NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 
875 
of the same year, Oliver van Nooit, another Dutchman, anchored off Cape Virgins, 
and after struggling for 117 days against gales and bad weather, reached the Pacific 
on the 29th February 1600. On April 3rd 1615, Joris Spilbergen, also a Dutchman, 
entered the strait and reached the Pacific on the 6th May, occupying 33 days in 
transit. In this voyage the first good chart of the route taken was constructed by 
Cornelius May. 
In January 1616 Le Maire and Sell ou ten discovered the passage round Cape Horn, 
and the Strait of Magellan lost its importance directly it was known that another route 
existed by which ships could reach the South Sea. Information of this discovery 
reaching Spain, the Spanish Government despatched two small vessels to verify it, under 
the command of Bartolome Garcia de Nodel and his brother Goncalo. They rounded 
Cape Horn and returned to the Atlantic through Magellan Strait in February and March 
1619, having circumnavigated Tierra del Fuego. 
After 1616, vessels bound to the South Sea appear to have more generally 
preferred the route round Cape Horn to that through the Strait of Magellan. Some 
adventurous captains, however, tried the latter route. Sir John Narborough took 
25 days to make the passage in October and November 1670. He constructed a 
very good plan of the channels, and after visiting the coast of Chili, returned through 
the strait in January 1671. Captain John Strong in 1690 took 100 days to reach the 
Pacific in the months February to May. M. de Gennes failed to get through in 1696. 
M. de Beauchesne in 1699 passed Cape Virgins on June 24th, but did not succeed in 
reaching the South Sea until January 21st 1700, being thus 211 days in the strait. 
Commodore Byron in 1765 took 58 days, sailing through in February to April, and 
Captain Wallis in 1767 occupied 116 days in transit from December 1766 to April 17 67. 
Cook did not use this route, preferring the passage round Cape Horn, nor is there much 
other information respecting it until H.M. ships “Adventure” and “Beagle” were 
despatched to explore it in 1826. They traced all the channels in the vicinity of the 
strait, ascertained the position and extent of the anchorages described by the older 
navigators, and constructed an excellent chart of the whole southern part of America. 
It would however be a mistake to suppose that in the six years occupied by these 
surveying ships on this work, the various channels had been surveyed with that 
minuteness which is characteristic of the present style ; such accuracy could not possibly 
have been attained in five times the number of years occupied by Captains King and 
Fitz Roy on these inclement coasts. Theirs was essentially a preliminary work, which 
requires to be followed by detailed surveys, such as that of H.M. 8. “ Nassau ” in 1866-69 
of the eastern half of the strait ; but considered only as preliminary, it deserves great 
praise, and their chart has enabled navigators to steer with the utmost confidence from 
the Atlantic to the Pacific, as, although in many parts capable of much improvement 
in detail, the general run of the channels is laid down with accuracy. 
