FORTER S JOURNAL. 



69 



. -As I before remarked, the soundings between Cape San 

 Diego and Terra del Fuego were regular, as to depth, but 

 the bottom differed in a slight degree. The first cast of 

 the lead near San Diego, we had small pieces of rock, and 

 red and white coral ; when at the distance of two or three 

 miles, we had small red and white coral, in its appearance 

 as if it had been some time detached from the rocks ; but, 

 when mid-channel, small round pieces of clear red and 

 white coral, bearing the appearance of pebbles, and evi- 

 dently owing their form to the violent friction occasioned 

 by the rapid current of the streights. There was not the 

 slightest mixture of sand, or any other matter, with them ; 

 every piece was about the size of a small pea, and, with 

 the exception of colour, as uniform in their appearance ; 

 they were different from any soundings I had tieretofbre 

 met with, and I doubt if such are to be found in any other 

 part of the world. 



As I before observed, some of my guns were put below, 

 the spars taken from the upper and put on the gun-deck, 

 and the weight considerably reduced aloft. Added to 

 these measures, the best sails were bent, preventer- shrouds 

 got up to secure the masts, and every other means adopted 

 that prudence could suggest, or our ingenuity invent, to 

 render our passage as free from disaster as possible. We 

 were entering the bourn of all our dread with a pleasant 

 breeze from the northward and a smooth sea, felicitating our- 

 selves on our fortunate and pleasant passage through the 

 streights, and our prospects of a safe and speedy one around 

 the Cape. It was in my power to have steered a direct course 

 for Cape Horn; but the weather continuing remarkably 

 hazy, I thought it most prudent to keep aloof from the 

 land, and steered more to the southward until the morning ; 

 when there appearing a prospect of a change of weather, I 

 changed my course for the island of Diego Ramirez, which 

 is to the southward and westward of the Cape. 



On the meridian of the 1 4th, the horizon was somewhat 

 clear; the wind moderate from the westward; the sun 

 shining out bright ; and, with the exception of some dark 

 and lowering clouds to the northward, we had every pros- 

 pect of pleasant weather. The Cape was now in sight, 

 bearing north, and Diego Ramirez bearing northwest ; and 

 the black clouds before mentioned, served well to give ad- 



