On the 14th A.M. saw another seal. At noon, latitude 45° 54', longitude 179° 29′ E. On the 15th A.M. the wind veered to the westward; the fog cleared away, but the weather continued cloudy. At noon, latitude 47° 30', longitude 178° 19' W.; for, having passed the meridian of 180 E., I now reckon my longitude west of the first meridian, viz., Greenwich. In the evening heard penguins, and, the next morning, saw some sea or rock weed. At noon a fresh gale from the west, and fine weather. Latitude observed 49° 33', longitude 175° 31' W.

At

Next morning fresh gales and hazy weather; saw a seal and several pieces of weed. noon, latitude 51° 12', longitude 173° 17′ W. The wind veered to the north and N.E. by N., blew a strong gale by squalls, which split an old topgallant sail, and obliged us to doublereef the topsails; but in the evening the wind moderated, and veered to W.N.W., when we loosed a reef out of each topsail, and found the variation of the compass to be 9° 52′ E., being then in the latitude 51° 47', longitude 172° 21′ W.; and the next morning, the 18th, in the latitude of 52° 25', longitude 170° 45′ W, it was 10o 26′ E. Towards noon, had moderate but cloudy weather, and a great swell from the west: some penguins and pieces of sea-weed seen. On the 19th, steered E.S.E. with a very fresh gale at N., hazy, dirty weather At noon, latitude 53° 43', longitude 166° 15′ W. On the 20th, steered E. by S. with a moderate breeze at N., attended with thick, hazy weather. At noon, latitude 54° 8', longitude 162° 18′ W.

On the 21st, winds mostly from the N.E., a fresh gale, attended with thick, hazy, dirty weather. Course S.E. by S.; latitude, at noon, 55° 31'; longitude 160° 29′ W.; abundance of blue peterels and some penguins seen. Fresh gales at N.W. by N. and N. by W., and hazy till towards noon of the 22nd, when the weather cleared up, and we observed in latitude 55° 48′ S., longitude 156° 56′ W. In the afternoon had a few hours' calm; after that, the wind came at S.S.E. and S.E. by S., a light breeze, with which we steered eastnortherly. In the night the aurora australis was visible, but very faint, and noways remarkable.

On the 23rd, in the latitude of 55° 46′ S., longitude 156° 13′ W. The variation was 9° 42' E. We had a calm from ten in the morning till six in the evening, when a breeze sprung up at west; at first it blew a gentle gale, but afterwards freshened. Our course was now E. N. On the 24th, a fresh breeze at N. W. by W., and N. by W. At noon, in latitude 55° 38′ S., longitude 153° 37′ W., foggy in the night, but next day had a fine gale at N.W., attended with clear pleasant weather; course steered E. by N. In the evening, being in the latitude of 55° 8′ S., longitude 148° 10′ W. the variation, by the mean of two compasses, was 6' 35' E. Having a steady fresh gale at N.N.W. on the 26th and 27th, we steered east, and at noon, on the latter, were in latitude 55° 6′ S., longitude 138° 56′ W.

I now gave up all hopes of finding any more land in this ocean, and came to a resolution to steer directly for the west entrance of the Straits of Magalhaens, with a view of coasting the out or south side of Terra del Fuego, round Cape Horn, to the Strait Le Maire. As the world has but a very imperfect knowledge of this shore, I thought the coasting of it would be of more advantage, both to navigation and to geography, than anything I could expect to find in a higher latitude. In the afternoon of this day, the wind blew in squalls, and carried away the main-topgallant-mast.

A very strong gale northerly, with hazy rainy weather, on the 28th, obliged us to doublereef the fore and main-topsail, to hand the mizen-topsail, and get down the fore-topgallantyard. In the morning, the bolt-rope of the main-topsail broke, and occasioned the sail to be split. I have observed that the ropes to all our sails, the square-sails especially, are not of a size and strength sufficient to wear out the canvas. At noon, latitude 55° 20′ S., longitude 134° 16′ W., a great swell from N.W.; albatrosses and blue peterels seen. Next day towards noon, the wind abating, we loosed all the reefs out of the topsails, rigged another topgallant-mast, and got the yards across. P.M., little wind, and hazy weather; at midnight calm, that continued till noon the next day, when a breeze sprung up at E., with which we stretched to the northward. At this time we were in the latitude 55° 32′ S., longitude 128° 45′ W.; some albatrosses and peterels seen. At eight P.M. the wind veering to N.E., we tacked and stood to E.S.E.

