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 iflands 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 diftance 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 a-breast of these breakers, we steered S. W. by S. about two leagues, when the southermost land in fight, which I took to be the fouthermost part of Falkland's Iflands, 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 distance 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 520 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 fome 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 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 fhifting to the S.W. we stood to the westward. 1765. January. CHAP. 1765. February. Wedn. 6. Thurf. 7. The Paffage through the Streights of Magellan as far as WE E continued to make fail for Port Defire till Wednesday the 6th day of February, when about one o'clock in the afternoon we faw land, and ftood in for the Port. During the run from Falkland's Islands to this place, the number of whales about the ship was so 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 farger than any we had feen. As we were standing in for Port Defire, we faw the Florida, a ftore-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 mafter 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 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 ftoreship 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 provifions out of her, and fent all our carpenters on board, to fish the mast, 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 so 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 shore, 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. 1765February. On Wednesday the 13th, the ftore-fhip 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 seamen to affift in navigating her; I also lent her two of my boats, and took thofe 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 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 Thurfd. 14. a few hours afterwards, being a-breaft of Penguin Ifland, we faw the ftore-fhip a long way to the east ward. On Saturday the 16th, about fix o'clock in the Saturd. 16. morning, we saw Cape Fairweather bearing W. S. W. at the distance of five or fix leagues; and at nine, we saw a strange fail to the N. W. ftanding 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 ftrange fhip ftill followed us. On the 18th, we paffed the firft Narrow, and as I perceived the strange ship to have shaped the fame Courfe 50 Monday 12. 1765. course that we had, from the time she had first seen us,, February, fhortening or making fail as we did, fhe became the fubject of much fpeculation; and as I was obliged, after I had got through the first Narrow, to bring to for the flore-ship, which was a great way a-stern, I imagined the would fpeak with us, and therefore I put the fhip into the best order I could. As foon as he had paffed the Narrow, and faw 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 shifted us before morning, and at day break I faw 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 stranger get under way, and work up towards us, I ran directly over into Gregory Bay, and brought the ship to an anchor, with a fpring 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 a-ground; upon which the ftranger came to an anchor a little way a-ftern, at the fame time hoifting French colours, and fending his launch, and another boat, with an anchor to affist her. Still however I fhewed no colours, but fent my own boats, and a boat of the Tamar's to affift the store-ship, giving orders at the same time to the officers, not to fuffer the French boats to come on board her, but to thank them in polite terms for the affiftance they intended. These orders were punctually obeyed, and with the affiftance of cur own boats only, the ftore-fhip was foon after got off: my people reported that the French fhip was full of men, and feemed to have a great number of officers on board. At fix o'clock in the evening, I made the fignal and weighed; we worked through the second Narrow, and at ten o'clock paffed the weft end of it at eleven, we anchored in feven fathom off Elizabeth's Ifland; and the French ship at the fame time anchored in a bad fituation, fituation, to the fouthward of Saint Bartholomew's Ifland, which convinced me that the was not acquainted with the channel. 1765 February. At fix o'clock the next morning, I weighed and Tues. 19. failed between Elizabeth and Bartholomew Islands, with the wind at N. W. and after steering S. S. W. five or fix miles, we croffed a bank, where among the weeds we had feven fathom water. This bank lies W. S. W. five or fix miles from the middle of George's Island, and it is said in some former accounts, that in many places there is not three fathom water upon it the danger here therefore is confiderable, and to avoid it, it is necessary to keep near Elizabeth's Island till the western shore is but at a short distance, and then a southern course may be steered with great safety, till the reef, which lies about four miles to the northward of Saint Anne's Point, is in fight. At noon this day, the north point of Fresh Water bay bore W. by N. and Saint Anne's Point S. by E E. The French ship still steered after us, and we imagined that she was either from Falkland's Iflands, where the French had then a fettlement, to get wood, or upon a furvey of the Streight. The remaining part of this day, and the Wedn. 20. next morning, we had variable wind with calms; in the afternoon therefore I hoisted out the boats, and towed round Saint Anne's Point into Port Famine: at fix in the evening we anchored, and foon after the French fhip paffed by us to the fouthward. Here we continued till Monday the 25th, when both Monday 25. the Dolphin and Tamar having taken out of the storeship as much provifions as they could ftow, I gave the Master of her orders to return to England as foon as he could get ready, and with the Tamar failed from Port Famine, intending to push through the Streight before the season should be too far advanced. At noon, we were three leagues diftant from Saint Anne's Point, which bore N. W. and three or four miles diftant from Point Shutup, which bore S. S. W. Point Shutup bears from Saint Anne's Point S. E. by the compass, and they are about four or five leagues afunder. Between those two Points there is a flat fhoal, which runs from Port Famine before Sedger river, and three or four miles to the fouthward. VOL. I. Ε We |