May.] 



THE ST AIT OF MAGELLAN. 



81 



the western pom of this entrance, a dark rocky island, in latitude 54° 

 31' S., long. 73° 15' W. Three leagues south-east-by-south from 

 this cape are the La Tour Isles ; and eight leagues north-west from 

 Cape Noir is Cape Gloucester, in latitude 54° 6' S., long. 73° 34' 

 30" W. This latter cape is high and round, having much the ap- 

 pearance of an island. 



About sixteen leagues to the north-west of Cape Gloucester is 

 Land-fall Island, which presents a high and rugged appearance ; and 

 between the two are many rocks and reefs, stretching about two 

 leagues from the shore. The coast now runs north-west-by-west to 

 Cape Deseado, between which and Land-fall Island is one chain of 

 small islands. North of Cape Deseado is Cape Pillar, the north-west 

 extremity of Terra del Fuego, and constituting the southern boundary 

 of the western entrance into the Straits of Magellan. 



Having thus assisted the reader in doubling Cape Horn, and piloted 

 him fairly into the Pacific Ocean, without exposing him to a single 

 danger, I shall now conduct him back to Staten Land, in the Atlantic ; 

 and from thence invite him to accompany me on another route to the 

 same place ; viz. through the Strait of Magellan. 



April 29. — On Tuesday, the twenty-ninth of April, at six o'clock, 

 P. M., we weighed anchor, and sailed from Staten Land, with a fine 

 south-westerly breeze and fair weather ; our course in steering for 

 the Strait of Magellan being west-north-west. Leaving Capes St. 

 Diego and St. Vincent on our left, we soon came abreast of St. Innes, 

 in latitude 54° 7' S., long. 66° 58' W. This is a very remarkable 

 part of the coast, from the appearance of a table-land, which mariners 

 generally calculate to make when they are bound round Cape Horn. 

 From Cape St. Innes to Cape St. Sebastian, the course is west-north- 

 west-half-north, distance about twenty leagues. The shore between the 

 two last-mentioned capes is rocky, and dangerous to approach in the 

 night. Cape St. Sebastian is the southern boundary of a channel of 

 the same name, which is navigable by small vessels, and runs into the 

 Strait of Magellan. Fourteen leagues north-west from Cape St. Se- 

 bastian is Queen Catherine's Foreland, in latitude 52° 42' S., long. 

 68° 27' W. Variation per azimuth 23° 15' easterly. This cape 

 forms the southern boundary of the Atlantic entrance to the Strait of 

 Magellan, being the north-east extremity of Terra del Fuego. Cape 

 Virgin, the south-east point of Patagonia, forms the northern boundary 

 of the same strait. 



May 1st. — On Thursday, the first day of May, we arrived in safety 

 at the east entrance of the Strait of Magellan. At four o'clock, P. 

 M., we passed Queen Catherine's Foreland, with the wind at south- 

 west, and fair weather. It may be proper to remark in this place, that 

 thick or wet weather is very uncommon on the east coast of Patago- 

 nia. We continued to ply westwardly during the night, keeping one 

 man constantly in the chains, heaving the lead. # 



May 2d. — On Friday morning, at five o'clock, A. M., we passed the 

 narrows, with a strong tide in our favour ; and at nine, P. M., we came 

 to anchor in the harbour of Cape Negro, in five fathoms of water, 

 clay bottom. F 



