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March.

Saturd. 16.

teen fathom, about five miles to the eastward of 1765. Cape Monday. At three, however, I weighed again, for the boat having founded round the ship, found the ground rocky. The wind was N. W. with hard rain, and we continued working all the reft of the day, and all night, every man on board being upon deck the whole time, and every one wet to the fkin, for the rain, or rather fheets of water that came down, did not ceafe a moment.

In the morning, we had again the mortification Sunday 17a to find that, notwithstanding all our labour, we had loft ground upon every tack, in confequence of the current, which continued to fet with great force to the eastward. At eight o'clock, we bore away, and at nine, anchored in the fame bay from which we failed on the 15th.

Monday 18.

The wind continued W. and W. N. W. without any tide to the weftward, all the 18th and 19th, Tuesday 19. and the weather was exceedingly bad, with hard fqualls and heavy rain. In the mean time I had fent an officer with a boat to found a bay on the north fhore, but he found no anchorage in it. On the 20th, at fix o'clock in the morning, a hard Wednes, 20. fquall coming on, the ship drove, and brought the anchor off the bank into forty fathom, but by heaving up the bower, and carrying out the kedge anchor, we got the fhip on the bank again. At Thurf. 21. eight, the day following, though the wind was from W. N. W. to S. W. we weighed, and once more stood out of the bay; the current still set very strongly to the eastward, but at noon, we found that we had gained about a mile and a half in a con

trary

March.

1765. trary direction. The wind now became variable, from S. W. to N. W. and at five in the afternoon, Thu 21 the ship had gained about four miles to the westward; but not being able to find an anchoringplace, and the wind dying away, we drove again very fast to the eastward with the current. At fix, however, we anchored in forty fathom, with very good ground, in a bay about two miles to the weftward of that from which we failed in the morning. A fwell rolled in here all night, so that our situation was by no means defirable, and therefore, although the wind was ftill at W. S. W. we weighed Friday 22 and made fail about eight o'clock the next day : we had likewife inceffant rain, fo that the people were continually wet, which was a great aggravation of their fatigue; yet they were still cheerful, and, what was yet lefs to be expected, still healthy. This day, to our great joy, we found the current setting to the westward, and we gained ground very faft. At fix in the evening, we anchored in the bay on the east side of Cape Monday, where the Tamar lay in eighteen fathom, the pitch of the Cape bearing W. by N. distant half a mile. We found this place very fafe, the ground being excellent, and there being room enough for two or three ships of the line to moor.

CHAP,

CHA P. VII.

The Paffage from Cape Monday, in the Streight of Magellan, into the South Seas; with Some general Remarks on the Navigation of that Streight.

A

March.

T eight the next morning we weighed, and 1765. soon after we made fail opened the South Sea, from which fuch a fwell rolled in upon us as Saturd, 23. I have feldom feen. At four o'clock in the afternoon, we anchored in a very good bay, with a deep found at the bottom of it, by which it may be known, about a league to the eastward of Cape Upright, in fourteen fathom. The extreme point of the bay bore from N. W. to N. E. by E. and Cape Upright W. N. W. about a cable's length to the eastward of a low ifland which makes the bay.

At three o'clock in the morning of the 24th, I Sunday 241 fent a boat, with an officer from each fhip, to look for anchoring-places to the westward; but at four in the afternoon they returned without having been able to get round Cape Upright.

The next morning I fent the boats again to the Monday 25, weftward, and about fix in the evening they returned, having been about four leagues, and found two anchoring-places, but neither of them were very good. We made fail, however, about eight in the forenoon of the next day, and at three, Tuesday 26.

Cape

March.

1765. Cape Upright bore E. S. E. diftant about three leagues, a remarkable cape on the north fhore at Tuesday 26. the fame time bearing N. E. diftant four or five miles. This cape, which is very lofty and steep, lies N. N. W. by compafs from Cape Upright, at the distance of about three leagues. The fouth fhore in this place had a very bad appearance, many funken rocks lying about it to a confiderable distance, upon which the fea breaks very high. At four, the weather became very thick, and in less than half an hour we saw the fouth fhore at the distance of about a mile, but could get no anchoring-place; we therefore tacked, and ftood over to the north fhore. At half an hour after fix, I made the Tamar fignal to come under our ftern, and ordered her to keep a-head of us all night, and to fhow lights, and fire a gun every time the changed her tack. At feven, it cleared up for a moment juft to fhow us the north fhore, bearing W. by N.; we tacked immediately, and at eight the wind fhifted from N. N. W. to W. N. W. and blew with great violence. Our fituation was now very alarming; the ftorm increased every minute, the weather was extremely thick, the rain seemed to threaten another deluge, we had a long dark night before us, we were in a narrow channel, and furrounded on every fide by rocks and breakers. We attempted to clew up the mizen-topfail, but before this service could be done it was blown all to rags: we then brought to, with the main and fore-topfail clofe reefed, and upon the cap, keeping the fhip's head to the fouth

west;

March.

Tuesday 26,

weft; but there being a prodigious fea, it broke 1765. over us fo often that the whole deck was almoft continually under water. At nine, by an accidental breaking of the fog, we saw the high Cape on the north fhore that has been juft mentioned, bearing eaft, at about a mile diftance, but had entirely loft fight of the Tamar. At half an hour after three in the morning, we fuddenly perceived Wednef. 27. ourselves close to a high land on the fouth fhore, upon which we wore, and brought to the northward. The gale ftill continued, if poffible, with increafing violence, and the rain poured down in torrents, so that we were in a manner immersed in water, and expected every moment to be among the breakers. The long wifhed-for day at length broke, but the weather was ftill fo thick that no land was to be seen, though we knew it could not be far diftant, till after fix, when we saw the fouth fhore at about the distance of two miles; and foon after, to our great fatisfaction, we faw the Tamar : at this time Cape Monday bore S. E. distant about four miles, and the violence of the gale not abating, we bore away. About feven, both fhips

came to an anchor in the bay which lies to the eastward of Cape Monday, notwithstanding the fea that rolled in; for we were glad to get anchorage any where. We had now been twice within four leagues of Tuesday's Bay, at the western entrance of the Streight, and had been twice driven back ten or twelve leagues by such storms as we had now juft experienced. When the feafon is fo far advanced as it was when we attempted the paffage of

this

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