On the 1st of December, thick, hazy weather, with drizzling rain, and a moderate breeze of wind, which at three o'clock P.M. fell to a calm; at this time in latitude 55° 41′ S., longitude 127° 5' W. After four hours' calm, the fog cleared away, and we got a wind at S.E., with which we stood N.E. Next day, a fresh breeze at S.E. and hazy, foggy weather, except a few hours in the morning, when we found the variation to be 1° 28′ E., latitude 55° 17', longitude 125° 41′ W. The variation after this was supposed to increase; for on the 4th, in the morning, being in latitude 53o 21', longitude 121° 31′ W., it was 3° 16′ E.; in the evening, in latitude 53° 13′, longitude 119° 46′ W., it was 3° 28′ E.; and on the 5th, at six o'clock in the evening, in latitude 53° 8', longitude 115° 58′ W., it was 4° 1' E. For more than twenty-four hours having had a fine gale at S., this enabled us to steer E., with very little deviation to the N.; and the wind now altering to S.W. and blowing a steady fresh breeze, we continued to steer E., inclining a little to S. On the 6th, had some snow showers. In the evening, being in latitude 53° 13', longitude 111° 12', the variation was 4° 58′ E.; and the next morning being in latitude 58° 16′, longitude 109° 33', it was 5° 1' E.

The wind was now at W., a fine pleasant gale, sometimes with showers of rain. Nothing remarkable happened, till the 9th, at noon, when being in the latitude of 53° 37′, longitude 103° 44′ W., the wind veered to N.E., and afterwards came insensibly round to the S., by the E. and S.E., attended with cloudy, hazy weather, and some showers of rain. On the 10th, a little before noon, latitude 54°, longitude 102° 7′ W., passed a small bed of sea-weed. In the afternoon the wind veered to S.W., blew a fresh gale, attended with dark cloudy weather. We steered E. half a point N.; and the next day, at six in the evening, being in latitude 53° 35', longitude 95° 52′ W., the variation was 9° 58′ E. Many and various sorts of albatrosses about the ship.

On the 12th, the wind veered to the W.N.W., and in the evening to N.; and, at last, left us to a calm. That continued till midnight, when we got a breeze at S.; which, soon after, veering to and fixing at W., we steered E.; and on the 14th, in the morning, found the variation to be 13° 25′ E., latitude 53° 25', longitude 87° 53′ W.; and in the afternoon, being in the same latitude, and the longitude of 86° 2′ W., it was 15° 3′ E., and increased in such a manner, that on the 15th, in the latitude of 53° 30′, longitude 82° 23′ W., it was 17o E.; and the next evening, in the latitude of 53° 25′, longitude 78° 40', it was 17° 38′ E. About this time, we saw a penguin and a piece of weed; and the next morning, a seal and some diving peterels. For the three last days, the wind had been at W., a steady fresh gale, attended now and then with showers of rain or hail.

At six in the morning of the 17th, being nearly in the same latitude as above, and in the longitude of 77° 10′ W., the variation was 18° 33′ E.; and in the afternoon it was 21° 38', being at that time in latitude 53° 16' S., longitude 75° 9′ W. In the morning, as well as in the afternoon, I took some observations to determine the longitude by the watch; and the results, reduced to noon, gave 76° 18′ 30' W. At the same time the longitude, by my reckoning, was 76° 17′ W. But I have reason to think, that we were about half a degree more to the west than either the one or the other; our latitude, at the same time, was 53° 21' S. We steered E. by N. and EN. all this day, under all the sail we could carry, with a fine fresh gale at N.W. by W. in expectation of seeing the land before night; but not making it till ten o'clock, we took in the studding-sails, topgallant-sails, and a reef in each topsail, and steered E.N.E., in order to make sure of falling in with Cape Deseada. Two hours after, we made the land, extending from N.E. by N. to E. by S., about six leagues distant. On this discovery, we wore and brought-to, with the ship's head to the S., and having sounded, found seventy-five fathoms water, the bottom stone and shells. The land now before us could be no other than the west coast of Terra del Fuego, and near the west entrance to the Straits of Magalhaens.

