356 



HISTORY OF THE SEA. 



southwest. While in the middle of the Atlantic, the crew of 

 the Concord were startled by her receiving a violent blow upon 

 her bottom, although no rock was visible. The color of the sea 

 around them changed suddenly to red, as if a fountain of 

 blood had been discharged into it. A large horn, of a substance 

 resembling ivory, and solid, not hollow, was subsequently found 

 in the ship's side, having passed through three of her planks 

 and entered the wood to the depth of a foot, leaving at least a 

 foot more upon the outside. The vessel had evidently been in 

 collision with a narwhal or sea-unicorn, and the broken horn and 

 the crimsoned water plainly showed which had suffered most 

 from the shock. 



Late in October, the ships' companies were informed of the 

 design of the voyage, and readily consented to engage in a 

 scheme which promised both distinction and emolument. Early 

 in December, they made the coast of Patagonia, some three 

 hundred miles to the north of Magellan's Strait. Here the 

 Horn, the smaller of the two vessels, caught fire by accident 

 and was destroyed. Her iron-work, guns, and anchors were 

 transferred to the Concord. On the 24th, the Concord passed 

 the Strait of Magellan, and was soon in the latitude where 

 Schoutcn and Lemaire hoped to make their grand discovery. 

 While Terra del Fucgo was still in sight upon their right hand, 

 they noticed a high, rugged island upon their left, which they 

 named Staten Land, or Land of the States. The ship passed 

 between the two, and f^on after rounded the promontory which 

 advanced the farthest into the sea, to which, in honor of the port 

 from which the expedition had sailed, Schouten gave the name 

 of Cape Horn. He then launched into the South Sea, being 

 the first who passed completely round the South American con- 

 tinent. Lemaire claimed the honor of giving his name to the 

 strait which had brought them to the Cape, — one which clearly 

 belonged to Schouten, as the leader and pilot of the expedition. 

 The strait is still known by the name of the supercargo, geo- 



