1769. January. Monday 16. Tuesday 17. journey, through pathless woods, in which it was too probable they might be bewildered till they were overtaken by the next night; and, not having prepared for a journey of more than eight or ten hours, they were wholly deftitute of provifions, except a vulture, which they happened to shoot: while they were out, and which, if equally divided, would. not afford each of them half a meal; and they knew not how much more they might suffer from the cold, as the fnow ftill continued to fall. A dreadful teftimony of the feverity of the climate, as it was now the midst of summer in this part of the world, the twenty-firft of December being here the longest day; and every thing might justly be dreaded from a phænomenon which, in the corresponding season, is unknown even in Norway and Lapland. When the morning dawned, they faw nothing round them, as far as the eye could reach, but fnow, which feemed to lie as thick upon the trees as upon the ground; and the blasts returned fo frequently, and with fuch violence, that they found it impoffible for them to fet out: how long this might laft they knew not, and they had but too much reason to apprehend that it would confine them in that defolate forest till they perished with hunger and cold. After having fuffered the mifery and terror of this fituation till fix o'clock in the morning, they conceived fome hope of deliverance by discovering the place of the fun through the clouds, which were become thinner, and began to break away. Their first care was to see whether the poor wretches whom they had been obliged to leave among the bushes were yet alive; three of the company were dispatched for that purpose, and very foon afterwards returned with the melancholy news, that they were dead. Notwithstanding 1769. January. Tuesday 17. Notwithstanding the flattering appearance of the sky, the snow still continued to fall fo thick that they could not venture out upon their journey to the fhip; but about 8 o'clock a small regular breeze sprung up, which, with the prevailing influence of the fun, at length cleared the air; and they foon after, with great joy, saw the fnow fall in large flakes from the trees, a certain fign of an approaching thaw: they now examined more critically the ftate of their invalids; Briscoe was ftill very ill, but said, that he thought himself able to walk; and Mr. Buchan was much better than either he or his friends had any reafon to expect. They were now, however, pressed by the calls of hunger, to which, after long fafting, every confideration of future good or evil immediately gives way. Before they fet forward, therefore, it was unanimously agreed, that they should eat their vulture; the bird was accordingly skinned, and, it being thought beft to divide it before it was fit to be eaten, it was cut into ten portions, and every man cooked his own as he thought fit. After this repast, which furnished each of them with about three mouthfuls, they prepared to fet out; but it was ten o'clock before the fnow was fufficiently gone off to render a march practicable. After a walk of about three hours, they were very agreeably furprised to find themselves upon the beach, and much nearer to the ship than they had any reafon to expect. Upon reviewing their track from the veffel, they perceived, that, instead of ascending the hill in a line, so as to penetrate into the country, they had made almost a circle round it. When they came on board, they congratu lated each other upon their safety, with a joy that no man can feel who has not been exposed to equal danger; and as I had suffered great anxiety at their not returning in the evening of the day on which they fet out, I was not wholly without my share. 1769. January. Wednef. 18. Thursday 19. CHAP. V. The Passage through the Streight of Le Maire, and a further Defcription of the Inhabitants of Terra del Fuego, and its Productions. the 18th and 19th, we were delayed in getting on On the 18th waterboy a in board our wood and water by a fwell: but on the 20th, the weather being more moderate, we again sent the boat on shore, and Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went in it. They landed in the bottom of the bay, and while my people were employed in cutting brooms, they pursued their great object, the improvement of natural knowlege, with fuccefs, collecting many shells and plants which hitherto have been altogether unknown: they came on board to dinner, and afterwards went again on shore to visit an Indian town, which fome of the people had reported to lie about two miles up the country. They found the distance not more than by the account, and they approached it by what appeared to be the common road, yet they were above an hour in getting thither, for they were frequently up to their knees in mud; when they got within a small distance, two of the people came out to meet them, with fuch ftate as they could affume; when they joined them, they began to hollow as they had done on board the ship, without addreffing themselves either to the ftrangers or their companions; and having continued this ftrange vociferation fome time, they conducted them to the town. It was fituated on a dry knoll, or small hill, covered with wood, none of which feemed to have been cleared away, and confifted of about twelve or fourteen hovels, of the most rude |