52 Cordovans Forage of Discovert/ 



phere, and the moon being remarkably bright, we easily dis* 

 cerned the land, and were able to form our course, which, some 

 hours before, was a very difficult point, both on account of the 

 violent winds and the darkness of the nightj and of the shoals 

 which Sarmiento lays down to the eastward of the mouth of the 

 strait. However, having escaped so many dangers as sur- 

 rounded us some time before, our situation in the mouth, which 

 was about 7 or 8 leagues over, did not appear to be so very 

 hazardous. 



At 2f A.M. being due E. from Cape de las Virgenes, 7 or 8 

 miles off, we found 25 fathoms fine sand, from which point we 

 steered away NE. 5° E. the wind having veered round from 

 W. toNW. byW. 



The morning of the 18th was clear and delightful. It is 

 impossible to describe the joy which prevailed throughout the 

 ship's company, when they saw themselves at last delivered from 

 the imminent dangers with which, for the space of three months, 

 they had been surrounded, and from which they had scarcely 

 hoped ever to escape. 



The seaman, who seldom cultivates his mind or elevates his 

 heart, by extending his views beyond the enjoyments and suf- 

 ferings of the present time, receives no consolation, in his la- 

 bours, from the consideration that, from them, may result assist- 

 ance and advantage to his fellow-creatures who may come into the 

 situations through which he passed. But this reflection afforded 

 great delight to our officers, who observed also, that the general 

 good health enjoyed by their men promised a successful voyage 

 to Europe. In the whole crew there was only one man whose 

 case required much attention, on account of a venereal com- 

 plaint he had contracted before we left Spain; for, although 

 there were five others indisposed, four of them with fevers, in 

 consequence of cold, and one with an attack on the lungs, yet 

 their complaints were of little importance. 



On the 19th and 20th, we saw vast numbers of w^hales, of 

 which, with proper implements and arrangements, many might 

 have been taken. 



Till the 21st, we had a very heavy sea from the NE. to N. 

 drawing more and more to the latter point as we got farther 

 out from the land; from which we concluded, that the NE. 

 wnnds we had met with in the Strait of Magellan had been part 

 of the strong north gales so frequently found in this part of 

 the Ocean. This day, at 9 p.m. we saw a meteor, which much 

 surprised us ; for the weather was not of that kind that we 

 should expect lightning. It ran along parallel to the horizon, 

 throwing a greater ligtit than the brightest flash, and lasted 

 about four or five seconds. 



