the beginning of the winter itself^ with moonlight 

 nights ; for in that season the winds begin to vary 

 to the eastward." Colnet's Voyage, p. 19. Col- 

 net doubled it in April, and had a favourable 

 time; whereas Anson and Bligh attempted it in 

 March, a summer month, in those latitudes. The 

 former succeeded, under incredible difficulties ; the 

 latter failed, and bore up for the Cape of Good 

 THope. 



When after twelve days of continued efforts, 

 captain Bligh found himself driven more than six 

 degrees out of his course, he expresses himself as 

 follows : It was with much concern I saw how 

 hopeless, and even unjustifiable, it was, to per- 

 sist any longer in attempting a passage this way to 

 the Society Islands. We had been thirty days in 

 this tempestuous ocean. At one time we had ad- 

 vanced so far to the westward as to have a fair 

 prospect of making our passage round ; but from 

 that period, hard gales of westerly winds had con- 

 tinued without intermission, a few hours excepted^ 

 which, to borrow an expression in Lord Anson's 

 Voyage, " were like the elements drawing breath 

 to return upon us with redoubled violence." The 

 season (April) was now too far advanced to expect 

 more favourable winds and weather, and we had 

 sufficiently experienced the impossibility of beating 

 round against the wind, or of advancing at all 

 without the help of a fair wind, for which there 

 was little reason to hope." Bligh's Voyage, p. 33. 



In speaking of this passage round the Cape, 

 Langsdorff says, " The captain thought it right to 

 hasten his departure as much as possible, as it was 

 by no means desirable to sail round Cape Horn 

 very late in the season. The frightful pictures given 

 by Commodore Anson, ^ of the passage round this 



VOL. 1. S 



