to the Strait (if Magellan. ' 1 1 



cbast of Patagonia are by no naeans so regular as some naviga- 

 tors have imagined them to be. It is a very common notion^ 

 that the number of leagues of distance from the land is, in ge- 

 neral, equal to the number of fathoms of water in the sound- 

 ings ; but, on the contrary, in approaching the coast, we some- 

 times found that the depth of water, instead of diminishing, in- 

 creased : so that the true guide is the sight of the land, when 

 there is generally from 18 to 24 fathoms, as many navigators 

 have remarked » 



There is not the smallest danger in approaching the Patago- 

 iiiart coast, which is every-where clean and safe, excepting only 

 in south latitude 48^ 34', where there is a shoal lying five or 

 six leagues out from the shore. The two brothers Nodal, who 

 examined these seas in 1619, and M. de Bougainville in 1764, 

 have both fixed its position, agreeing very nearly as to its lati- 

 tude; so that there can be no doubt as to its existence. 



From the time that we came into soundings we saw a prodi- 

 gious number of sea-fowl, as well as of whales, and sea-lions 

 or seals, which abound all over these seas. 



On the 18th December at sunset, at last, we had the happi- 

 ness to obtain a sight of the land, five or six leagues off, iii 

 south latitude 51^; but the horizon being dim, we could not 

 know precisely what part it was: only we concluded, from the 

 latitude, that it was the bay at the mouth of the river Santa 

 Cruz. We w^ere then in 45 fathoms water, with brown and 

 black sand. All night we stood on along the coast, steering S. 

 and S. by W. sounding from time to lime, from 48 to 43 fathoms, 

 fine brown and black sand ; and, in the morning, observed 

 Cape de Barreras Blancasj called by Wallis and other foreign- 

 ers Cape Fair Weather^ According to observations at noon, 

 this cape lies in south latitude 5l^3l'30''; and measuring the 

 difference of meridians between it and Cape de las Virgines, 

 afterwards correctly determined, its longitude is 62^40' 30" W* 

 from Cadiz. 



To the southward of Cape Fair Weather we observed sevea 

 little hills a good way up from the shore, but very near one to 

 another, and all about the same height, w^hich, for these rea-* 

 sons, we called Los Frayles (the Friars). 



At 11 A.M. we got within sight of the long-looked-for Cape 

 de las Virgines. The wind had blown very strong all the day 

 from the SW. ; but at 3 p.m. it fell calm, when, considering 

 that we might ride in safety under the shelter of the land, with- 

 out being driven to leeward, should the wind become more vio- 

 lent and contrary, we resolved here to wait jfor a favourable 

 opportunity for entering the Strait of MagelSn, of which the 



