90 Account of the. Loss of the 



all the instruments of the expedition, were saved. The expedi- 

 tion itself was, I may say, finished: I have now, in fact, no- 

 thing more to do than to effect my return to France, seeing that 

 the duty I ought to execute at the Cape of Good Hope was in 

 effect only the verification of the instruments, which can be done 

 equally well at Paris on my return. 



These coiis^iderations support our courage; and as we be- 

 lieve that we are tiie only sufferers by this event, we are pleased 

 to think that the object of the expedition will be fulfilled upon 

 our arrival in Europe. As I intend to give Your Excellency a 

 brief account of my proceedings since my departure from Sidney, 

 I will not interrupt the l.i-.torical order of my account, but will 

 immediately refer to the period when I set sail from Port Jackson. 



I departed from this harbour on the 25th of December, and 

 directed inv course between Van Dicmen's Land and New Zea- 

 land, On the 7th of January 1S20, 1 doubled the southern ex- 

 tremity of the latter island, passing in sight of Campbell's Island, 

 of which I determined the position, and made the geography. 

 From this moment till my making land at Terra del Fuego 1 ex- 

 perienced an uninterrupted course of favourable winds; I stood 

 southward to the latitude of 59 degrees, and met with floating 

 ice to an extent of about five or six degrees of latitude, but which 

 quitted n;e as i advanced further towards the south. 



On the 5th of February I made the land of Terra del Fuego, 

 on the passage from the Cape of Desolation of Cook; the 

 weather was as frightful as the coast. I made many attempts 

 to enter Christmas harbour, but the unfavourable weather pre- 

 vented me. 1 then determined to steer for the Bay of Good 

 Succei^s, in Lemaire's Straits, which Cook mentions as affording 

 verv good shelter. 



I doubled Cape Horn on the night of the 5 th: the next 

 morning the weather was very finc;; and although the clearness 

 of the sky was ihe indication of an approaching tempest, I was 

 far from anticipating the violence of that which we were about 

 to experience. 



I, however, arrived in safety at Good Success Bay : but 

 ficarcelyhad we let fall the anchor, when some violent squalls from 

 the south-east, blowing from the mountains, compelled us to drive 

 before the wind. The violence of the storm was such as left no 

 time for hesitation ; I therefore inlmediately ordered the cable to 

 be cut, lay-to under try-sails, and it soon became necessary to 

 take in every bit of sail. We passed a dangerous night in Le- 

 maire's Straits, and as soon as we got through them we were 

 obliged to leave the ship to the mercy of the wind. This hurri- 

 cane (the most violent that any of us ever recollected) conti- 

 nued two days, ajjd it was not until the expiration of that time 



that 



