1766. December.

word from another. When I again intimated that it was proper for him to go into the boat, he pointed to the fun, Wednef. 17 and then moving his hand round to the west, he paused, looked in my face, laughed, and pointed to the shore: by this it was easy to understand that he wished to stay on board till fun-fet, and I took no little pains to convince him that we could not stay so long upon that part of the coaft, before he could be prevailed upon to go into the boat; at length however he went over the fhip's fide with his companion, and when the boat put off they all began to fing, and continued their merriment till they got on fhore. When they landed, great numbers of thofe on fhore preffed eagerly to get into the boat; but the officer on board, having positive orders to bring none of them off, prevented them, though not without great difficulty, and apparently to their extream mortification and disappointment.

When the boat returned on board, I fent her off again with the mafter, to found the fhoal that runs off from the point: he found it about three miles broad from north to fouth, and that to avoid it, it was neceffary to keep four in twelve or thirteen fathom water.

miles off the Cape,

CHAP.

159

CHA P. II.

The Paffage through the Streight of Magellan, with fome further Account of the Patagonians, and a Defcription of the Coaft on each Side, and its Inhabitants.

A

BOUT one o'clock, on Wednesday the 17th of Decem

1766.

ber, I made the signal and weighed, ordering the December. Swallow to go a-head, and the ftore-fhip to bring up the Wednef. 17. rear. The wind was right against us, and blew fresh, so that we were obliged to turn into the Streight of Magellan with the flood-tide, between Cape Virgin Mary and the Sandy Point that resembles Dungeness. When we got a-breast of this Point, we ftood clofe into the fhore, where we faw two guanicoes, and many of the natives on horseback, who feemed to be in pursuit of them: when the horsemen came near, they ran up the country at a great rate, and were purfued by the hunters, with their flings in their hands ready for the caft; but neither of them was taken while they were within the reach of our fight.

When we got about two leagues to the weft of Dungeness, and were ftanding off fhore, we fell in with a shoal upon which we had but seven fathom water at half flood: this obliged us to make short tacks, and keep continually heaving the lead. At half an hour after eight in the evening, we anchored about three miles from the fhore, in 20 fathom, with a muddy bottom: Cape Virgin Mary then bearing N. E. by E. E.; Point Poffeffion W. S. at the distance of about five leagues.

༧

2

About:

1766. December.

About half an hour after we had caft anchor, the natives made feveral large fires a-breast of the ship, and at break of Wednef. 17. day we saw about four hundred of them encamped in a fine

green valley, between two hills, with their horfes feeding Thursday 18. beside them. About fix o'clock in the morning, the tide

being done, we got again under fail: its courfe here is from caft to weft; it rifes and falls thirty feet, and its ftrength is equal to about three knots an hour. About noon there being little wind, and the ebb running with great force, the Swallow, who was a-head, made the fignal and came to an anchor; upon which I did the fame, and fo did the ftorefhip, that was a-stern.

As we faw great numbers of the natives on horseback a-breast of the ship, and as Captain Carteret informed me that this was the place where Commodore Byron had the conference with the tall men, I fent the Lieutenants of the Swallow and the ftore-fhip to the fhore, but with orders not to land, as the fhips were at too great a distance to protect them. When thefe gentlemen returned, they told me that the boat having lain upon her oars very near the beach, the natives came down in great numbers, whom they knew to be the fame perfons they had feen the day before, with many others, particularly women and children; that when they perceived our people had no defign to land, they seemed to be greatly disappointed, and those who had been on board the ship waded off to the boat, making signs for it to advance, and pronouncing the words they had been taught, Englishmen come on fhore," very loud, many times; that when they found they could not get the people to land, they would fain have got into the boat, and that it was with great difficulty they were prevented. That they presented them

with fome bread, tobacco, and a few toys, pointing at the fame time to fome guanicoes and oftriches, and making signs that they wanted them as provisions, but that they could not make themselves understood; that finding they could obtain no refreshment, they rowed along the shore in search of fresh water, but that feeing no appearance of a rivulet, they returned on board.

1766.

December.

At fix o'clock the next morning, we weighed, the Swallow Friday 19. being ftill a-head, and at noon we anchored in Poffeffion bay, having twelve fathom, with a clean fandy bottom. Point Poffeffion at this time bore caft, diftant three leagues; the Affes Ears weft, and the entrance of the Narrows S. W. W.; the bottom of the bay, which was the nearest land to the fhip, was diftant about three miles. We faw a great number of Indians upon the Point, and at night, large fires on the Terra del Fuego shore.

2

From this time, to the 22d, we had ftrong gales and heavy Monday 22. feas, fo that we got on but flowly; and we now anchored in

I

18 fathom, with a muddy bottom. The Affes Ears bore N. W. by W. W. Point Poffeffion N. E. by E. and the point of the Narrows, on the fouth fide, S. S. W. diftant between three and four leagues. In this fituation, our longitude, by obfervation, was 70° 20′ W. latitude 52° 30' S. The tide here fets S. E. by S. and N. E. by N. at the rate of about three knots an hour; the water rifes four and twenty feet, and at this time it was high water at four in the morning.

In the morning of the 23d, we made fail, turning to windward, but the tide was fo ftrong, that the Swallow was fet one way, the Dolphin another, and the ftore-ship a third : there was a fresh breeze, but not one of the veffels would anfwer her helm. We had various foundings, and faw the rippling in the middle ground: in thefe circumftances, VOL. I. fometimes

Y

Tuesday 23.

1766. December.

fometimes backing, fometimes filling, we entered the first Narrows. About fix o'clock in the evening, the tide being Tuesday 23. done, we anchored on the fouth fhore, in 40 fathom, with

a fandy bottom; the Swallow anchored on the north fhore, and the ftore-fhip not a cable's length from a fand bank, about two miles to the eastward. The ftreight here is only three miles wide, and at midnight, the tide being flack, we weighed and towed the ship through. A breeze fprung up Wednef. 21. foon afterwards, which continued till feven in the morning, and then died away. We fteered from the first Narrows to the fecond S. W. and had 19 fathom, with a muddy bottom. At eight we anchored two leagues from the fhore, in 24 fathom, Cape Gregory bearing W. N. and Sweepstakes Foreland S. W. W. The tide here ran feven knots an hour, and fuch res fometimes came down, with immenfe quantities. of weeds, that we expected every moment to be adrift.

Thursday 25.

1

2

The next day, being Christmas day, we failed through the fecond Narrows. In turning through this part of the Streight we had 12 fathom within half a mile of the shore on each side, and in the middle 17 fathom, 22 fathom, and no ground. At five o'clock in the evening, the ship fuddenly fhoaled from 17 fathom to 5, St. Bartholomew's ifland then bearing SW. diftant between three and four miles, and Elizabeth ifland S..S. W. W. diftant five or fix miles. About. half an hour after eight o'clock, the weather being rainy and tempefluous, we anchored under Elizabeth island in. 24 fathom, with hard gravelly ground. Upon this island. we found great quantities of celery, which, by the direction of the furgeon, was given to the people, with boiled wheat and portable foup, for breakfast every morning. Some of the officers who went afhore with their guns, faw two fmall dogs, and feveral places where fires had been recently 9 made,.