38 



CAPE CORRIENTES. 



[1822. 



villas, with a mazy forest of masts, surmounted by the flags of almost 

 every nation, were all fast fading in the distance ; and to the din. noise, 

 and bustle of a crowded city had succeeded a calm more congenial 

 to a contemplative mind. 



After leaving behind us the leaning cone, which so forcibly reminds 

 one of the celebrated falling tower of Pisa, and obtained a good 

 offing, we shaped our course to the south-west, and crossed the tropic 

 of Capricorn, in long. 43° 6' 20" W. Had not the season been rapidly 

 advancing which ought to find us in the high latitudes, so that every hour 

 was precious, I would have remained another day at St. Sebastian's, to 

 witness the celebration of a high religious festival in honour of the 

 " nativity of the Blessed Virgin ;" an important day among the Catho- 

 lics, who celebrate it with great pomp in all countries. 



Our next object being to survey the coast of Patagonia, from Cape 

 Corrientes to Cape Virgins, on the Magellan Straits, we steered for 

 the first-named cape, in as direct a course as variable winds would 

 permit. In this passage we encountered many heavy falls of rain, at 

 which times we had the wind from the north or north-east. 



September 17 th. — On Tuesday, the 17th, at seven A. M., the mo- 

 notony of a ten-days' passage without an incident was agreeably in- 

 terrupted by the cry of " Land, ho !" from the mast-head. " Land, 

 ho ! off the starboard bow !" This proved to be Cape Corrientes, 

 bearing W. by S., distant three leagues. At eleven A. M. we were 

 close in with it, about one mile off-shore, wind west, and fair weather ; 

 and at twelve M. we ascertained its latitude to be 37° 57' S., long. 

 57° 36' 45" W. from Greenwich. Variation by azimuth 1G° 45' 

 easterly. 



In tracing the coast of the Pampas, called by the Spaniards the 

 Devil's Country, from Cape Corrientes to the west, for such is the di- 

 rection of the coast along here, the land appears very low, with 

 scarcely any elevated point to relieve the monotony of its appearance. 

 Multitudes of wild cattle were grazing on the wide-spreading plains or 

 meadows, which extended to the very beach, covered with grass and 

 clover, and intersected with numerous Daths and little creeks or ditches. 

 We hugged the coast along for some time, without meeting with any 

 thing worthy of remark, until we came to an extensive inlet, running 

 westerly, designated by the name of White Bay, as yet but little 

 known to navigators, although it is properly the coast-mark of Pata- 

 gonia's northern boundary. It lies in lat. 39° 15' S., long. 61° 50' 

 W., running into the land westwardly, at a point where the direction of 

 the coast suddenly changes to the south. Mount Hermosa rises close 

 by, a little to the north-east. With the single exception of this bay, 

 there is no inlet between Buenos Ayres and Rio Colorado that will 

 admit a boat at low water. This latter river is in lat. 39° 49' S., 

 long. 61° 57' W. From White Bay the coast resumes its southerly 

 direction. 



September 20^A. — On Friday, the 20th day of September, we were 

 close in with the Bay of All Saints, in lat. 40° 30' S., long. 62° 0' 

 W., but did not stop to examine it, being anxious to enter Rio Negro 

 on the following day. To the southward of Rio Colorado, or Red 



