THE COAST OF CHILI. 121 



great joy, found that the water had not reached 

 my instruments, which were on a high place ; it 

 found its way into the hold, and there had done 

 great damage. After the storm had abated a 

 little, a very considerable quantity of our best bis- 

 cuit was taken out quite reduced to a pap. This 

 was a very great loss for us, which we could not 

 repair. The water had likewise forced its way 

 into the powder-room, and damaged a considerable 

 quantity of powder. 



The l6th of January in latitude 49° 5\ longitude 

 63° 31", a fresh north wind, with beautiful wea- 

 ther, brought us nearer to Cape Horn ; at noon 

 we sounded, and found 60 fathoms' water, over a 

 bottom of grey sand. On the 19th, at eight o'clock, 

 A. M. we descried Cape St. John, at the distance 

 of forty miles ; at noon, the weather being very 

 fine, the frightful country of Staatenland appeared. 

 Cape St. John lay S.W. 12°, 25 miles distant; the 

 current set strong to the E.N.E. Towards mid- 

 night we had doubled Staatenland ; the wind blew 

 strong from the north. I bent my course to the 

 S.S.W., in order, for security, to keep distant from 

 the shore J and, contrary to the custom of other 

 navigators, I took then a more westerly course, to 

 double Cape Horn as sharp as possible. On the 

 22d, at four o'clock, A. M. we crossed the me- 

 ridian of Cape Horn, in 57° SS' south latitude, 

 which was evidently a great advantage to us ; as 

 we had not gone so far to the south as others used 



