1769. January.

of the highest hill that be afcended in his expedition through the woods, he faw the footsteps of a large beast imprinted upon the furface of a bog, though he could not with any probability guess of what kind it might be.

Of land-birds there are but few; Mr. Banks faw none larger than an English blackbird, except fome hawks and a vulture; but of water-fowl there is great plenty, particularly ducks. Of fish we faw fcarce any, and with our hooks could catch none that was fit to eat; but fhell-fifh, limpets, clams, and muscles were to be found in abundance.

Among the infects, which were not numerous, there was neither gnat nor musquito, nor any other fpecies that was either hurtful or troublesome, which perhaps is more than can be faid of any other uncleared country. During the fnow-blasts, which happened every day while we were here, they hide themselves; and the moment it is fair they appear again, as nimble and vigorous as the warmest weather could make them.

Of plants, Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander found a vast variety; the far greater part wholly different from any that have been hitherto defcribed. Befides the birch, and winter's bark, which have been mentioned already, there is the beach, Fagus antarcticus, which, as well as the birch, may be ufed for timber. The plants cannot be enumerated here; but as the fcurvy-grafs, Cardamine antifcorbutica, and the wild celery, Apium antarcticum, probably contain antifcorbutic qualities, which may be of great benefit to the crews of fuch fhips as fhall hereafter touch at this place, the following fhort description is inferted:

The fcurvy-grafs will be found in plenty in damp places, near springs of water, and in general in all places that lie near the beach, especially at the watering place in the Bay

of

of Good Success: when it is young, the state of its greatest perfection, it lies flat upon the ground, having many leaves of a bright green, standing in pairs oppofite to each other, with a single one at the end, which generally makes the fifth upon a foot stalk: the plant, paffing from this ftate, fhoots up in ftalks that are fometimes two feet high, at the top of which are small white bloffoms, and these are fucceeded by long pods: the whole plant greatly refembles that which in England is called Lady's fmock, or Cuckow-flower. The wild celery is very like the celery in our gardens, the flowers are white, and stand in the fame manner, in fmall tufts at the top of the branches, but the leaves are of a deeper green. It grows in great abundance near the beach, and generally upon the foil that lies next above the fpring tides. It may indeed easily be known by the taste, which is between that of celery and parsley. We used the celery in large quantities, particularly in our foup, which, thus medicated, produced the fame good effects which feamen generally derive from a vegetable diet, after having been long confined to falt provisions.

1769.

January.

On Sunday the 22d of January, about two o'clock in the Sunday 22. morning, having got our wood and water on board, we failed out of the Bay, and continued our courfe through the Streight.

1769. January.

CHAP. VI.

A general Description of the S. E. Part of Terra del Fuego, and the Streight of Le Maire; with Some Remarks on Lord Anfon's Account of them, and Directions for the Paffage Weftward, round this Part of America, into the South Seas.

A

LMOST all writers who have mentioned the island of Terra del Fuego, describe it as deftitute of wood, and covered with fnow. In the winter it may poffibly be covered with fnow, and those who saw it at that feafon might perhaps be easily deceived, by its appearance, into an opinion that it was deftitute of wood. Lord Anson was there in the beginning of March, which answers to our September; and we were there the beginning of January, which answers to our July, which may account for the difference of his defçription of it from ours. We fell in with it about twentyone leagues to the weftward of the Streight of Le Maire, and from the time that we first saw it, trees were plainly to be distinguished with our glasses; and as we came nearer, though here and there we discovered patches of fnow, the fides of the hills and the fea-coaft appeared to be covered with a beautiful verdure. The hills are lofty, but not mountainous, though the fummits of them are quite naked. The foil in the valleys is rich, and of a confiderable depth; and at the foot of almost every hill there is a brook, the water of which has a reddish hue, like that which runs through our turf bogs in England, but it is by no means ill tafted, and upon

the whole proved to be the best that we took in during our voyage. We ranged the coaft to the Streight, and had foundings all the way from 40 to 20 fathom, upon a gravelly and fandy bottom. The most remarkable land on Terra del Fuego is a hill, in the form of a fugar-loaf, which stands on: the weft fide not far from the fea; and the three hills, called the Three Brothers, about nine miles to the weftward of Cape St. Diego, the low point that forms the north entrance of the: Streight of Le Maire.

1769.

January.

It is faid in the account of Lord Anson's voyage, that it is difficult to determine exactly where the Streight lies, though the appearance of Terra del Fuego be well known, without knowing alfo the appearance of Staten Land; and that fome. navigators have been deceived by three hills on Staten Land, which have been mistaken for the Three Brothers on Terra. del Fuego, and so over-shot the Streight. But no ship can. poffibly miss the Streight that coafts Terra del Fuego within fight of land, for it will then, of itself, be sufficiently confpicuous; and Staten Land, which forms the east fide, will be ftill more manifeftly distinguished, for there is no land on Terra del Fuego like it. The Streight of Le Maire can bemiffed only by ftanding too far to the eastward, without keeping the land of Terra del Fuego in fight: if this is done, it may be miffed, however accurately the appearance of the coaft of Staten Land may have been exhibited; and if this is not done, it cannot be miffed, though the appearance of that. coaft be not known. The entrance of the Streight should not be attempted but with a fair wind and moderate weather, and upon the very beginning of the tide of flood, which happens here, at the full and change of the moon, about one or two o'clock; it is also beft to keep as near to the Terra. del Fuego fhore as the winds will admit. By attending to. these particulars, a ship. may be got quite through the

Streight

1769.

January.

Streight in one tide; or, at leaft, to the fouthward of Succefs Bay, into which it will be more prudent to put, if the wind should be foutherly, than to attempt the weathering of Staten Land with a lee wind and a current, which may endanger her being driven on that island.

The Streight itself, which is bounded on the west by Terra del Fuego, and on the eaft by the weft end of Staten Land, is about five leagues long, and as many broad. The Bay of Good Succefs lies about the middle of it, on the Terra del Fuego fide, and is discovered immediately upon entering the Streight from the northward; and the fouth head of it may be distinguished by a mark on the land, that has the appearance of a broad road, leading up from the sea into the country: at the entrance it is half a league wide, and runs in weftward about two miles and an half. There is good anchorage in every part of it, in from ten to feven fathom, clear ground; and it affords plenty of exceeding good wood and water. The tides flow in the Bay, at the full and change of the moon, about four or five o'clock, and rise about five or fix feet perpendicular. But the flood runs two or three hours longer in the Streight than in the Bay; and the ebb, or northerly current, runs with near double the ftrength of the flood.

In the appearance of Staten Land, we did not discover the wildnefs and horror that is afcribed to it in the account of Lord Anfon's voyage. On the north fide are the appearances of bays or harbours; and the land, when we faw it, was neither deftitute of wood nor verdure, nor covered with fnow. The island feems to be about twelve leagues in length, and five broad.

On the weft fide of the Cape of Good Success, which forms. the S. W. entrance of the Streight, lies Valentine's Bay, of