As this was the first run that had been made directly across this ocean, in a high southern latitude[[14]], I have been a little particular in noting every circumstance that appeared in the least material; and after all, I must observe that I never made a passage any where of such length, or even much shorter, where so few interesting circumstances occurred. For, if I except the variation of the compass, I know of nothing else worth notice. The weather had been neither unusually stormy nor cold. Before we arrived in the latitude of 50°, the mercury in the thermometer fell gradually from sixty to fifty; and after we arrived in the latitude of 55°, it was generally between forty-seven and forty-five; once or twice it fell to forty-three. These observations were made at noon.
I have now done with the Southern Pacific Ocean; and flatter myself that no one will think that I have left it unexplored; or that more could have been done, in one voyage, towards obtaining that end, than has been done in this.
Soon after we left New Zealand, Mr. Wales contrived, and fixed up an instrument, which very accurately measured the angle the ship rolled, when sailing large and in a great sea; and that in which she lay down, when sailing upon a wind. The greatest angle he observed her to roll was 38°. This was on the 6th of this month, when the sea was not unusually high; so that it cannot be reckoned the greatest roll she had made. The most he observed her to heel or lie down, when sailing upon a wind, was 18°; and this was under double-reefed topsails and courses.
On the 18th, at three in the morning, we sounded again, and found one hundred and ten fathoms, the same bottom as before. We now made sail with a fresh gale at N. W. and steered S. E. by E. along the coast. It extended from Cape Deseada, which bore N. 7° E., to E. S. E., a pretty high ragged isle, which lies near a league from the main, and S. 18° E. six leagues from Cape Deseada, bore N. 49° E. distant four leagues; and it obtained the name of Landfall. At four o’clock, we were north and south of the high land of Cape Deseada, distant about nine leagues; so that we saw none of the low rocks said to lie off it. The latitude of this Cape is about 53° S. longitude 74° 40ʹ W.
Continuing to range the coast, at about two leagues distance, at eleven o’clock we passed a projecting point, which I called Cape Gloucester. It shows a round surface of considerable height, and has much the appearance of being an island. It lies S. S. E., 1⁄2 E., distant seventeen leagues from the Isle of Landfall. The coast between them forms two bays, strewed with rocky islets, rocks, and breakers. The coast appeared very broken with many inlets; or rather it seemed to be composed of a number of islands. The land is very mountainous, rocky, and barren, spotted, here and there, with tufts of wood, and patches of snow. At noon Cape Gloucester bore N. distant eight miles, and the most advanced point of land to the S. E. which we judged to be Cape Noir, bore S. E. by S. distant seven or eight leagues. Latitude observed 54° 13ʹ S. Longitude made from Cape Deseada, 54ʹ E. From Cape Gloucester, off which lies a small rocky island, the direction of the coast is nearly S. E.; but to Cape Noir, for which we steered, the course is S. S. E., distant about ten leagues.
At three o’clock, we passed Cape Noir, which is a steep rock of considerable height, and the S. W. point of a large island that seemed to lie detached a league or a league and a half from the main land. The land of the Cape, when at a distance from it, appeared to be an island disjoined from the other; but, on a nearer approach, we found it connected by a low neck of land. At the point of the Cape are two rocks; the one peaked like a sugar-loaf, the other not so high, and showing a rounder surface; and S. by E. two leagues from the Cape are two other rocky islets. This Cape is situated in the latitude of 54° 30ʹ S. longitude 73° 33ʹ W.
After passing the two islets, we steered E. S. E. crossing the great bay of St. Barbara. We but just saw the land in the bottom of it; which could not be less than seven or eight leagues from us. There was a space, lying in the direction of E. N. E. from Cape Noir, where no land was to be seen: this may be the Channel of St. Barbara which opens into the Straits of Magalhaens, as mentioned by Frezier. We found the Cape to agree very well with his description; which shows that he laid down the channel from good memoirs. At ten o’clock, drawing near the S. E. point of the bay, which lies nearly in the direction of S. 60° E. from Cape Noir, eighteen leagues distant, we shortened sail, and spent the night standing off and on.
At two o’clock in the morning of the 19th, having made sail, we steered S. E. by E. along the coast, and soon passed the S. E. point of the Bay of St. Barbara, which I called Cape Desolation; because near it commenced the most desolate and barren country I ever saw. It is situated in the latitude of 54° 55ʹ S., longitude 72° 12ʹ W. About four leagues to the east of this Cape is a deep inlet, at the entrance of which lies a pretty large island, and some others of less note. Nearly in this situation some charts place a channel leading into the Straits of Magalhaens, under the name of Straits of Jelouzel. At ten o’clock, being about a league and a half from the land, we sounded, and found sixty fathoms water, a bottom of small stones and shells.
The wind, which had been fresh at N. by W. began to abate, and at noon it fell calm, when we observed in latitude 55° 20ʹ S., longitude made from Cape Deseada 3° 24ʹ E. In this situation we were about three leagues from the nearest shore, which was that of an island. This I named Gilbert Isle, after my master. It is nearly of the same height with the rest of the coast, and shows a surface composed of several peaked rocks unequally high. A little to the S. E. of it are some smaller islands, and, without them, breakers.
I have before observed that this is the most desolate coast I ever saw. It seems entirely composed of rocky mountains without the least appearance of vegetation. These mountains terminate in horrible precipices, whose craggy summits spire up to a vast height; so that hardly any thing in nature can appear with a more barren and savage aspect than the whole of this country. The inland mountains were covered with snow, but those on the sea-coast were not. We judged the former to belong to the main of Terra del Fuego, and the latter to be islands, so ranged as apparently to form a coast.