As this was the first run that had been made directly across this ocean, in a high southern latitude*, I have been a little particular in noting every circumstance that appeared in the least material; and after all, I must observe that I never made a passage anywhere of such length, or even much shorter, where so few interesting circumstances occurred. For, if It is not to be supposed that I could know at this time that the Adventure had made the passage before me.

I except the variation of the compass, I know of nothing else worth notice.

The weather

had been neither unusually stormy nor cold. Before we arrived in the latitude of 50°, the mercury in the thermometer fell gradually from sixty to fifty; and after we arrived in the latitude of 55°, it was generally between forty-seven and forty-five; once or twice it fell to forty-three. These observations were made at noon.

I have now done with the Southern Pacific Ocean; and flatter myself that no one will think that I have left it unexplored; or that more could have been done, in one voyage, towards obtaining that end, than has been done in this.

Soon after we left New Zealand, Mr. Wales contrived and fixed up an instrument, which very accurately measured the angle the ship rolled when sailing large and in a great sea; and that in which she lay down when sailing upon a wind. The greatest angle he observed her to roll was 38°. This was on the 6th of this month, when the sea was not unusually high; so that it cannot be reckoned the greatest roll she had made. The most he observed her to heel or lie down, when sailing upon a wind, was 18°; and this was under doublereefed topsails and courses.

On the 18th, at three in the morning, we sounded again, and found one hundred and ten fathoms, the same bottom as before. We now made sail with a fresh gale at N.W. and steered S.E. by E. along the coast. It extended from Cape Deseada, which bore N. 7° E., to E.S.E., a pretty high ragged isle, which lies near a league from the main, and S. 18° E. six leagues from Cape Deseada, bore N. 49° E. distant four leagues; and it obtained the name of Landfall. At four o'clock, we were north and south of the high land of Cape Deseada, distant about nine leagues; so that we saw none of the low rocks said to lie off it. The latitude of this Cape is about 53° S., longitude 74° 40′ W. Continuing to range the coast, at about two leagues' distance, at eleven o'clock we passed a projecting point, which I called Cape Gloucester. It shows a round surface of considerable height, and has much the appearance of being an island. It lies S.S.E. E., distant seventeen leagues from the Isle of Landfall. The coast between them forms two bays, strewed with rocky islets, rocks, and breakers. The coast appeared very broken with many inlets; or rather it seemed to be composed of a number of islands. The land is very mountainous, rocky, and barren, spotted here and there with tufts of wood and patches of snow. At noon Cape Gloucester bore N. distant eight miles, and the most advanced point of land to the S.E., which we judged to be Cape Noir, bore S.E. by S. distant seven or eight leagues. Latitude observed 54° 13′ S. Longitude made from Cape Deseada, 54' E. From Cape Gloucester, off which lies a small rocky island, the direction of the coast is nearly S.E.; but to Cape Noir, for which we steered, the course is S.S.E., distant about ten leagues.

At three o'clock we passed Cape Noir, which is a steep rock of considerable height, and the S.W. point of a large island that seemed to lie detached a league or a league and a half from the main land. The land of the Cape, when at a distance from it, appeared to be an island disjoined from the other; but, on a nearer approach, we found it connected by a low neck of land. At the point of the Cape are two rocks; the one peaked like a sugarloaf, the other not so high, and showing a rounder surface; and S. by E. two leagues from the Cape are two other rocky islets. This cape is situated in the latitude of 54° 30′ S., longitude 73° 33′ W.

