Page:Captain Cook's Journal during His First Voyage Round the World.djvu/113

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Jan. 1769.]
Off Cape Horn.
45

the Isle of Diego Ramirez. It lays in the Latitude of 56° 38′ S. and Long. 68° 47′ W. from Greenwich.[1] Found the Variation this Evening to be 22° E. A.M. had 3 sets of Observations of the sun and moon, which gave the Longitude 69° 7′ 15″ W. The Longitude of the Ship at Noon by the Observation is 69° 24′, from which take 1° 48′, the longitude made from Cape Horn, the remainder is 67° 36′, the Longitude of the Cape, which is 52′ less than the result of Yesterday's Observations.[2] This difference may arise partly from the Observations and partly from the Ship's runs; the mean of the 2 gives 68° 2′ and 68° 24′, the Longitude of the Cape from the Observations taken at Strait Maire 136° 26′/2=68° 13′ W. from Greenwich. The Longitude of Cape Horn being deduced from no less than 24 Observations taken at no very great distance from the Cape, and on both sides of it, and when the Sun was both to the East and West of the Moon; for in this case the Errors arising from the Observations are most likely to Correct one another. Wind, N. and W. by N. to N.W. by W.; course, S. 39° W.; distance, 80 miles; lat. 58° 4′ S., long. 70° 1′ W.

Sunday, 29th.—First and Latter parts, fresh Gales and Squally, with flying Showers of rain and Hail; the Middle, strong Gales with heavy Squalls and showers of rain. At 8 p.m. took 2nd Reef Topsails, at 6 a.m. Close reefd the Foretopsails and took in the Mizen Topsl, and at 10 set it again and let the reef out of the Fore top-sails. Wind, W. Northerly; course S.W.; distance, 79 miles; lat. 59° 0′ S., long. 72° 48′ W.

Monday, 30th.—Fore part, fresh Gales and Squally with Hail and rain, remainder moderate and Cloudy. At 6 a.m. loosed the 2nd reef out of the Topsails and set Top-gallant Sails. At 11 Long. per 3 sets of Observations of the sun and moon, 1st set 73° 38′ 15″; second set 73° 25′ 45″; and 3rd, 73° 19′ 30″; the mean of the whole is 73° 27′ 50″ W., and 35′ less than the Longitude by Dead reckoning, which is only 6 Leagues in this Latitude, and therefore not worth taking notice of. Latitude per Observation 60° 4′ S. Wind W. by N. and W.N.W.; course, S. 33° W.; distance, 76 miles; lat. 60° 4′ S., long. 74° 10′ W.

Tuesday, 31st.—First part moderate and Cloudy, with some rain; in the night, little wind and Calm; towards Noon, fresh Gales and Cloudy. Between 7 and 8 p.m., being then in the Lat. of 60° 10′, which was the farthest south we were, and in the Long. of 74° 30′ found the Variation of the Compass by the mean of Azimuth to be 27° 9′ E. At 3 a.m. wind at E.S.E., and Moderate breeze. Set the Steeringsails, and soon after 2 Birds like Penguins were seen by the Mate of the Watch. Wind W.N.W., calm, E.S.E.,

  1. Diego Ramirez is in 56° 31′ S., 68° 43′ W.
  2. This was the best observation.