*0 Cordovans Voyage of D 'movery 



we met with about two leagues S. 66^ W. from the mouth of 

 the narrow pass of Esperanza, otherwise called the First Pass. 



The wind, which had freshened in the fore part of the former 

 night, this day increased much ; and it being impossible to set 

 ^ail, a^ the tide was strong against us, our situation, for the 

 greatest part of the day, became extremely critical. The fate 

 of the frigate depended on the resistance of cables, already 

 severely handled, opposed to a furious wind, a heavy sea, and 

 to the current of the tide, which, at 8 p.m. would take the 

 same direction with the wind. If our cable should give w^ay, we 

 would remain in a narrow pass, between two mouths, engaged in 

 a small space, where it was impossible to tack in the dark, or in- 

 <ieed to take any other course for our safety, on account of the 

 shoals running out a long way from both shores, as well as of 

 the incalculable alteration in the situation of the ship, produced 

 by the current. To let go another anchor was useless, as its 

 cable, being single and less strong than that one already out, it 

 would certainly give way when the first should fail. But, most 

 fortunately, about 10 p.m. the wind abated, and we began to 

 conceive good hopes of at last being delivered from such terrible 

 situations. In the evening ot the l6th, the wind being northerly, 

 but very feeble, we began to proceed out of the strait: how- 

 ever, it soon changed to the NE. which obliged us to turn up 

 against it,— an employment disagreeable enough in itself in 

 these parts, but particularly so now ; as we could perceive that 

 this cross wind did not extend much behind us to the westw^ard. 

 This opposition in the direction of the winds happening 

 several times before w^e got out of the strait, show^ed that those 

 from the NE. however strong they may be at the entrance, 

 never extend far into that part, where the westerly winds 

 seemed to have established their unrivalled dominion. 



The tide was now setting towards the NE.: we ran through 

 the first pass, and, at 7 p.m. we came into anchor in 7 fathoms 

 sand and stones, a little to the eastward of the mouth, and very 

 close to the shore of the continent on the north. Soon after 

 this, the tide changed its direction to the SW. and the water 

 rose to 9 fathoms ; but, continuing still to run in that direction, 

 at 12 it began to diminish, and, at 5, remained under faths. 



It will not be difficult to conceive our distress, on findmg our- 

 selves, in addition to all other unfavourable circumstances, now 

 in the midst of an unknown current, of w^hose duration we were 

 totally ignorant. However, notwithstanding there was a thick 

 fog, which prevented us from seeing the land, in a situation full 

 of dangers, which by land-marks alone can be avoided, we set 

 §ail, and, by the help of the tide, and variable light winds, at 



