wind, making an average of 13 knots an hour, and while going at this extraordinary rate she is as dry as possible, seldom shipping a spoonful of water. During the greater part of yesterday the carpenter was employed on a stage below the fore chains, where he worked as easily as if it had been calm. =14th February.=—Lat. 31° 47′ S., long. 34° 54′ W. Wind N.E. Distance 93 miles. Began to run down our easting on a composite circle. =19th February.=—Lat. 41° 41′ S., long. 18° 45′ W. Wind N.W. Distance 310 miles. Ship running 13 and occasionally 15 knots. =20th February.=—Lat. 41° 5′ S., long. 16° 34′ W. Distance 155 miles. At midnight the wind suddenly flew round from N.E. to S.W. and blew a heavy gale. The change was so sudden that we were obliged to run before the wind for six hours to get the sails in, which was not done without some danger. After taking a reef in the fore and mizen topsails we hauled up again to E.S.E. The ship went very easy under the reduced sail and as dry as possible, though there was a heavy cross sea running. 10 a.m., more moderate, set mainsail and topgallant sails. Noon going 15 knots with royals set, yards slightly checked, going by the wind. =21st February.=—Lat. 42° 34′ S., long. 9° 10′ W. Wind South. Distance 342 miles. Ship going 15 and occasionally 16 knots with main skysail and fore topmast studding sail set, the yards slightly checked. =27th February.=—Lat. 46° 22′ S., long. 26° 15′ E. Wind west. Distance 390 miles. All night it blew a fresh gale with heavy squalls and occasional showers of hail and snow, the sea running high, ship running 16 and occasionally 18 knots. During six hours in the morning the ship logged 18 knots with royals, main skysail and topgallant studding sails set, the wind blowing a fresh gale from the westward. =28th February.=—Lat. 47° 24′ S., long. 33° 32′ E. Wind N.E. Distance 308 miles. At 2 o’clock it blew a hard gale with heavy showers of rain and hail. Obliged to keep the ship before the wind while shortening sail. By 7 p.m. sail was taken in and ship laid to under trysail and topmast staysail, to prevent her running too far south for fear of coming in contact with ice. =7th March.=—Lat. 50° S., long. 68° 44′ E. Wind S.W. Distance 280 miles. 10 a.m., sighted Kerguelen or Desolation Island, passing between Fortune Island and Round Island, small rocks about 20 miles off the mainland. 2 o’clock, abreast Cape St. George.