PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
S2 
wind hauled to west-north-west, I stood to the northward: but an 
opportunity presenting itself for taking a lunar observation, we, 
to our great disappointment and regret, discovered, that we were 
only in the longitude of 75 ° 20 ' west, which is about the longi¬ 
tude of cape Pilor, the westernmost part of Terra del Fuego. It, 
therefore, became necessary to stand again to the south-west, and 
endeavour to make sufficient westing, to guard against a future 
disappointment of this nature. We had felt apprehensive of a 
current setting constantly to the eastward, but did not believe 
that it could, in two days, have taken us four degrees to the east¬ 
ward of our reckoning. But great and mortifying as this disco¬ 
very was to us, it was not to be overcome but by renewed efforts 
and fortitude; and as the wind hauled round to the northward, it 
gave us a prospect of soon recovering our lost ground. I, there¬ 
fore, permitted the crew to continue to draw their increased al¬ 
lowance of bread, as I did not wish them to feel the extent of my 
disappointment; which, perhaps, would have been attended with 
a depression of their spirits ; and might have produced that dread¬ 
ful disease, the scurvy, from which we have been hitherto exempt 
in a most extraordinary degree, not the least symptom yet appear¬ 
ing on board. The crew, notwithstanding their constant labour, 
fatigue, and privations, have enjoyed most extraordinary spirits. 
They continued their usual diversions during the gales; labour¬ 
ed with cheerfulness, when labour was requisite ; not a murmur 
or complaint was heard; but all seemed determined to share with 
their officers every fatigue, and to exert themselves to the ut¬ 
most, to conquer every difficulty. To be sure, we had not been long 
in those seas : but since we had left America, they have been de¬ 
prived of almost every comfort of life; and so great was their 
desire now for fresh provisions, that a rat was esteemed a dainty, 
and pet monkeys were sacrificed to appease their longings. Our 
provisions and our water still continued good; the bread, to be 
sure, had been attacked by worms and weavils, but they had on¬ 
ly in a slight degree altered its qualities; our peas and beans, 
however, had not escaped so well, for, as in this cold climate the 
allowance of water enabled us to spare enough, to permit the boil¬ 
ing and use of them, I directed them to be served; but on open- 
