Wednesday, 4th. First part, genteel breeze and Clear; latter, fresh gales, with heavy squalls of wind and rain, which brought us under our courses and main topsails close reefed. Soon after noon saw the appearance of Land to the Eastward, and being in the Latitude of Peypes Island, as it is lay'd down in some Charts, imagined it might be it.* (*Pepys' Island, placed on charts, from a report by Captain Cowley in 1683, about 230 miles north of Falkland Islands, and long imagined to exist. It was eventually recognised, after the discovery of Cowley's manuscript Journal, that Cowley had sighted the Falklands.) Bore down to be Certain, and at 1/2 past 2 p.m. discovered our Mistake, and hauld the Wind again. At 6 sounded, and had 72 fathoms black sand and mud. Variation 19 degrees 45 minutes East. Wind West-North-West to South-West by South; course South 30 degrees East; distance 76 miles; latitude 48 degrees 28 minutes South, longitude 60 degrees 51 minutes West.
Joseph Banks Journal
Blew fresh today and night: the officer of the watch told me that in the night the sea was very much illuminated in patches of many Yards wide which appeard of a pale light colour.
Sydney Parkinson’s Journal
Saw a cloud which we took for Pepy's Island, and made toward it till we were convinced of our mistake. The air at this time was cold and dry, and we had frequent squalls of wind.
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