way, and split the sail. As this accident had often happened to us in
Captain Cook's life-time, he had ordered the foot and leach ropes of the
topsails to be taken out, and larger fixed in their stead; and as these
also proved unequal to the strain that was on them, it is evident, that the
proper proportion of strength between those ropes and the sail is
exceedingly miscalculated in our service. This day a land-bird perched on
the rigging, and was taken; it was larger than a sparrow, but, in other
respects, very like one.

The gale now abated gradually; so that, in the morning of the 22d, we let
out the reefs of the topsails, and made more sail. At noon, we were in
latitude 40° 58', and longitude 148° 17', the variation 3° E. In the
afternoon, another little wanderer from the land pitched on the ship, and
was so worn out with fatigue, that it suffered itself to be taken
immediately, and died a few hours afterward. It was not bigger than a wren,
had a tuft of yellow feathers on its head, and the rest of its plumage like
that of the linnet. The sparrow, being stronger, lived a long time. These
birds plainly indicating, that we could not be at any great distance from
the land, and the wind, after varying a little, fixing in the evening at
N., our hopes of making the land again revived, and we hauled up to the
W.N.W., in which direction, the southernmost islands seen by Spanberg, and
said to be inhabited by hairy men, lay at the distance of about fifty
leagues. But the wind not keeping pace with our wishes, blew in such light
airs, that we made little way, till eight next morning, when we had a fresh
breeze from the S.S.W., with which we continued to steer W.N.W. till the
evening. At noon, we were in latitude 40° 35', longitude 146° 45'; the
latter deduced from several lunar observations taken during the night. The
variation of the needle we found to be 17' E. In the evening, we had strong
squally gales attended with rain, and having passed, in the course of the
day, several patches of green grass, and seen a shag, many small land-