1765. January.

Sunday 27.

Monday 28.

at Port Egmont; and in this account I am fure I am not mistaken, for I frequently failed within two miles of the fhore; fo that if there had been a fhrub as big as a gooseberry bush, I should have seen it. During the night we had forty fathom water with rocky ground.

The next morning, at four o'clock, we made fail, the low

flat
cape then bearing S. F.. by E. diftant five leagues: at half
an hour after five it bore S. S. E. diftant two leagues; and we
then steered from it E. S. E. five leagues, to three low rocky
islands, which lie about two miles from the main. From
these islands we steered S. S. E. four leagues, to two other low
islands, which lie at the distance of about one mile from the
main. Between these islands the land forms a very deep
found, which I called BERKELEY'S SOUND. In the fouth part
of this found there is an opening, which has the appearance
of a harbour; and about three or four miles to the fouth-
ward of the fouth point of it, at the distance of about four
miles from the main, fome rocks 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
these breakers, we steered S. W. by S. about two leagues,
when the fouthermoft land in fight, which I took to be the
fouthermoft part of Falkland's Iflands, bore W. S. W. dif-
tant five leagues. The coaft now began to be very dange-
rous, there being, in all directions, rocks and breakers at a
great distance from the fhore. The country also inland had
a more rude and defolate appearance; the high ground, as
far as we could fee, being all barren, craggy rocks, very
much resembling 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 case
there would have been very little chance of my getting off,

and

and therefore I tacked and ftood to the northward; the latitude of the fouthermoft point in fight being about 52° 3'S. As we had now run no less than seventy leagues along the coast of this island it must certainly be of very confiderable extent. It has been faid by some former navigators to be about two hundred miles in circumference, but I made no doubt of its being nearer seven. Having hauled the wind, I stood to the northward about noon; the entrance of Berkeley's Sound at three o'clock bore S. W. by W. distant about fix leagues. At eight in the evening, the wind shifting to the S. W. we flood to the weftward.

1765.

January.

Monday 28.

VOL. I.

I

С НА Р.

1765. February.

Wednef, 6.

Thursday 7.

CHAP. VI.

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

WE

E continued to make fail for Port Defire till Wednefday the 6th of February, when about one o'clock in the afternoon we saw land, and stood in for the Port. During the run from Falkland's Islands to this place, the number of whales about the ship 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 feen. 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.

The next morning, Mr. Dean, the Master of the ftore-ship, came on board; and finding from his report that his foremast was sprung, 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 store-ship made fignals of diftrefs; I immediately fent my boats to their affiftance, who found that, notwithstanding they were moored, they had been driven up the harbour, and were in the greatest danger of being

7

being on fhore. They were got off, 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-ship was continually driving about the harbour, and every moment in danger of being loft, I gave up, with whatever reluctance, my design of taking the provisions out of her, and fent all our carpenters on board, to fish the mast, and make such other repairs as they could. I alfo lent her my forge to complete such iron work as they wanted, and determined, the moment fhe was in a condition to put to fea, 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 short time become 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 in her voyage without a new one. A new one however it was not in our power to procure at this place, and I therefore desired Captain Mouat to get his forge on fhore, and fecure his rudder with iron clamps in the beft manner he could, hoping that in the Streight a piece of timber might be found which would furnish him with a better.

1765.

February,

Thursday 7.

On Wednesday the 13th, the ftore-fhip being ready for sea, Wednef. 13. I put on board her one of my petty officers, who was well acquainted with the Streight, and three or four of my feamen to affift in navigating her; I alfo lent her two of my boats, and took thefe belonging to her, which were flaved, 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

1765. February.

Wednes. 13.

Thursday 14.

Saturday 16.

Sunday 17.

Monday 18.

fhould come up with her long before fhe 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 smith, 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 Ifland, we saw the ftore-ship a long way to the eastward.

On Saturday the 16th, about fix o'clock in the morning, we saw Cape Fairweather bearing W. S. W. at the distance of five or fix leagues; and at nine, we faw a strange fail to the N. W. standing after us.

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

On the 18th we passed the first Narrow, and as I perceived the strange ship to have shaped the fame courfe that we had, from the time fhe had firft feen us, fhortening or making fail as we did, fhe became the subject of much speculation; and as I was obliged, after I had got through the first Narrow, to bring to for the ftore-fhip, 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 fetting us over to the fouth shore, we came to an anchor; the wind however shifted 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 second Narrow;