The weather being still tempestuous and unsettled, we remained at anchor till ten o'clock in the morning of Friday, the 10th, and then, in company with the Swallow, we made sail. At noon, Cape Providence bore N.N.W. distant four or five miles; at four in the afternoon Cape Tamar bore N.W. by W. W. distant three leagues, Cape Upright E.S E. S., distant three leagues, and Cape Pillar W. distant ten leagues. We steered about W. N. all night, and at six o'clock in the morning, had run eight and thirty miles by the log. At this time Cape Pillar bore S. W. distant half a mile, and the Swallow was about three miles a-stern of us. At this time there being but little wind, we were obliged to make all the sail we could, to get without the streight's mouth. At eleven o'clock I would have shortened sail for the Swallow, but it was not in my power, for as a current set us strongly down upon the Isles of Direction, and the wind came to the west, it became absolutely necessary for me to carry sail, that I might clear them. Soon after we lost sight of the Swallow, and never saw her afterwards. At first I was inclined to have gone back into the streight; but a fog coming on, and the sea rising very fast, we were all of opinion that it was indispensably necessary to get an offing as soon as possible; for except we pressed the ship with sail, before the sea rose too high, it would be impracticable either to weather Terra del Fuego on one tack, or Cape Victory on the other. At noon, the Islands of Direction bore N. 21 W. distant three leagues, Saint Paul's cupola and Cape Victory in one, N. distant seven leagues, and Cape Pillar E. distant six leagues.

Our latitude, by observation, was 52° 38', and we computed our longitude to be 76° W.

Thus we quitted a dreary and inhospitable, region, where we were in almost perpetual danger of shipwreck for near four months, having entered the streight on the 17th of December 1766, and quitted it on the 11th of April 1767; a region where, in the midst of summer, the weather was cold, gloomy, and tempestuous, where the prospects had more the appearance of a chaos than of nature, and where, for the most part, the vallies were without herbage, and the hills without wood.

4 How very vexatious this was to the Swallow's crew, the reader has to learn from the account of Carteret's voyage.-E.

SECTION III.

A particular Account of the Places in which we anchored during our Passage through the Streight, and of the Shoals and Rocks that lie near them.

HAVING cleared the streight, we steered a western course. But before I continue the narrative of our voyage, I shall give a more particular account of the several places where we anchored, plans of which are deposited in the Admiraltyoffice for the use of future navigators, with the shoals and rocks that lie near them, the latitude, longitude, tides, and variation of the compass.

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I. CAPE VIRGIN MARY. The bay under this cape is a good harbour, when the wind is westerly. There is a shoal lying off the cape, but that may easily be known by the rock-weed that grows upon it: The cape is a steep white eliff, not unlike the South Foreland. Its latitude, by observation, is 52° 24' S. and its longitude, by account, 68° 22′ W. The variation of the needle, by the medium of five azimuths and one amplitude, was 24° 30′ E. In this place we saw no appearance either of wood or water. We anchored in ten fathom, with coarse sandy ground, about a mile from the shore, Cape Virgin Mary bearing N. by W.

W. distant about two miles, and Dungeness Point S.S.W. distant four miles. We anchored here on the 17th of December, and sailed the next day. There is good landing, on a fine sandy beach, all along the shore.

II. POSSESSION BAY. In sailing into this bay, it is necessary to give the point a good birth, because there is a reef that runs right off it about a short mile. The soundings are very irregular all over the bay, but the ground is every where a fine soft mud and clay, so that the cables can come to no damage. The point lies in latitude 52° 23′ S. longitude, by account, 68° 57' W.: The variation is two points easterly. In the bay the tide rises and falls between four and five fathom, and runs at the rate of about a mile an hour; in the mid-channel without the bay, it runs nearly three miles an hour. In this place we saw no appearance either of wood or water. The landing appeared to be

good,

good, but we did not go on shore. We anchored here on the 19th of December, and sailed again on the 22d.

III. PORT FAMINE. At this place, the Spaniards, in the year 1581, built a town, which they called Phillippeville, and left in it a colony, consisting of 400 persons. When our celebrated navigator, Cavendish, arrived here in 1587, he found one of these unhappy wretches, the only one that remained, upon the beach: They had all perished for want of subsistence, except twenty-four; twenty-three of these set out for the river Plata, and were never afterwards heard of. This man, whose name was Hernando, was brought to England by Cavendish, who called the place where he had taken him up, Port Famine. It is a very fine bay, in which there is room and conveniency for many ships to moor in great safety. We moored in nine fathom, having brought Cape St Anne N.E. by E. and Sedger River S. W. which perhaps is the best situation, though the whole bay is good ground. In this place there is very good wooding and watering; we caught many fine small fish with a hook and line off the ship's side, and hauled the seine with great success, in a fine sandy bay, a little to the southward of Sedger River: We also shot a great number of birds, of various kinds, particularly geese, ducks, teal, snipes, plover, and race-horses, and we found wild celery in great plenty. The latitude of this place is 53° 42′ S., longitude, by observation, 71° 28′ W.: The variation is two points easterly. We anchored here the 27th of December 1766, and sailed again the 18th of January 1767.

