177L ROUND THE WORLD. 1 



/ / 



fill near six o'clock, we made sail to the east, with a 

 fine breeze at north. For since we had explored 

 the south coast of Terra del Fuego, I resolved to do 

 the same by Staten Land ; which I believed to have 

 been as little known as the former. At nine o'clock 

 the wind freshening, and veering to X.AV. we tacked, 

 and stood to S.W. in order to spend the night ; winch 

 proved none of the best, being stormy and hazy, with 

 rain. 



Next morning, at three o'clock, we bore up for the 

 east end of Staten Land, which, at half past four, 

 bore S. 60° E. the west end S. ^2 C E. and the land of 

 Terra del Fuego S. 40° W, Soon after I had taken 

 these bearings, the land was again obscured in a thick 

 haze, and we were obliged to make way, as it were, in 

 the dark ; for it was but now and then we got a 

 sight of the coast. As we advanced to the east, we 

 perceived several islands, of unequal extent, lying 

 off the land. There seemed to be a clear passage be- 

 tween the easternmost and the one next to it, to the 

 west. I would gladly have gone through this passage, 

 and anchored under one of the islands, to have waited 

 for better weather ; for on sounding we found only 

 twenty-nine fathoms water ; but when 1 considered 

 that this was running to leeward in the dark, I chose 

 to keep without the islands, and accordingly hauled 

 offtothe north. At eight o'clock we were abreast of 

 the most eastern isle, distant from it about two miles, 

 and had the same depth of water as before. I now 

 shortened sail to the three top-sails, to wait for clear 

 weather ; for the fog was so thick, that we could see 

 no other land than this island. After waiting an 

 hour, and the weather not clearing up, we bore, and 

 hauled round the east end of the island, for the sake 

 of smooth water and anchorage, if it should be ne- 

 cessary. In hauling round, we found a strong race 

 of a current, like unto broken water; but we had no 

 less than nineteen fathoms. We also saw on the 

 island abundance of seals and birds. This was a 



VOL. IV. N 



