450 



STRAIT LE MAIRE 



— GOOD SUCCESS BAY. 



1830. 



of getting fish is to give bits of broken glass or buttons to the 

 natives, who catch them in the kelp, by a baited line, without 

 a hook, enticing the fish to the top of the water and then 

 seizing them with the hand, or, if the fish has swallowed the 

 bait, jerking it out of the water before it can disengage itself ; 

 as I mentioned before. 



" At daylight (S4th), being off Cape Good Success, we bore 

 up, and ran towards the Strait of Le Maire, with a fresh gale 

 at south, and thick snow squalls. The strait appeared clear of all 

 obstacles, no rocks, nor even kelp being visible. The shore 

 from Cape Success to the north head of Success Bay is high 

 and bold, with water for a ship as near to it as she could 

 desire, or ought to go. W e hauled our wind during a severe 

 snow squall, lest we should run beyond the harbour, and 

 afterwards bearing up, ran into Good Success Bay, and anchor- 

 ed under the lee of its south head as a temporary berth. As 

 soon as the ship was secure, I went to look for the best anchor- 

 age ; and when it moderated, we weighed and shifted to a 

 position where I supposed the ship secure when moored in 

 smooth water, with sixty fathoms on our seaward anchor, and 

 fifty on the other, the anchors lying respectively in eight and 

 seven fathoms, over a clear, sandy bottom. The gale continued 

 during the day, and towards night increased, drawing more 

 to the eastward, and sending a swell into the bay. The wind 

 was very cold, and the snow and hail froze fast, as they 

 lodged upon any exposed part of the ship. Between eight 

 and nine it blew heavily ; afterwards it became much more 

 moderate ; and at midnight there was only a fresh wind from 

 E.S.E. A long swell then began to set into the bay from the 

 same quarter ; but the ship rode so easily, and the night 

 seemed to be improving so fast, with the glass rising steadily, 

 that I went to bed without an anxious thought respecting her 

 safety : however, I was hardly asleep when I was told that the 

 small bower, our seaward cable, had parted. I ran instantly 

 upon deck, when finding the night fine, and no increase of swell, 

 I thought at first it was a mistake ; but was quickly set right 

 by the ship turning her broadside to the swell, and dropping 



