CAPE HORN. 



5 



November, we had approached within ten or 

 twelve miles of Cape Horn ; and in sailing round 

 to enter the Pacific, had an opportunity of seeing 

 it on a variety of bearings. Under every aspect, 

 it presents a bold and majestic appearance, wor- 

 thy of the limit to such a Continent. It is a high, 

 precipitous, black rock, conspicuously raised above 

 all the neighbouring land, utterly destitute of ve- 

 getation, and extending far into the sea in bleak 

 and solitary grandeur. 



As little interest would be taken in the details 

 of a voyage unaccompanied by hardships or dan- 

 gers, it may be sufficient here to state, that, after 

 struggling for a fortnight against the prevalent 

 westerly winds, during which we reached at one 

 time the latitude of 62^ south, we succeeded in 

 getting sufficiently far into the Pacific, to be able 

 to haul to the northward, and to steer a direct 

 course for Chili, without apprehension of being 

 again driven towards the land about Cape Horn ; 

 an embarrassment in which the early voyagers 

 were fi-equently involved. 



In justice, however, to those persevering men, 

 it is right to explain, that in their day the state 



