to the Strait of Magellan, Bl 



last escaped from these periJs. We conducted ourselves now 

 •wholly by the soundings: at first the depth increased, then it 

 diminished, and we came on a shoal of only 3| fathoms: we thea 

 changed our course, involved in endless doubts, which were 

 rather augmented than removed by the line \ as it at one time 

 pointed out as favourable a direction which, at another, led 

 us into new dangers. 



Easy winds and the tide had hitherto preserved us ; but, as it 

 would have been highly improper any longer to commit to 

 such conductors the fate of the frigate, and seeing the fog grow- 

 ing every moment more dense, deprived of the sight of even 

 the nearest objects, we dropped anchor in 8| fathoms, when 

 we waited for a better conjunction to continue our course, al- 

 though we were totally ignorant of our position ; so that, in 

 case of any accident, such as our cables giving way, we were as 

 likely^ to have taken a wrong direction as a right. 



In the afternoon of the nth the horizon cleared up a little; 

 and, although the wind was from NE. but moderate, the cur- 

 rent being in our favour, we got under-sail, having at last got 

 ' a view of Cape Possession, within which bay we had lain ; and 

 all the rest of the morning we continued turning to windward, 

 with the tide still favouring us. It was not without trouble and 

 anxiety, that, after all, we got clear of the strait being obliged 

 to pass between the Cape de las Virgenes, and a shoal or sand- 

 » bank, formerly discovered and pointed out by Sarmiento. The 

 wind had drawn round to the N. and NNW. and then all at 

 once passed to the SW. with great fury, attended by lightning 

 and rain. We were thus again reduced to the necessity of 

 sounding, and to drive under bare poles, for the violence of 

 the wind. At 9f p.m. we had a glimpse through the dark 

 clouds of Cape de las Virgenes, which, at if in the morning 

 following, lay to the north of us. The wind now abated so 

 much that we were able to set some sail ; so that, about break 

 of day, on Saturday the 18th of March, we enjoyed the un- 

 hoped-for happiness of being entirely out of the Strait of 

 Magellan, and on our way for Spain. 



SECTION IV. 

 Return to Cadiz, 



It has been said, that, at ^ past 1 in the morning of the iSth, 

 we were in the mouth of the Strait of Magellan, N. and S. with 

 Cape de las Virgenes. The high wind from SSW. which had 

 forced us to run out with such disorder, cleared the atmos- 



M 2 



