154 cook's second voyage dec. 



in this ocean, and came to a resolution to steer di- 

 rectly for the west entrance of the Straits of Magal- 

 haens, 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 

 vyould be of more advantage, both to navigation and 

 to geography, than any thing 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 double-reef the 

 fore and main topsail, to hand the mizen topsail, and 

 get down the fore top-gallant yard. In the morning, 

 the bolt rope of the main topsail broke, and occasioned 

 the sail to be spilt. 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 canvass. 

 At noon, latitude 55° 20' S., longitude 134° 16' W., 

 a great swell from N. W. albatrosses and blue pete- 

 rels seen. 



Next day towards noon, the wind abating, we 

 loosed all the reefs out of the topsails, rigged another 

 top-gallant mast, and got the yards across. P.M. 

 little wind, and hazy weather 5 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. 



