a harbour; and about three or four miles to the 1765. January. fouthward of the fouth point of it, at the distance of about four miles from the main, fome rocks Monday 28, appear above the water, upon which the fea breaks very high, there being here a great fwell from the fouthward. When we were abreast of thefe breakers, we steered S. W. by S. about two leagues, when the southermoft land in fight, which I took to be the southermoft part of Falkland's Islands, bore W. S. W. diftant five leagues. The coaft now began to be very dangerous, there being, in all directions, rocks and breakers at a great dif tance from the fhore. The country alfo inland had a more rude and defolate appearance; the high ground, as far as we could fee, being all barren, craggy rocks, very much refembling that part of Terra del Fuego which lies near Cape Horn. As the fea now rofe every moment, I was afraid of being caught here upon a lee-fhore, in which cafe there would have been very little chance of my getting off, and therefore I tacked, and stood to the northward; the latitude of the fouthermoft point in fight being about 52° 3' S. As we had now run no less than feventy leagues along the coaft of this ifland, it must certainly be of very confiderable extent. It has been faid by fome former navigators to be about two hundred miles in circumference, but I made no doubt of its being nearer feven. Having hauled the wind, I ftood to the northward about noon; the entrance of Berkeley's Sound at three o'clock bore S. W. by W. diftant about fix leagues. At eight in the evening, the wind shifting to the S. W. we ftood to the weftward.

1765. February.

as

The Paffage through the Streight of Magellan s far as Cape Monday, with a Defcription of feveral Bays and Harbours, formed by the Coaft on each Side.

W

E continued to make fail for Port Defire till Wednesday the 6th of February, Wednef. 6. when about one o'clock in the afternoon we saw land, and ftood in for the Port. During the run from Falkland's Islands to this place, the number of whales about the fhip was fo great as to render the navigation dangerous; we were very near ftriking upon one, and another blew the water in upon the quarter-deck: they were much larger than any we had seen. As we were standing in for Port Defire, we saw the Florida, a store-ship that we expected from England; and at four we came to an anchor off the harbour's mouth.

Thurfd. 7.

The next morning, Mr. Dean, the master of the ftore-ship, came on board; and finding from his report that his foremaft was fprung, and his fhip little better than a wreck, I determined to go into the harbour, and try to unload her there, although the narrowness of the place, and the rapidity of the tides, render it a very dangerous fituation. We got in in the evening, but it blowing very hard in the night, both the Tamar and the storefhip made fignals of diftrefs; I immediately fent

my

my boats to their affiftance, who found that, not- 1765. February. withstanding they were moored, they had been driven up the harbour, and were in the greatest Thursd. 7. danger of being on fhore. They were brought back, not without great difficulty, and the very next night they drove again, and were again faved by the fame efforts, from the fame danger. As I now found that the ftore-fhip was continually driving about the harbour, and every moment in danger of being loft, I gave up, with whatever reluctance, my defign of taking the provifion's out of her, and fent all our carpenters on board, to fifh the malt, and make fuch other repairs as they could. I also lent her my forge to complete fuch iron work as they wanted, and determined, the moment she was in a condition to put to sea, to take her with us into the Streight of Magellan, and unload her there. While this was doing, Captain Mouat, who commanded the Tamar, informed me that his rudder was fprung, and that he had reason to fear it would in a fhort time becomé wholly unferviceable. Upon this I ordered the carpenter of the Dolphin on board the Tamar, to examine the rudder, and he reported it to be fo bad that in his opinion the veffel could not proceed on her voyage without a new one. A new one however it was not in our power to procure at this place, and I therefore defired Captain Mouat to get his forge on thore, and fecure his rudder with iron clamps in the best manner he could, hoping that in the Streight à piece of timber might be found which would furnish him with a better.

1765. February.

Wednef. 13

Thursd. 14. `

Saturd. 16.

Sunday 17.

Monday 18.

On Wednesday the 13th, the ftore-ship being ready for fea, I put on board of her one of my petty officers, who was well acquainted with the Streight, and three or four of my seamen to affist in navigating her; I alfo lent her two of my boats and took thofe belonging to her, which were staved, on board to get them repaired, and then I ordered her mafter, to put to fea directly, and make the best of his way to Port Famine; though I did not doubt but that I should come up with her long before she got thither, as I intended to follow her as foon as the Tamar was ready, and Captain Mouat had told me that the rudder having been patched together by the joint labour and skill of the carpenter and fmith, he should be in a condition to proceed with me the next morning.

The next morning we accordingly put to fea, and a few hours afterwards being abreast of Penguin Inland, we faw the ftore-fhip a long way to

the eastward.

On Saturday the 16th, about fix o'clock in the morning, we faw Cape Fair-weather bearing W. S. W. at the distance of five or fix leagues; and at nine, we faw a ftrange fail to the N. W. ftanding after us.

On the 17th, at fix in the morning, Cape Virgin Mary bearing fouth, distant five miles, we hauled in for the Streight, and the ftrange ship ftill followed us,

On the 18th we paffed the firft Narrow, and as I perceived the strange ship to have shaped the

fame

fame course that we had, from the time she had 1765. February. first seen us, fhortening or making fail as we did, she became the fubject of much fpeculation; and Monday 18. as I was obliged, after I had got through the first Narrow, to bring to for the store-ship, which was a great way aftern, I imagined she would speak with us, and therefore I put the ship in the best order I could. As foon as he had passed the Narrow, and saw me lying to, he did the fame about four miles to windward of me. In this fituation we remained till night came on, and the tide setting us over to the fouth fhore, we came to an anchor; the wind however fhifted before morning, and at day-break I saw our fatellite at anchor about three leagues to leeward of us. As it was then tide of flood, I thought of working through the fecond Narrow; but feeing the ftranger get under way, and work up towards us, I ran directly over into Gregory Bay, and brought the fhip to an anchor, with a spring upon our cable: I also got eight of our guns, which were all we could get at, out of the hold, and brought them over on one fide. In the mean time, the fhip continued to work up towards us, and various were our conjectures about her, for the fhewed no colours, neither did we. It happened about this time that the ftore-fhip, as she was endeavouring to come to an anchor near us, ran aground; upon which the stranger came to an anchor a little way aftern, at the fame time hoifting French colours, and fending his launch, and another boat, with an anchor to affift her. Still however I fhowed no colours, but fent my

own