to the Strait of Magellan. 



49 



fi-otny, — it being no uncommon thing, in this gloomy and horrid 

 region, even in the summer, to pass 15 or £0 days together, 

 without a sight of sun, moon, or stars. 



At last, on the 11th of March, after a residence of thirty- 

 nine days in Port Galan or St. Joseph, with winds so con- 

 stantly unfavourable, that it would have been impo.ssible for us 

 to have proceeded farther to the westward of the strait, we 

 set sail, on our return to the eastward, wiih a fresh gale from 

 SW". and, at noon, ratihed our observations of the latitude of 

 Cape Forward, by which we confirmed other positions which 

 had been determined relatively to that point. The wind abated 

 much in the night ; however, we kept under way till next day, 

 when we had it from NNW. to NW. which obliged us to 

 return to our usual exercise of tacking. It fell almost calm in 

 the mortiing, w^hen we came to anchor about three leagues N. 

 from Point S. Maria, and half a mile from the land. The night 

 continued calm, with dark cloudy weather. 



Soon after day-break we weighed, having a fine wind, but 

 unsteady from the W. : by it, however, we had the good fortune 

 to clear, without difficulty, the very dangerous pass between 

 Elizabeth Island and the Isles of S. Martha imd Magdalen, on 

 the E. At 1 P.M., favoured more by the current than by the 

 •wind, we ran through the narrow pass of S. Simon; and at half- 

 past four came to anchor in the Bay of S. Gregorio, having the 

 cape of that name S. 36^ W. distant three or four miles. 



Observing the beach to be lined with Patagonians, in great 

 numbers, all on horseback, and attended by multitudes of dogs, 

 some of our people went on-shore, and were received in their 

 wonted kind and friendly manner by these natives, who hap- 

 pened to be the same we had seen on our passage to the west- 

 ward. They brought seven of them on-board, who eat heartily 

 of what we set before them, showed much inclination to smoke 

 tobacco, and a vehement desire to obtain swords or hangers, 

 of which we exchanged a few with them for the skins of 

 lamas and zorillos. Some women had come down to the shore 

 with the men, but none of tnem chose to come off to the 

 frigate. 



On the 14th we again set sail ; but, by a singular contrariety 

 of the winds, we found them now as much to oppose our going 

 out of the strait as they had formerly resisted our coming into 

 it. They began to blow from the NE. quarter, which torced 

 us to tack ; and, in standing over to the southward, we fell quite 

 unexpectedly into shallow water. As it was then 5 p.m. and 

 we saw ourselves surrounded almost with shoals and sand- 

 banks, we set about finding some good anchor-ground, which 



Voyages and Travels, No, 5, Vol, II. h 



