92 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
sail, that are at all times requisite to shorten the passage. It has 
been advised by some, to double the cape in the dead of winter; 
others have recommended the months of December and January, 
as the most favourable. I can only speak of the month of Febru¬ 
ary, and wquld advise them never to attempt it then. Indeed our 
sufferings (short as has been our passage) have been so great, that 
I would advise those bound into the Pacific, never to attempt the 
passage of Cape Horn, if they can get there by any other route ; 
and, this being the last piece of advice I have to give them on 
that subject, I shall resume my narrative. 
On the morning of the 6th, the Island of Mocha bore north-* 
west, by compass, about 20 miles distant, and we appeared about 
as far from the coast of Chili. Our soundings were then 60° fa¬ 
thoms, fine black and gray sand ; the winds light, inclining to 
calms; and a small current setting to the north. I stood for the 
island, keeping the lead going; and found the depth to decrease 
regularly, to within 2-1 miles of the south-east part, where we 
had 10 fathoms water, fine bluish sand. A sandy point makes 
out from this part of the island, on which stands an old tree, and 
off which are some breakers, which extend a quarter of a mile. 
This point I rounded, at the distance of one league, and had 10 
fathoms; the depth then soon increased to 15, when I hauled in 
for a remarkable gap, about the middle of the island, and anchor¬ 
ed in 12 fathoms water, with black sandy bottom; the south-east 
point bearing east-south-east, and the north point, north-north* 
east* We were then about two miles from the shore. 
