April 1830. compassES AFFECTED—CAPE HORN. 431 
wind failed entirely. During the night we had a breeze that 
would have carried us down to the latter spot, but wishing to 
see, and take bearings of the land as I went, I did not profit 
by it; and in the morning was bafiled with light airs and a 
current setting to the northward. 
“17th. During the early part of the day we had light 
variable winds, scarcely sufficient to help us against the cur- 
rent which seemed to set constantly into the bay, from the sea, 
at the rate of about one knot an hour. The manner in which 
our compasses were affected in this bay was remarkable ; all of 
them being extremely sluggish, and, unless continually shaken, 
they did not show the proper magnetic bearings, or agree 
together, nearer than two points. I sharpened the centres with 
much care, and examined the agate caps, without improving 
the results. The compasses considered the best in other places, 
were here as bad as the worst; an excellent one, upon Alexan- 
der’s principle, with central jimbals, being nearly useless. In 
trying the compasses on shore, the a cards with large 
needles had been less affected by local influence than light deli- 
eate cards of Kater: the heavy ones having averaged 24° vari- 
ation along the whole coast, though Kater’s differed in some 
places as much as from 19° to 28°; agreeing nearly with each 
other, but not with Gilbert’s or Alexander’s compasses, in both 
of which were cards comparatively heavy. 
“ We passed much too close to West Cape, but having 
fortunately cleared it, ran along the land before a moderate 
breeze, and rounded Cape Spencer at dusk. ‘The weather was 
so thick that Cape Horn could not be seen, and we mistook 
the former for the famous cape; especially as, in that view, 
the lower part of Cape Spencer looked like the head of a 
double-horned rhinoceros: but as we drew nearer, Cape Horn 
appeared. The wind failed as we entered the Bay of St. Francis, 
and left us to the alternative of anchoring in deep water, or 
driving about with the current: we therefore anchored off San 
Joachim Cove, near the Seal Rock. The night proved fine, 
so we lay quietly till next morning, and then made sail to 
a breeze from the northward and anchored in San Martin 
