ice-blink to the eastward appeared to give us warning; but in this we were mistaken, it proved to be only a fog-bank.
Jan 17.During the afternoon an unusual degree of refraction was remarked to the south-westward, which had the effect of bringing, at times, clearly into view land we had not before seen, and then again removing it from our sight. This land having been thus discovered at a distance of more than one hundred miles on the birth-day of a lady to whom I was then attached, and whom I have now the happiness of calling my wife, I gave her name to the extreme southern point—Cape Anne; and the land afterwards proving to be an island, was named Coulman Island, after her father, Thomas Coulman, Esq., of Whitgift Hall, Goole. The northern point of the island was named Cape Wadworth, in compliment to her uncle, Robert John Coulman, Esq., of Wadworth Hall, Doncaster; a spot of many happy associations.
Jan. 18.Moderate breeze from the S.W. and fine weather: we stood away to the S.S.E. on the starboard tack until we lost sight of the land, at a great distance from us; but we were sailing in an unexplored space, perfectly free from either bergs or loose ice. A few whales, penguins, cape-pigeons, and stormy petrel were our only companions. We were also increasing our southing, and at noon were in 72° 57′ S. long., 176° 6′ E. At 1 p.m., having run three miles S.S.E, we hove to, and obtained soundings in two hundred and thirty fathoms. Small stones