After passing the two islets, we steered E.S.E. crossing the great bay of St. Barbara. We but just saw the land in the bottom of it; which could not be less than seven or eight leagues from us. There was a space, lying in the direction of E.N.E. from Cape Noir, where no land was to be seen this may be the Channel of St. Barbara which opens into the Straits of Magalhaens, as mentioned by Frezier. We found the Cape to agree very well with his description; which shows that he laid down the channel from good memoirs. Atten o'clock, drawing near the S.E. point of the bay, which lies nearly in the direction of S. 60° E. from Cape Noir, eighteen leagues distant, we shortened sail, and spent the night standing off and on. At two o'clock in the morning of the 19th, having made sail, we steered S.E. by E. along the coast, and soon passed the S.E. point of the Bay of St. Barbara, which I called Cape Desolation; because near it commenced the most desolate and barren country I ever saw. It is situated in the latitude of 54° 55′ S., longitude 72° 12′ W. About four

leagues to the east of this cape is a deep inlet, at the entrance of which lies a pretty large island, and some others of less note. Nearly in this situation some charts place a channel leading into the Straits of Magalhaens, under the name of Straits of Jelouzel. At ten o'clock, being about a league and half from the land, we sounded, and found sixty fathoms water, a bottom of small stones and shells.

The wind, which had been fresh at N. by W., began to abate, and at noon it fell calm, when we observed in latitude 55° 20′ S., longitude made from Cape Deseada 3° 24′ E. In this situation we were about three leagues from the nearest shore, which was that of an island. This I named Gilbert Isle, after my master. It is nearly of the same height with the rest of the coast, and shows a surface composed of several peaked rocks unequally high. A little to the S.E. of it are some smaller islands, and, without them, breakers. I have before observed that this is the most desolate coast I ever saw. It seems entirely composed of rocky mountains without the least appearance of vegetation. These mountains terminate

in horrible precipices, whose craggy summits spire up to a vast height; so that hardly anything in nature can appear with a more barren and savage aspect than the whole of this country. The inland mountains were covered with snow, but those on the sea-coast were We judged the former to belong to the main of Terra del Fuego, and the latter to be islands, so ranged as apparently to form a coast.

not.

After three hours' calm, we got a breeze at S.E. by E. and having made a short trip to south, stood in for the land; the most advanced point of which, that we had in sight, bore E., distant ten leagues. This is a lofty promontory, lying E.S.E. nineteen leagues from Gilbert Isle, and situated in latitude 55° 26' S., longitude 70° 25′ W. Viewed from the situation we now were in, it terminated in two high towers; and within them a hill shaped like a sugarloaf. This wild rock therefore obtained the name of York Minster. Two leagues to the westward of this head appeared a large inlet, the west point of which we fetched in with by nine o'clock, when we tacked in forty-one fathoms water, half a league from the shore to the westward of this inlet was another, with several islands lying in the entrance. During the night between the 19th and 20th, we had little wind easterly, which in the morning veered to N.E. and N.N.E., but it was too faint to be of use; and at ten we had a calm, when we observed the ship to drive from off the shore out to sea. We had made the same observation the day before. This must have been occasioned by a current; and the melting of the snow increasing, the inland waters will cause a stream to run out of most of these inlets. At noon, we observed in latitude 55° 39′ 30′′ S., York Minster, then bearing N. 15° E., distant five leagues; and Round-hill, just peeping above the horizon, which we judged to belong to the isles of Saint Ildefonso, E. 25° S., ten or eleven leagues distant. At ten o'clock, a breeze springing up at E. by S., I took this opportunity to stand in for the land, being desirous of going into one of the many ports which seemed open to receive us, in order to take a view of the country, and to recruit our stock of wood and water.

In standing in for an opening, which appeared on the east side of York Minster, we had forty, thirty-seven, fifty, and sixty fathoms water, a bottom of small stones and shells. When we had the last soundings we were nearly in the middle between the two points that form the entrance to the inlet, which we observed to branch into two arms, both of them lying in nearly N., and disjoined by a high rocky point. We stood for the eastern branch as being clear of islets; and after passing a black rocky one, lying without the point just mentioned, we sounded and found no bottom with a line of a hundred and seventy fathoms. This was altogether unexpected, and a circumstance that would not have been regarded, if the breeze had continued; but at this time it fell calm, so that it was not possible to extricate ourselves from this disagreeable situation. Two boats were hoisted out, and sent ahead to tow; but they would have availed little, had not a breeze sprung up about eight o'clock, at S.W. which put it in my power either to stand out to sea, or up the inlet. Prudence seemed to point out the former; but the desire of finding a good port, and of learning something of the country, getting the better of every other consideration, I resolved to stand in; and as night was approaching, our safety depended on getting to an anchor. With this view we continued to sound, but always had an unfathomable depth.

