z6z The V O Y 
On' the 2- 1 ft of December , when they were in the Lati- 
tude of 40° South, they were furprifed by an Hurricane, 
attended with Thunder and Lightning. All they could 
do was to furl their Sails, and lie at the Mercy of the 
Wind arid Waves : The Sea ran fo very high, that they 
expefted every Moment to be fwallowed. In this Storna 
they were feparated from the Tienhoven , and did not meet 
with her again till three Months afterwards. The Violence 
of the Hurricane lafted about four Hours, but was not 
Intirely over in fome Days. It was very happy for the Com- 
modore, that, infpiteof the prodigious Force of the Wind, 
his Mails flood firm. Thefe Hurricanes are extremely 
dangerous, and Ships often founder through their Violence. 
They are far more frequent in the Weft, than they are in 
the Eaft Indies. They happen ufually at one Seafon of 
the Year, particularly when the Weft Monfoon reigns, 
which is from the 20th of July to the 15th of October.. 
For this Reafon, on Coafts where they are frequent, 
Veflels often continue in Port, till they imagine they have no- 
thing of this kind to fear. But,, as Storms of this fort are 
not. exactly periodical, and as there are fome Years in 
which happen no Hurricanes at all, Ships trailing to fuch 
Calculations, or to certain pretended Prognoftics, are very 
often caught. In the Mediterranean they have a kind of 
Hurricane, which returns every Year at the fame time, or 
very near it. In the Neighbourhood of the Ganges , they 
have annually eight Hurricanes, as the moil experienced 
Mariners report. They call thefe kind of Storms here, as 
well as in th q. Mediterranean, by the Name of the Elephant. 
Such as fail to Japan , are often expofed to fuch rough En- 
counters ; and, therefore, the Voyage to that Eland is 
juftly reputed the moll hazardous of any in the Indies. It 
is reported, (but I do not alfert it) that Ships have fome- 
times fpent three Years in the adjacent Seas, without being 
able to hit their intended Port. The ordinary, or at lealt 
the fureft. Sign of an Hurricane, is very fair Weather, and- 
fo dead a. Calm,, as that not a Wrinkle can be difcerned ; 
then a Cloud, about the Size of a Man’s Hand, rifes in 
the Air, very dark-, and, in a little time, the whole Sky 
is covered.. The Wind then begins to blow from the 
Weft, and,, in a fmall Space of Time, whisks round the 
Compaft, fwelling the Sea to- a dreadful Height ; and, as the 
Wind blows now on the one Side, and then on the other, 
the Shock of the contrary Waves beats theVeffels fo for- 
cibly, that they very rarely efcape Shipwreck. Such as 
perceive the Cloud early, cannot do better than to get out 
to Sea... It is very remarkable, that, as Ships approach 
either Pole, thofe Hurricanes are lefs frequent, fo that, in 
an higher Latitude than 55 0 , they are not to. be feared. It 
is true, that the Winds towards the Poles blow with 
greater Force, and the Air is more fha-rp and piercing 
but then- contrary Winds are not fo often met with, or, to 
fpeak with greater Propriety, the Wind does not move fo- 
rapidly round the Compaft. The Winds aifo in that 
Quarter fink more gradually than under the Tropics, where 
they fuddenly Dwell to the greateft Height, and then as 
fuddenly ceafe to blow. The Caufe, poffibly, of this Dif- 
ference may be, the Warmth of Air between the Tropics, 
and the eonftant South or. North Wind under the Pole. 
It is likewife obferved, that this Hurricane rarely happens 
in the rnidfl of the wide Ocean, but chiefly on the Coafts. 
of fuch Countries as abound with Minerals, or at the 
Mouths of great Rivers.. Another iurprifing Phenomenon 
at Sea is, what they call a Whirlwind, and which, in fome 
Countries, is called a Siphon, Thefe are, occaficned by 
the Sun, and are diftinguifhed from other Winds by a 
kind of fpiral Motion, which carries up into, the Air what- 
ever comes within the Circle of their Force. It fometimes 
happens, that they carry .Fifh, Grafs-hoppers, and- other 
Things, very high in the Air, where they appear like a 
thick Vapour or Cloud. Th e Englijh fire at a Whirlwind, 
in order to flop its Progreft ; and in this they often fucceed ; 
and, the circular Motion ccafing, all that it had taken up, 
falls of itfelf, and the Sea becomes prefentiy calm. But 
it is time to leave this Digreffion, and to return again to 
the Hiftory of our Voyage. 