IV. CAPE HOLLAND BAY. There is no danger in sailing into this bay, and there is good anchoring ground in every part of it. We lay at about three cables' length from the shore, in ten fathom, the ground coarse sand and shells, Cape Holland bearing W.S.W. W. distant three miles, Cape Froward a little to the N. of the E. Right a-breast of the ship there was a very fine rivulet, and close under Cape Holland a large river, navigable for boats many miles: The shore also affords fire-wood in great plenty. We found abundance of wild celery and cranberries, mussels and limpets, but caught very little fish, either with hook and line, or the seine. We killed some geese, ducks, teal, and racehorses, but they were not plenty. This bay lies in latitude 53° 57' S., longitude, by account, 72° 84 W.; the variation

is two points easterly. The water rose about eight feet; we found, however, no regular tide, but for the most part a strong current setting to the eastward. We anchored here on the 19th of January, and sailed again on the 23d.

V. CAPE GALLANT BAY. In this bay, which may be entered with great safety, there is a fine large lagoon, where a fleet of ships may moor in perfect security. There is a depth of four fathom in every part of it, with a soft muddy ground. In the bay, the best anchoring is on the east side, where there is from six to ten fathom. Here is good watering from two rivers, and plenty of wood. The lagoon abounded with wild fowl, and we found wild celery, mussels, and limpets in plenty. We did not haul the seine, having torn one to pieces, and the other being unpacked; but if we had, there is reason to believe that we should have been well sup plied with fish. The landing is good. The latitude of the bay and lagoon is 53° 50′ S., longitude, by account, 73° 9' W.; the variation is two points easterly. I observed the water to rise and fall about nine feet, but the tide was very irregular. We anchored here the 23d of January, and sailed again the 28th.

VI. ELIZABETH'S BAY. At the entrance of this bay there are two small reefs, which appear above water. The most dangerous lies off the east point of the bay; but this may easily be avoided, by keeping at the distance of about two cables' length from the point. There is good landing all round the bay, but it is much exposed to the westerly winds. The best place for anchoring is Passage Point, at half a mile distance, bearing S.E. and the river bearing N. E. by E. distant three cables' length; in this situation, a bank or shoal, which may be known by the weeds, bears W. N.W. distant a cable's length: The ground is coarse sand, with shells. Sufficient wood is to be procured here for the use of ships, and there is good watering at a small river. We found a little celery and a few cranberries, but neither fish nor fowl. The latitude of this place is 53° 43′ S. the longitude, by account, 73° 24′ W.; the variation is two points: easterly. We anchored here the 29th of January, and sailed the 4th of February.

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VII. YORK ROAD. The only danger of sailing into the bay, that is formed by two points in this road, arises from a reef that runs off to about a cable's length from the western point, which, once known, may be easily avoided. To an

chor

chor in this bay, it is safest to bring York Point E.S.E. Bachelor's River N. by W. W. the west point of the bay or reef N.W. W. and St Jerom's Sound W.N.W. at the distance of half a mile from the shore. There is good watering about a mile up Bachelor's River, and good wooding all round the bay, where the landing also is, in all parts, very good. We found plenty of celery, cranberries, mussels, and Timpets, many wild fowl, and some fish, but not enough to supply the ship's company with a fresh meal. The latitude here is 53° 39′ S., longitude, by account, 73° 52′ W.; the variation two points easterly. The water rises and falls about eight feet, but the tide is irregular. The master, who crossed the streight many times to examine the bays, frequently found the current setting in three different directions. We anchored here on the 4th of February, and sailed again the 11th.

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VIII. BUTLER'S BAY. This is a small bay, entirely surrounded by rocks, so that no ship should anchor here if she can possibly avoid it. We found, however, sufficient wood and water to keep up our stock, mussels and limpets in plenty, some good rock fish, and a few wild fowl, but celery and cranberries were very scarce. This bay lies in latitude 53° 37′ S., longitude, by account, 74° 9′ W.; the variation is two points easterly. The water rises and falls here about four feet, but the current always sets to the eastward. We anchored here the 18th of February, and sailed the 1st of March.

IX. LION COVE. This is a small bay, and surrounded by rocks. The water is deep, but the ground is good. It is not a bad place for one ship, nor a good one for two. Here is good watering up a small creek, but no wood. There is good landing at the watering-place, but no where else. We found no refreshment but a few mussels, limpets, and rock-fish, with a little celery. The latitude is 53° 26' S., longitude, by account, 74° 25' W.; the variation was two points easterly. The water, as far as we could judge by the appearance of the rocks, rises and falls about five feet, and the current sets at the rate of about two knots an hour. We anchored here on the 2d of March, and sailed the next day.

X. GOOD-LUCK BAY. This is a small bay, and, like several others in this streight, entirely surrounded by rocks. The ground is very coarse, and the cable of our best-bower anchor was so much rubbed, that we were obliged to con

demn