42 Cordova's Forage of Discovert/ 



stretching along before the coast, which is low, and was rerj 

 hazy when we observed it : no dependance ought therefore to 

 be placed on our account of it. To the westward of the island 

 called Westminster Hall, are extensive groupes of islands, of 

 which the southernmost we laid down by accurate observation : 

 they were afterwards named, by our commander, Cevallos's 

 Islands. 



The coast of the continent, on the w^est of Cape Tamar, 

 seemed to consist of bare precipices, destitute of vegetation ; 

 and, although both coasts of the strait are much lower than in 

 the middle quarters, still the north coast is much less elevated 

 than that on the south. Having the opportunity of a clear sky, 

 when off Cape Caves, by means of 5 altitudes of the sun about 

 8f A.M. and Arnold^s chronometer, w^e found that point to be 

 in longitude 6^ 45' 32" W. from Cape Virgins, and 1^ \5' 7" W. 

 from Cape Monday. The latitude, at the same point, by an 

 observation at noon, was 52^ 47' 21" S. 



We cannot pass over in silence the singular occurrences of 

 that day, which was the second day in which, during our 

 voyage hitherto, the sun shone bright for some hours together. 

 This may appear to many persons a matter of no great im- 

 portance ; but the effect of it on our minds is not to be de- 

 scribed. For eighteen days the rain had never ceased to pour 

 upon us, generally with great violence ; we slept constantly 

 wet, at one time in our confined boats, at another on the beach 

 or the rocks, almost in the open air : our voyage had been 

 greatly retarded by contrary winds, and the weather seldom 

 allowed us to make the necessary observations for our purpose. 

 We had besides been reduced to short allowance, by the injury 

 done to our provisions by the rain. Any one of these misfor- 

 tunes would have been enough to dishearten us; but all uniting 

 together, were sufficient to destroy the hardiest constitution, 

 and to overcome the most determined perseverance. But that 

 one day, serene and temperate, w^hich carried us to the end of 

 our course, and enabled us to dry our clothes and stores, gave 

 new elasticit}^ to our minds, by shewing that we had vanquished 

 obstacles which, had they been foreseen, would have discou- 

 raged us from engaging in the enterprise. At 3 p. m. having 

 rowed twenty miles in eleven hours, we arrived at last at the 

 point of Cape Pillar, the western extremity of the Strait of Ma- 

 gellan, on the coast of Tierra del Fuego ; and that fortunate 

 event we celebrated by hoisting the Spanish flag, and saluting 

 it w^ith seven times " God save the King." The eagerness 

 and exertions of our seamen to reach the cape, which incessant 

 tempests had made us almost despair of ever attaining, are not 



