OVALLE's historical relation of CHILE; 



97 



were ftore of the pinguin birds, and abundance of whales. After having paffed the 

 fecond ftraight, there are ftill more iflands, the firft is called of the Angels, and is 

 full of the birds we have mentioned. The fecond is named the ifland of the Patagoons, 

 or giants, becaufe they faw there fome of them. Near the fhell-port there are other 

 eight iflands ; and a little before the entrance into the South-Sea, there are feveral 

 other iflands, which mufl be very little, for the ftraights are there very narrow. Some 

 may defire to know, whether, befides this entrance of the ftraight of Magellan, there 

 are any other, by which fliips may fail from the North-Sea to the South. Touching 

 which, the relation of George Spilberg fays, that there is one by the cape, which they 

 called Prouvaert. Some Englifh likewife, who have failed that way, are of the fame 

 opinion ; for which they cite father Acofta, of our fociety, in his Oriental Hiftory, 

 tranflated by John Hugh Linfcot, chap. lo. in the end : as may be feen in the already 

 cited John and Theodore de Brye, who add, that many other authors do agree in this 

 opinion ; and that thofe of Spilberg's fleet, before they came to the ftraight, faw this 

 opening on the north fide ; but they did not dare to go into it, becaufe they had 

 exprefs orders to pafs the ftraight of Magellan ; and befides, that which added to this 

 refolution, was the obfervation they made of the great force with which the waves met 

 each other at this opening, inforhuch that the fea feemed to boil. 



This is all that I have met with in authors about this opinion, which even John and 

 Theodore de Brye look upon as falfe ; becaufe neither the Spaniards nor Dutch ever 

 faw this fecond canal ; but rather that the whole land of Fuego is one great continued 

 ifland, which they prove by the relation of the navigation made by the Nodales, who 

 were fent to fearch for the ftraight of St. Vincent, and who went round the Tierra del 

 Fuego, without finding any fuch opening, or any other than that of Magellan and 

 St. Vincent ; and yet I am of another opinion, and hold the firft for certain ; and this 

 does not contradidV the opinion of Spilberg, who does not fay, that the opening he faw 

 was on the fouth, but on the north fide, towards the land of Chile ; and fo, though 

 the land of Fuego be an ifland, it does not follow that there may not be an entrance 

 on the north fide. But let us leave that to time to make out, and fay fomething of 

 the ftraight of St. Vincent, which is the fecond paflfage from the North to the 

 South-Sea. 



CHAP. IV. — The fame Matter is continued, and the Ufefulnefs of the Commerce between 

 Chile and the Philippine Iflands is made out, 



IN the year 1619, the king fent, in the month of October, the two caravals which 

 I mentioned above, to fearch the ftraight of St. Vincent, becaufe about that time it was 

 reported in Spain, that James Le Maire had difcovered it. Thefe two fhips failed to 

 the bay of St. Gregory, which is near the eaft entrance of the ftraight of Magellan ; 

 from whence they failed along all that coaft, where they faw and converfed with a fort 

 of giants, who were at leaft the head higher than any of the Europeans ; and they 

 exchanged for fciflars, and other baubles, gold, which it feems, is the produft of that 

 country : after which they failed fouth-weft round the Tierra del Fuego, till they came 

 to the mouth of this new ftraight, which they called the ftraight of St. Vincent ; and 

 before they entered it, they failed along the ftiore of this new difcovered land, keeping 

 it always on the right hand, their courfe eaft-north-eaft, as it tends. 



They failed about thirty leagues ; and not having difcovered all that way, not as far 

 as they could fee, any opening or inlet, they returned to the opening of the ftraight 



VOL. XIV. ' o oi 



