We were now in the latitude of 59° 17ʹ south, longitude 140° 12ʹ east, and had such a large hollow swell from W. S. W. as assured us that we had left no land behind us in that direction. I was also well assured that no land lay to the south on this side 60° of latitude. We had a smart frost during the night, which was curiously illuminated with the southern lights. At ten o’clock in the morning of the 16th, (which was as soon as the sun appeared,) in the latitude of 58° 51ʹ south, our longitude was 143° 10ʹ east. This good weather was, as usual, of short duration. In the afternoon of this day, we had again thick snow showers; but at intervals it was tolerably clear; and in the evening, being in the latitude of 58° 58ʹ south, longitude 144° 37ʹ east, I found the variation by several azimuths, to be 31ʹ east. I was not a little pleased with being able to determine with so much precision, this point of the line, in which the compass has no variation. For I look upon half a degree as next to nothing; so that the intersection of the latitude and longitude just mentioned, may be reckoned the point, without any sensible error. At any rate the line can only pass a very small matter west of it. I continued to steer to the east, inclining to the south, with a fresh gale at S. W. till five o’clock the next morning, when, being in the latitude of 59° 7ʹ S. longitude 146° 53ʹ E. I bore away N. E. and at noon north, having come to a resolution to quit the high southern latitudes, and to proceed to New Zealand, to look for the Adventure, and to refresh my people. I had also some thoughts, and even a desire, to visit the east coast of Van Diemen’s Land, in order to satisfy myself if it joined the coast of New South Wales. In the night of the 17th, the wind shifted to N. W. and blew in squalls, attended with thick hazy weather and rain. This continued all the 18th, in the evening of which day, being in the latitude of 56° 15ʹ S. longitude 150°, the sky cleared up, and we found the variation by several azimuths to be 13° 30ʹ E. Soon after, we hauled up with the log a piece of rock-weed, which was in a state of decay, and covered with barnacles. In the night the southern lights were very bright. The next morning we saw a seal, and towards noon some penguins, and more rock-weed, being at this time in the latitude of 55° 1ʹ, longitude 152° 1ʹ E. In the latitude of 54° 4ʹ, we also saw a Port-Egmont hen, and some weed. Navigators have generally looked upon all these to be certain signs of the vicinity of land; I cannot, however, support this opinion. At this time we knew of no land, nor is it even probable that there is any, nearer than New Holland, or Van Diemen’s Land, from which we were distant 260 leagues. We had, at the same time, several porpuses playing about us; into one of which Mr. Cooper struck a harpoon; but, as the ship was running seven knots, it broke its hold, after towing it some minutes, and before we could deaden the ship’s way.