On the 6th, had some snow-showers.  In the evening, being in latitude 53 deg. 13’, longitude 111 deg. 12’, the variation was 4 deg. 58’ E.; and the next morning, being in latitude 58 deg. 16’, longitude 109 deg. 33’, it was 5 deg. 1’ E.

The wind was now at west, a fine pleasant gale, sometimes with showers of rain.  Nothing remarkable happened, till the 9th, at noon, when being in the latitude of 53 deg. 37’, longitude 103 deg. 44’ W., the wind veered to N.E., and afterwards came insensibly round to the south, by the E. and S.E., attended with cloudy hazy weather, and some showers of rain.

On the 10th, a little before noon, latitude 54 deg., longitude 102 deg. 7’ west, passed a small bed of sea-weed.  In the afternoon the wind veered to S.W., blew a fresh gale, attended with dark cloudy weather.  We steered east half a point north; and the next day, at six in the evening, being in latitude 53 deg. 35’, longitude 95 deg. 52’ west, the variation was 9 deg. 58’ east.  Many and various sorts of albatrosses about the ship.

On the 12th, the wind veered to the west, N.W.; and in the evening to north; and, at last, left us to a calm; that continued till midnight, when we got a breeze at south; which, soon after, veering to, and fixing at, west, we steered east; and on the 14th, in the morning, found the variation to be 13 deg. 25’ east, latitude 53 deg. 25’, longitude 87 deg. 53’ west; and in the afternoon, being in the same latitude, and the longitude of 86 deg. 2’ west, it was 15 deg. 3’ east, and increased in such a manner, that on the 15th, in the latitude of 53 deg. 30’, longitude 82 deg. 23’ west, it was 17 deg. east; and the next evening, in the latitude of 53 deg. 25’, longitude 78 deg. 40’, it was 17 deg. 38’ east.  About this time, we saw a penguin and a piece of weed; and the next morning, a seal and some diving peterels.  For the three last days, the wind had been at west, a steady fresh gale, attended, now and then, with showers of rain or hail.

At six in the morning of the 17th, being nearly in the same latitude as above, and in the longitude of 77 deg. 10’ west, the variation was 18 deg. 33’ east; and in the afternoon it was 21 deg. 38, being at that time in latitude 53 deg. 16’ S., longitude 75 deg. 9’ west.  In the morning, as well as in the afternoon, I took some observations to determine the longitude by the watch; and the results, reduced to noon, gave 76 deg. 18’ 30” west.  At the same time, the longitude, by my reckoning, was 76 deg. 17’ west.  But I have reason to think, that we were about half a degree more to the west than either the one or the other; our latitude, at the same time, was 53 deg. 21’ S.

We steered E. by N. and E. 1/2 N. all this day, under all the sail we could carry, with a fine fresh gale at N.W. by W. in expectation of seeing the land before night; but not making it till ten o’clock, we took in the studding-sails, top-gallant sails, and a reef in each top-sail, and steered E.N.E., in order to make sure of falling in with Cape Deseada.