ingon, that were made both by myself and Mr. Green, The variation of the compass on this coast I found to be from 23° to 25° E. except near Barnevelte's islands and Cape Horn, where we found it less, and unsettled; probably it is disturbed here by the land, as Hermit's-squadron in this very place found all their compasses differ from each other. The declination of the dipping-needle, when set up on shore in Success Bay, was 68° 15' below the horizon.

Between Streight Le Maire and Cape Horn, we found a current setting generally very strong, to the N. E. when we were in within the shore; but lost it when we were at the distance of fifteen or twenty leagues.

On the 26th of January, we took our departure from Cape Horn, which lies in latitude 55° 53′ S. longitude 68° 13′ W. The farthest southern latitude that we made was 60° 10', our longitude was then 74° 30′ W.; and we found the variation of the compass, by the mean of eighteen azimuths, to be 27° 9' E. As the weather was frequently calm, Mr. Banks went out in a small boat to shoot birds, among which were some albatrosses and sheerwaters. The albatrosses were observed to be larger than those which had been taken northward of the streight; one of them measured ten feet two inches from the tip of one wing to that of the other, when they were extended: the sheerwater, on the contrary, is less and darker coloured on the back. The albatrosses we skinned, and having soaked them in salt water till the morning, we parboiled them, then throwing away the liquor, stewed them in a very little fresh water till they were tender, and had them served up with savory sauce; thus dressed, the dish was universally commended, and we eat of it very heartily even when there was fresh pork upon the table.

From a variety of observations which were made with great care, it appeared probable in the highest degree, that, from the time of our leaving the land to the 13th of February, when we were in la

titude 49° 324, and lougitude 90° 37′ we had no current to the west.

At this time we advanced about 12° to the westward and 3 and to the northward of the streights of Magellan having been just three and thirty days coming round the land of Terra del Fuego, or Cape Horn, from the east entrance of the streight to this situation. And though the doubling of Cape Horn is so much dreaded, that, in the general opinion, it is more eligible to pass through the streight of Magellan, we were not once brought under our close reet'd topsails after we left the streight of Le Maire. The Dolphin in her last voyage, which she performed at the same season of the year with ours, was three months in getting through the streight of Magellan, exclusive of the time that she lay in Port Famine; and I am persuaded, from the winds we had, that if we had come by that passage, we should not at this time have been in these seas; that our people would have been fatigued, and our anchors, cables, sails and rigging much damaged; ncither of which inconveniences we had now suffered. But supposing it more eligible to go round the Cape, than through the streights of Magellan, it may still be questioned, whether it is better to go through the streight of Le Maire, or stand to the eastward, and go round Staten Land. The advice given in the account of Lord Anson's voyage is, "That all ships "bound to the South Seas, instead of passing through "the streight of Le Maire, should constantly pass to "the castward of Staten Land, and should be inva"riably bent on running to the southward as far as "the latitude of 61 or 62 degrees, before they endea"vour to stand to the westward." But, in my opinion, different circumstances may at one time render it eligible to pass through the streight, and to keep to the eastward of Staten Land at another. If the land is fallen in with to the westward of the streight, and the wind is favourable for going through, I think it would be very injudicious to lose time by going

round Staten Land, as I am confident that, by attend. ing to the directions which I have given, the streight may be passed with the utmost safety and convenience: but, if, on the contrary, the land is fallen in with to the eastward of the streight, and the wind should prove tempestuous or unfavourable, I think it would be best to go round Staten Land. But I cannot in any case concur in recommending the running into the latitude of 61 or 62, before any endeavour is made to stand to the westward. We found neither the current nor the storms which the running so far to the southward is supposed necessary to avoid; and indeed, as the winds almost constantly blow from that quarter, it is scarcely possible to pursue the advice. The na vigator has no choice but to stand to the southward, close upon a wind, and by keeping upon that tack, he will not only make southing but westing; and, if the wind varies towards the north of the west, his westing will be considerable. It will, indeed, be highly proper to make sure of a westing sufficient to double all the lands, before an attempt is made to stand to the northward, and to this every man's own prudence will of necessity direct him.

We now began to have strong gales and heavy seas, with irregular intervals of calm and fine weather.

CHAP. VII.

The Sequel of the Passage from Cape Horn to the newly discovered Islands in the South Seas, with a Description of their Figure and Appearance; some Account of the Inhabitants, and several Incidents that happened during the Course, and at the Ship's Arrival among them.

On the 1st of March, we were in latitude 38° 44′ S. and longitude 110° 33′ W. both by observation

and by the log. This agreement, after a run of 660 leagues, was thought to be very extraordinary, and is a demonstration, that after we left the land of Cape Horn we had no current that affected the ship. It renders it also highly probable, that we had been near no land of any considerable extent, for currents are always found when land is not remote, and sometimes, particularly on the east side of the continent in the North Sea,, when land has been distant 100 leagues.

Many birds, as usual, were constantly about the ship, so that Mr. Banks killed no less than 62 in one day: and what is more remarkable, he caught two forest flies, both of them of the same species, but dif ferent from any that have hitherto been described; these probably belonged to the birds, and came with them from the land, which we judged to be at a great distance. Mr. Banks also, about this time, found a large cuttle-fish, which had just been killed by the birds, floating in a mangled condition upon the water; it was very different from the cuttle-fishes that are found in the European seas; for its arms, instead of suckers, were furnished with a double row of very sharp talons, which resembled those of a cat, and like them, were retractable into a sheath of skin, from which they might be thrust at pleasure. Of this cuttle. fish we made one of the best soups we had ever tasted.

The albatrosses now began to leave us, and after the 8th there was not one to be seen. We continued our course without any memorable event till the 24th, when some of the people who were upon the watch in the night, reported that they saw a log of wood pass by the ship; and that the sea, which was rather rough, became suddenly as smooth as a mill-pond. It was a general opinion, that there was land to windward; but 1 did not think myself at liberty to search for what I was not sure to find; though I judged we were not far from the islands that were discovered by Quiros in 1606. Our latitude was 22° 11' S. and longitude 127° 55 W.

On the 25th, about noon, one of the marines, a young fellow about twenty, was placed as centry at the cabin door; while he was upon this duty, one of my servants was at the same place preparing to cut a piece of seal-skin into tobacco-pouches: he had promised one to several of the men, but had refused one to this young fellow, though he had asked him several times; upon which he jocularly threatened to steal one, if it should be in his power. It happened that the servant being called hastily away, gave the skin in charge to the centinel, without regarding what had passed between them. The centinel immediately secured a piece of the skin, which the other missing at his return, grew angry but after some altercation, contented himself with taking it away, declaring, that, for so trifling an affair, he would not complain of him to the officers. But it happened, that one of his fellow soldiers, over-hearing the dispute, came to the knowledge of what had happened, and told it to the rest ; who, taking it into their heads to stand up for the honour of their corps, reproached the offender with great bitterness, and reviled him in the most oppróbrious terms; they exaggerated his offence into a crime of the deepest die; they said it was a theft by a centry when he was upon duty, and of a thing that had been committed to his trust; they declared it a disgrace to associate with him; and the serjeant, in particular, said that, if the person from whom the skin had been stolen would not complain, he would complain himself; for that his honour would suffer if the offender was not punished. From the scoffs and re. proaches of these men of honour, the poor young fel. low retired to his hammock in an agony of confusion and shame. The serjeant soon after went to him, and ordered him to follow him to the deck: he obeyed without reply; but it being in the dusk of the evening, he slipped from the Serjeant and went forward: he was seen by some of the people, who thought he was gone to the head; but a search being made for him