■72 



PORTER S JOURNAL. 



hail ; and as this enabled us to steer northwest, and (allow- 

 ing for the drift and variation) make a north course good, 

 which I believed would take us clear of the west point of 

 Terra del Fuego, I got all the yards well secured, by pre- 

 venter-braces ; and, by watching a favourable opportunity, 

 set the close-reefed fore and main topsails, and reefed 

 foresail. The squalls came at intervals of from fifteen to 

 twenty minutes, with so little warning, and with such tre- 

 mendous blasts, that it was impossible to shorten sail ; for 

 to have started the sheets, after they had struck the ship, 

 would have been attended with the certain loss of the sail. 

 I therefore saw no alternative, but running before the 

 wind while they lasted, and as soon as they were over, 

 which was generally in two or three minutes, hauled again 

 by the wind. Thus, by the utmost attention and care, we 

 were enabled to get along, at the rate of between five and 

 six miles per hour ; and on the 21st, found ourselves, by es- 

 timation, in the latitude of 57° 30' south, and the longitude 

 of 77" west. We had now fair prospects of soon getting 

 around. I had made large allowances for drift and lee- 

 way; and believed ourselves as far to the west as our 

 reckoning gave us, which I considered fully sufficient to 

 take us clear of all land, if the westerly winds should pre- 

 vail. And having now no doubt of succeeding speedily 

 in my passage to a friendly port, where we could get sup- 

 plies, I, to the great joy of ail on board, ordered the allow- 

 ance of bread to be increased to two thirds. 



Although we deemed ourselves more fortunate than 

 other navigators had been, in getting around Cape Horn, 

 (for we considered our passage now as certain, with a to- 

 lerable slant of wind,) yet we had not been without our 

 share of hardships. The weather had for some days been 

 piercing cold ; this, with the almost constant rains and 

 hails, and the water shipped from the heavy seas, and from 

 leaks, kept the vessel very uncomfortable, and the clothes 

 of the officers and crew very uncomfortably wet. The ex- 

 tremities of those who had formerly been affected by the 

 frost, became excessively troublesome to them, so much so 

 as to prevent some from doing their duty; from this 

 cause I myself was a considerable sufferer. Many, 

 also, felt severely the great want of shoes, and the neces- 

 sary quantity of woollen clothing. Their allowance of 



