Fortunately, we met no more; but shortly afterwards the weather became overcast, and we did not see the sun for several days; when we obtained a meridian altitude, it placed us a degree and a half to the southward of our reckoning, thereby shewing that a current runs in that direction[1].
On the 30th we saw the Island of Diego Ramirez; After passing Cape Horn, we were baffled with light northerly winds for several days, experiencing at the same time a north-easterly current.
On the 26th of June, in latitude 29° 34', and in longitude 15° 54', we got the S.E. trade. On the 9th of July we crossed the equator, in longitude 21° 41'. On the 20th, we got the N.E. trade; and after a protracted, but not otherwise disagreeable passage, the good ship Surry, notwithstanding the unfavourable surmises, anchored in safety in the Downs, on August 2d, at two P. M., without the aid of a pilot, as it blew such a heavy gale, that none dared to venture on board.
- ↑ It has often astonished me, that navigators do not make more use of the moon. In none of the popular works on navigation (Kerrigan's excepted), is there any problem given to find the apparent time by the altitude of the moon—a simple problem, exceedingly useful on many occasions (more particularly in high latitudes during the winter season) and now rendered more easy, by the right ascension of the moon being calculated for every three hours, in the Nautical Almanack.
off, while the broken ice retarded her progress considerably. We then stood off till daylight, when we observed a great number of icebergs around us in every direction. We sailed through them, during six days, lying-to every night, until we reached 118° west longitude. Since this period, icebergs have constantly been met with during the winter season—generally from 130° to 110° west; and I have, therefore, no doubt, that a large extent of undiscovered land exists to the southward.