As foon as the Hurricane was intirely over, the Com- 
modore, and his Confort the, African Galley , continued a 
South South- weft Courfe, 'till, by the Afftftance of the 
AGES of Book I, 
Land Winds, they were in the Height of the S freights of 
Magellan. 
7. There they difcovered an Eland of near 200 Leagues 
in Circumference, and at the Difiance of about fourfcore 
Leagues from the Main-land of America \ and, as they 
faw no Smoke, nor any Boat, or other Embarkation, on 
the Coafl, they concluded that it was uninhabited. A 
French Privateer difcovered the Weft Coafl of it, and 
called it the Eland of St. Lewis ; but the Dutch , obferving 
its many Capes, fanfied them to be fo many different 
Elands , and therefore bellowed on them the Name of the 
New IJlands. This Squadron firft difcovered the Eland 
all round, and particularly the Eaft Coafl of it; the firft' 
viable Points of which they named the Points of Rofen- 
t'hall , becaufe they were firft difcovered by a Captain of 
that Name, who commanded the African Galley ; the 
uttermoft Eaftern Point they called New-TeaA s Cape , be- 
caufe difcovered upon that Day : This Eland lying in the 
Latitude of 52 0 South, and in the Longitude of 95 0 , they 
called it Belgia Auftralis, becaufe, whenever it comes to be 
inhabited, fuch as dwelt thereon will be ftriclly and 
properly Antipodes to the Inhabitants of the Low Coun- 
tries. The Land appeared extremely beautiful, and 
very fertile : It was chequered with Mountains and Valleys, 
all of which were clothed with very fine ftrait Trees. 
The Verdure of the Meadows, and the Frefhnefs of the 
Woods, afforded a moil, delightful Profpecf, infomucli 
that all the Ships Companies agreed, that, if they had 
landed, they fhould have found excellent Fruits : But the 
Commodore would not allow them to land, for fear of 
lofing Time and, from an Apprehenfion, that any Delay 
might hinder his getting round Cape Horn , he therefore 
chofe to defer a thorough Examination of this new Country, 
till he fhould return from the Difcovery of the Southern 
Continents and Iflands ; but that, alas! however reafonable, 
proved, as in the Sequel we fhall fee, a vain Expectation, 
becaufe he was obliged to return home with his Squadron 
by the Eaft Indies. This fine Eland, therefore, is like to 
continue ftill, in a great meafure, unknown and the Com- 
modore regretted exceffively his not laying hold of that 
fair Opportunity of Ipending a few Days there, which, 
perhaps, might have produced the fixing a Colony on that 
Jfiand ; from whence, without doubt, many other con- 
fiderable Difcoveries might, in a fhort time, have been- 
conveniently made. 
8 . Quitting this Eland, they returned to the Mouth of 
the Streights of Magellan , in order to wait therefor a Wind 
favourable to their Navigation ; and, in a few Days, it 
very luckily changed ; for, if it had continued to blow from 
the Weft, they could not poffibly have obtained their Paf- 
fage into the South Seas. This they were refolved to 
attempt by the Streights of Le Maire , becaufe this laft 
Paffage is infinitely more commodious than that of Ma- 
gellan, where the Sea has but a fmall Depth, and the North 
and South Currents, by their meeting, occafioned con- 
ftant rough Seas. Add to this, that the Bottom is rocky, 
and affords no good Anchorage ; and that the Flaws from 
the Mountains on both Sides endanger all Ships that ven- 
ture into thefe perilous Streights: But, having, as is before 
obferved, a fair Wind, they continued their Courfe to the 
South, in order to pafs the Streights of Le Maire. In 
their Way they law abundance of Whales, and other large 
Eifti. of that kind: Amonglt the reft, they were followed 
for a whole Month by that kind of Fifh which the Dutch 
Sailors call the Sea Devil . They took the utmoft Pains to 
catch it, but to no Purpofe. It has a large Head, a thick 
fhort Body, and a very long Tail, like that which Painters 
bellow on the Dragon. Arriving at length in the Height 
of 55 0 , they began- to conceive they could not be far diftant 
from the Mouth of the Streights, and immediately after 
they faw Siatefland , which makes one Side of them. The 
Fury of the Waves, and the Clafhing of contending Cur- 
rents, gave fuch terrible Shocks to their Veffels, as made 
them reel in fuch a manner, that they expected every Mo- 
ment their Yards would have broken, and their Malls come 
by the Board. In this Situation they would have been glad to 
come to an Anchor, efpecially when they found, by found- 
ing, that the Bottom was very good ; but the Weather was 
fo rough as not to- permit it.,. 
They 
