ovalle's historical relation of chile. 93 



This land, called Terra del Fuego, is that which forms the fouth fide of the 

 ftraights of Magellan, extending itfelf the whole length of the flraights, eaft and weft, 

 above one hundred and thirty leagues. Formerly, before the ftraights of St. Vincent, 

 otherwife called the ftraights of Le Maire, were difcovered, this land was thought to 

 be joined to fome other great continent of the Terra Auftralis, which was fuppofed 

 to join to New Guinea, or the iflands of Solomon ; and Ortelius, in his geography, is 

 of this opinion ; but upon the difcovery of the other ftraights of St. Vincent, that 

 doubt has been cleared, feveral having gone through them to the South-Sea; and 

 among the reft, two caravals fet out by the king's command, in the year 1618, on 

 purpofe to view thefe ftraights, which it was faid had been difcovered by James Le 

 Maire, which caravals were commanded by Don Juan de More. 



Thefe two veflels fet out from Liftjon in the month of October 161 8, and being come 

 to the eaft entrance of the ftraights of Magellan, they pafled by it, and ran along all 

 that coaft, without finding any entrance, till they came to that of Le Maire, which 

 they went through, in lefs than one day's time ; after which they turned to the fouth, 

 and afterwards to the weft : they went round all the Terra del Fuego ; and failing 

 north, came to the weft entrance of the ftraights of Magellan, into which they entered, 

 and failed through them to the North Sea. Having thus made a circle clear round the 

 Terra del Fuego, they proved it demonftratively to be an ifland feparate from all other 

 land. The fame was done by Sir Richard Hawkins, an Englifh gentleman, who having 

 paffed the ftraight of Le Maire, failed for five and forty days to the fouth, without 

 finding any land contiguous to the Terra del Fuego, but many iflands, as related by 

 Antonio de Herrera, chap. 27, of the defcription of the Weft Indies. The fame has 

 been confirmed by feveral, who being driven by ftorms from their intended courfe, 

 have been forced to run towards the fouth pole ; amongft the reft by Francis Drake, 

 who having paiTed the ftraights of Magellan the fixth of September, 1572, and being 

 got on the feventh, a degree from the ftraights, was carried by a ftorm two hundred 

 leagues to the fouth ; and coming to an anchor in fome of thofe iflands, he there found 

 that the fun being eight degrees from the tropic of Capricorn, the days were fo long, 

 that there was not above two hours night ; from whence he inferred, that when the 

 fun came to the tropic, there muft be a perpetual day of twenty-four hours. The 

 fame was experimented about two years ago, by the fleet of General Henry Brum ; 

 which having pafled the ftraights in April, were by the force of ill weather carried 

 into feventy-tuo degrees, and eaft anchor at the ifland of St. Bernard, to which they 

 gave the name of Barnevelt ; and it being about the entrance of winter, the days were 

 not above three hours long, fo that they expefted they would ftill fliorten till June, 

 when the fun being furtheft off from that hemifphere, would leave them in a total 

 night ; for this reafon, and becaufe of the hardinef^ of the weather, which increafed 

 every day, they durft not winter in that ifland, as they had a mind, but after a fort- 

 night's ftay in it, weighed anchor, and failed for Chile. In which voyage they made 

 but little advance, having always the wind a-head, infomuch that they were a whole 

 month doubling one cape, and loft in the endeavour their Tender, in which was the 

 beft part of their provifion. 



So much for the iflands belonging to the coaft of Chile ; but having alfo mentioned 

 the iflands of Solomon and New Guinea, to which antiently it was thought that the 

 land of Terra del Fuego was joined, it will be well to fay fomething of them. 



The author who writes the beft of them, is Antonio de Herrera, and from him is 

 taken what John and Theodore de Bry fay of them ; which is thus : 



The 



