Feb 7, 1792 Home Providence Log Feb 9, 1792
Revised Aug 26 2021
1 pm: Fresh Gales and Cloudy Weather & much haze
3 pm: In 3rd. Reef of the Top Sails. —
5 pm: Let fresh Water into the Ship and worked the pumps as usual.—
8 pm: Moderate and Cloudy, some light Rain
11 pm: Out 3rd. Reefs
12 mid: Drizling Rain
3 am: Fresh Breezes and very hazy.—
4 am: Saw Van diemans land and at ¾ past 5 it bore from North to N70°E —
6 am: at 6 hour 24′ Longitude taken. SW Cape N5°E 10 or 11 Miles Westermost Land NNW Mewstone N85°E —
7 am: At 7 hour 27′ Longitude taken Mewstone N70°E 11 Miles South Cape N65E SW Cape N29W distant about 5 Leagues bore up to go without the Mewstone.
12 noon: Moderate and fair Weather Mewstone W3°W 6 or 7 Leagues, Coxcomb Hill N23°W, South Cape N35°E 7 Miles, Tasmans Head N53½E, and Swilly Isle S65°E 2 or 3 Leauges, 12 Miles measured Distance. —
At Sun rise in the Morning, as I expected, we saw the Coast of Van Diemans Land. I made it to the Westward of the SW Cape where I passed within 4 Leagues of the Shore. The Weather was thick and hazy, I could nevertheless observe that there was scarce any Wood about the Coast, which altho very hilly and in some parts Mountainous, appeared formed of immense Masses of Rocks, of which the SW Cape seemed to be as peculiarly formed as Fluted Cape.
As we came nearer the Islands within the Mewstone, the Country began to look better, and I saw several large Smokes on the Main. I steered without the Mewstone, from whence to the Eastward the Country begins to be cloathed with Wood. Any further remarks here would be but a repetition of my account in my last Voyage, to which I refer for a particular description of this Coast.
Our passage to this Place has been attended with a great share of good health. The Wind has only been variable between the North and South by the West always fair, and attended with no Fogs or thick Weather of any consequence. My Track has been as direct as possible, and untill I came abreast of Lions Land or SW point of New Holland, I was not so far to the South as 39°..48′ South, or so far South as St. Pauls before I made it.
The greatest Variation that I observed was 30°..09′W in 37°..35′S & 37°..59′E it continued to decrease untill in the Latitude 43°..45′South, Longitude 137°..14′ East, when it was 0°..14′E. In 43°..28′ South, 132°..55′ East it was 3°..27′ West, hence by proportion I find that in 43°..44′ South 136°..01′ East is the point of no Variation; but as the Time Keeper Errors on arrival in Adventure Bay was found to be 21 Miles of Longitude too far to the East, the True Longituede becomes 135°..43′E in Latitude 43°..44′S, for the Point of no Variation, about 170 Leagues West of Van Diemans Land.
In the Bounty, August 1788 I found the Point of no Variation in Latitude 44°..09′S and Longitude 131°..49′E, which is 3°..54′ farther to the West; but the observations in Adventure Bay show no material change, it is nevertheless clear from a general view of the two Tracks, that the point of no Variation is shifted to the Eastward, and of course the Westerly Variation increasing and Easterly decreasing in the Sea.— (a)
The mean of the Time Keepers by help of my Map make the Longitude of Pengwin Island 147°..54′ East whereas I consider its true Longitude 147°..33′..29″ East, but the Mean of X Time Keeper and No. 160 the best Watches give 147°..35′ East.
(a) Should this be the case the greatest Easterly Variation can be nearly ascertained that has affected the Magnetic Needle in this place, for in 1777 when I was here with Captain Cook it was found to be 5°..53′ East.
Feb 7, 1792 Home Providence Log Feb 9, 1792