Hauling up under the east side of the land which divided the two arms, and seeing a small cove ahead, I sent a boat to sound; and we kept as near the shore as the flurries from the land would permit, in order to be able to get into this place, if there should be anchorage. The boat soon returned, and informed us that there was thirty and twentyfive fathoms water, a full cable's length from the shore. Here we anchored in thirty fathoms, the bottom sand and broken shells; and carried out a kedge and hawser, to steady the ship for the night.

CHAPTER II.—TRANSACTIONS IN CHRISTMAS SOUND, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE COUNTRY AND ITS INHABITANTS.

THE morning of the 21st was calm and pleasant. After breakfast, I set out with two boats to look for a more secure station. We no sooner got round, or above the point, under which the ship lay, than we found a cove in which was anchorage in thirty, twenty, and fifteen fathoms, the bottom stones and sand. At the head of the cove was a stony beach, a valley covered with wood, and a stream of fresh water; so that there was everything we could expect to find in such a place, or rather more; for we shot three geese out of four that we saw, and caught some young ones, which we afterwards let go.

After discovering and sounding this cove, I sent Lieutenant Clerke, who commanded the other boat, on board, with orders to remove the ship into this place, while I proceeded farther up the inlet. I presently saw that the land we were under, which disjoined the two arms, as mentioned before, was an island, at the north end of which the two channels united. After this I hastened on board, and found everything in readiness to weigh; which was accordingly done, and all the boats sent ahead to tow the ship round the point. But, at that moment, a light breeze came in from the sea too scant to fill our sails; so that we were obliged to drop the anchor again, for fear of falling upon the point, and to carry out a kedge to windward. That being done, we hove up the anchor, warped up to and weighed the kedge, and proceeding round the point under our stay-sails, there anchored with the best bower, in twenty fathoms; and moored with the other bower, which lay to the north, in thirteen fathoms. In this position we were shut in from the sea by the point above mentioned, which was in one with the extremity of the inlet to the east. Some islets, off the next point above us, covered us from the N.W., from which quarter the wind had the greatest fetch; and our distance from the shore was about one-third of a mile. Thus situated, we went to work, to clear a place to fill water, to cut wood, and to set up a tent for the reception of a guard, which was thought necessary; as we had already discovered, that, barren as this country is, it was not without people, though we had not yet seen any. Mr. Wales also got his observatory and instruments on shore; but it was with the greatest difficulty he could find a place of sufficient stability, and clear of the mountains, which everywhere surrounded us, to set them up in; and at last he was obliged to content himself with the top of a rock, not more than nine feet over.

Next day I sent Lieutenants Clerke and Pickersgill, accompanied by some of the other officers, to examine and draw a sketch of the channel on the other side of the island; and I went myself in another boat, accompanied by the botanists, to survey the northern parts of the sound. In my way, I landed on the point of a low isle covered with herbage, part of which had been lately burnt; we likewise saw a hut; signs sufficient that people were in the neighbourhood. After I had taken the necessary bearings, we proceeded round the east end of Burnt Island, and over to what we judged to be the main of Terra del Fuego, where we found a very fine harbour encompassed by steep rocks of vast height, down which ran many limpid streams of water; and at the foot of the rocks, some tufts of trees, fit for little else but fuel. This harbour, which I shall distinguish by the name of the Devil's Basin, is divided, as it were, into two, an inner and an outer one; and the communication between them is by a narrow channel five fathoms deep. In the outer basin, I found thirteen and seventeen fathoms water, and in the inner, seventeen and twenty-three. This last is as secure a place as can be, but nothing can be more gloomy. The vast height of the savage