[4] “We had already had several
false alarms from the fallacious conformation
of fog-banks, or that of islands of ice half hid in
snow storms, and our consort the Adventure had
repeatedly made the signals for seeing land, deceived
by such appearances: but now, the imagination
warmed with the idea of M. Bouvet’s discovery,
one of our lieutenants, after having repeatedly
been up to the mast-head, (about six o’clock
in the morning on the 14th,) acquainted the captain
that he plainly saw the land. This news brought
us all upon deck: We saw an immense field
of flat ice before us, broken into many small pieces
on the edges, a vast number of islands of ice
of all shapes and sizes rose beyond it as far
as the eye could reach, and some of the most distant
considerably raised by the hazy vapours which lay on
the horizon, had indeed some appearance of mountains.
Several of our officers persisted in the opinion
that they had seen land here, till Captain Cook,
about two years and two months afterwards, (in February
1775,) on his course from Cape Horn towards the
Cape of Good Hope, sailed over the same spot,
where they had supposed it to lie, and found neither
land nor even ice there at that time.”—G.F.
[5] “While we were doing
this, so thick a fog came on, that it was
with the utmost difficulty,
and after some considerable time, that we
found the ships again.”—W.
“Their situation in a small four-oared
boat, on an immense ocean, far from any habitable
shore, surrounded with ice, and utterly destitute
of provisions, was truly terrifying and horrible
in its consequences. They rowed about for
some time, making vain efforts to be heard, but all
was silent about them, and they could not see the length
of their boat. They were the more unfortunate,
as they had neither mast nor sail, and only two
oars. In this dreadful suspence they determined
to lie still, hoping that, provided they preserved
their place, the sloops would not drive out of
sight, as it was calm. At last they heard
the jingling of a bell at a distance; this sound was
heavenly music to their ears; they immediately
rowed towards it, and by continual hailing, were
at last answered from the Adventure, and hurried
on board, overjoyed to have escaped the danger of perishing
by slow degrees, through the inclemencies of weather
and through famine. Having been on board
some time, they fired a gun, and being within hail
of the Resolution, returned on board of that sloop
to their own damp beds and mouldering cabins,
upon which they now set a double value: after
so perilous an expedition.”—G.F.
[6] “The encomiums on the efficacy
of malt cannot be exaggerated, and this useful
remedy ought never to be forgotten on board of ships
bound on long voyages; nor can we bestow too much
care to prevent its becoming damp and mouldy,
by which means its salutary qualities are impaired,
as we experienced during the latter part of our voyage.”—
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