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1765.

leagues at half an hour after five it bore S. S. E. diftant two leagues: and we then steered from it E. S. E., January.

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 fouthward 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 sea breaks very high, there being here a great fwell from the fouthward. When we were a-breast of these breakers, we steered S. W. by S. about two leagues, when the fouthermoft land in fight, which I took to be the fouthermost part of Falkland's Islands, bore W. S. W. distant five leagues. The coast now began to be very dangerous, 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 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 fouthermost point in fight being about 520 3' S. As we had now run no less than seventy leagues along the coaft of this island 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. distant about fix leagues. At eight in the evening, the wind fhifting to the S.W. we stood to the westward.

СНАР.

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1765. February.

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

W

E continued to make fail for Port Defire till Wednesday the 6th day of February, when Wedn. 6. about one o'clock in the afternoon we faw land, and ftood in for the Port. During the run from Falkland's Iflands to this place, the number of whales about the fhip was fo great as to render the navigation dangerous; we were very near striking 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 faw the Florida, a ftore-fhip that we expected from England; and at four we came to an anchor off the harbour's mouth.

Thurf. 7.

The next morning, Mr. Dean, the master of the ftore-fhip, 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 narrownefs of the place, and the rapidity of the tides, rendered it a very dangerous fituation. We got in in the evening, but it blowing very hard in the night, both the Tamar and the ftorefhip 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 on shore. 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 ftorefhip 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 provisions out of her, and fent all our carpenters on board, to fish the maft, and make fuch other repairs as they could. I alfo lent her my forge to complete fuch 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

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 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 defired Captain Mouat to get his forge on fhore, and secure his rudder with iron clamps in the best manner he could, hoping that in the Streight a piece of timber might be found which would furnish him with a better.

1765

February.

On Wednesday the 13th, the ftore-ship being ready wednes. 13 for fea, 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 assist in navigating her; I also lent her two of my boats, and took those belonging to her, which were ftaved, on board to get them repaired, and then I ordered her Master, to put to fea directly, and make the beft of his way to Port Famine; though I did not doubt but that I fhould come up with her long before the 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 Thursd. 14. a few hours afterwards, being a-breast of Penguin Island, we saw the store-ship a long way to the east

ward.

On Saturday the 16th, about fix o'clock in the Saturd. 16. morning, we faw 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 Sunday 17. Mary bearing fouth, diftant five miles, we hauled in for the Streight, and the strange ship ftill followed

us.

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

Courfe

1765. January.

on the starboard fide, where fhips may anchor in great fafety, and in each of which there is a fine rivulet of freth water. Soon after we entered an harbour of much greater extent, which I called PORT EGMONT, in honour of the earl, who was then Firft Lord of the Admiralty; and I think it is one of the finest harbours in the world. The mouth of it is S. E. diftant seven leagues from the low rocky ifland, which is a good mark to know it by: within the island, and at the diftance of about two miles from the fhore, there is between seventeen and eighteen fathom water; and about three leagues to the weftward of the harbour, there is a remarkable white fandy beach, off which a fhip may anchor till there is an opportunity to run in. In ftanding in for this fandy beach, the two low rocky islands, which we found it difficult to clear when the weather obliged us to ftand off, appear to the eastward, and Port Egmont is about fixteen leagues from the north end of these islands. We moored in ten fathom, with fine holding ground. The northermost point of the western fhore was diftant two miles and an half, the watering-place on that fhore bore W. N. W. W. and was distant half a mile, and the iflands on the eaft fide bore E. by S. and were diftant four miles. The whole navy of England might ride here in perfect fecurity from all winds. Soon after the fhip came to an anchor, the other boat which had remained on fhore when Mr. Hindman put off, came on board. In the fouthermost part of the harbour there are several islands, but there is no paffage out for a fhip; I went, however through in my boat, about, feven leagues diftant from where the fhip lay, and entered a large found, which is too much expofed to a wefterly wind for fhips to lie in it fafely; and the master of the Tamar, who had been round in her boat, and entered this found from without, reported that many fhoals lay off it, so that if the harbour was ever fo good, it would not be prudent to attempt getting in. In every part of Port Egmont there is fresh water in the greatest plenty, and geefe, ducks, fnipes, and other birds are fo numerous that our people grew tired of them: it was a common thing for a boat to bring off fixty or feventy fine geefe, without expending a fingle charge of powder and

fhot,

fhot, for the men knocked down as many as they pleafed with ftones: wood, however, is wanting here, except a little that is found a-drift along the fhore, which I imagined came from the Streight of Magellan. Among other refreshments, which are in the highest degree falutary to those who have contracted fcorbutic diforders, during a long voyage, here are wild celery and wood forrel, in the greateft abundance; nor is there any want of muscles, clams, cockles, and limpets: the feals and penguins are innumerable, fo that it is impoffible to walk on the beach without first driving them away: and the coaft abounds with fea lions, many of which are of an enormous fize. We found this animal very formidable; I was once attacked by one of them very unexpectedly, and it was with the utmost difficulty that I could difengage myself from him: at other times we had many battles with them, and it has fometimes afforded a dozen of us an hour's work to dispatch one of them; I had with me a very fine maftiff dog, and á bite of one of thefe creatures almoft tore him to pieces. Nor were these the only dangerous animals that we found here; for the Mafter having been fent out one day to found the coaft upon the fouth fhore, reported, at his return, that four creatures of great fiercenefs, resembling wolves, ran up to their bellies in the water to attack the people in his boat, and that as they happened to have no fire-arms with them, they had immediately put the boat off into deep water.

The next

morning after this happened, I went upon the fouthern fhore myself, where we found one of the largest sea lions I had ever seen as the boat's crew were now well armed, they immediately engaged him, and during the contest one of the other animals was feen running towards us: he was fired at before he came up, and was presently killed, though I afterwards wifhed that we had endeavoured to take him alive, which, if we had been aware of his attack, I dare fay might eafily have been done. When any of these creatures got fight of our people, though at ever so great a distance, they ran directly at them; and no less than five of them were killed this day. They were always called wolves by the ship's company, but except in their fize, and the shape of the tail, I think they bore a greater refemblance

1765.

January.

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