After dinner we hoisted out three boats, and landed with a large party of men; some to kill seals; others to catch or kill birds, fish, or what came in our way. To find of the former, it mattered not where we landed; for the whole shore was covered with them; and, by the noise they made, one would have thought the island was stocked with cows and calves. On landing, we found they were a different animal from seals, but in shape and motion exactly resembling them. We called them lions, on account of the great resemblance the male has to that beast. Here were also the same kind of seals which we found in New Zealand, generally known by the name of sea-bears; at least, we gave them that name. They were, in general, so tame, or rather stupid, as to suffer us to come near enough to knock them down with sticks; but the large ones we shot, not thinking it safe to approach them. We also found on the island abundance of penguins and shags; and the latter had young ones almost fledged, and just to our taste. Here were geese and ducks, but not many; birds of prey, and a few small birds. In the evening we returned on board, our boats well laden with one thing or other.
Next day being January the 1st, 1775, finding that nothing was wanting but a good harbour to make this a tolerable place for ships to refresh at, whom chance or design might bring hither, I sent Mr. Gilbert over to Staten Land in the cutter, to look for one. Appearances promised success, in a place opposite the ship. I sent also two other boats for the lions, &c. we had killed the preceding day; and soon after, I went myself, and observed the sun’s meridian altitude at the N. E. end of the island, which gave the latitude 54° 40ʹ 5ʺ south. After shooting a few geese, some other birds, and plentifully supplying ourselves with young shags, we returned on board, laden with sea-lions, sea-bears, &c. The old lions and bears were killed chiefly for the sake of their blubber, or fat, to make oil of; for, except their harslets, which were tolerable, the flesh was too rank to be eaten with any degree of relish. But the young cubs were very palatable; and even the flesh of some of the old lionesses was not much amiss; but that of the old males was abominable. In the afternoon, I sent some people on shore to skin and cut off the fat of those which yet remained dead on shore; for we had already more carcasses on board than necessary; and I went myself, in another boat, to collect birds. About ten o’clock Mr. Gilbert returned from Staten Land, where he found a good port, situated three leagues to the westward of Cape St. John, and in the direction of north, a little easterly, from the N. E. end of the eastern island. It may be known by some small islands lying in the entrance. The channel, which is on the east side of these islands, is half a mile broad. The course in is S. W. by S. turning gradually to W. by S. and west. The harbour lies nearly in this last direction; is almost two miles in length; in some places near a mile broad; and hath in it from fifty to ten fathoms water, a bottom of mud and sand. Its shores are covered with wood fit for fuel; and in it are several streams of fresh water. On the islands were sea-lions, &c. and such an innumerable quantity of gulls as to darken the air when disturbed, and almost to suffocate our people with their dung. This they seemed to void in a way of defence, and it stunk worse than asafœtida, or as it is commonly called, devil’s dung. Our people also saw several geese, ducks, and race-horses, which is also a kind of duck. The day on which this port was discovered, occasioned my calling it New Year’s Harbour. It would be more convenient for ships bound to the west, or round Cape Horn, if its situation would permit them, to put to sea with an easterly and northerly wind. This inconvenience, however, is of little consequence, since these winds are never known to be of long duration. The southerly and westerly are the prevailing winds; so that a ship can never be detained long in this port.
As we could not sail in the morning of the 2d, for want of wind, I sent a party of men on shore to the island, on the same duty as before. Towards noon we got a fresh breeze at west; but it came too late, and I resolved to wait till the next morning, when, at four o’clock, we weighed with a fresh gale at N. W. by W. and stood for Cape St. John, which, at half-past six, bore N. by E. distant four or five miles. This cape, being the eastern point of Staten Land, a description of it is unnecessary. It may, however, not be amiss to say, that it is a rock of considerable height, situated in the latitude of 54° 46ʹ South, longitude 64° 7ʹ West, with a rocky islet lying close under the north part of it. To the westward of the cape, about five or six miles, is an inlet, which seemed to divide the land; that is, to communicate with the sea to the south; and between this inlet and the cape is a bay; but I cannot say of what depth. In sailing round the cape, we met with a very strong current from the south: it made a race which looked like breakers; and it was as much as we could do, with a strong gale, to make head against it.
After getting round the cape, I hauled up along the south coast; and as soon as we had brought the wind to blow off the land, it came upon us in such heavy squalls as obliged us to double-reef our topsails. It afterwards fell, by little and little, and at noon ended in a calm. At this time Cape St. John bore N. 20° east, distant three and a half leagues; Cape St. Bartholomew, or the S. W. point of Staten Land, S. 83° west; two high detached rocks N. 80° west; and the place where the land seemed to be divided, which had the same appearance on this side, bore N. 15° west, three leagues distant. Latitude observed 54° 56ʹ. In this situation we sounded, but had no bottom, with a line of one hundred and twenty fathoms. The calm was of very short duration, a breeze presently springing up at N. W., but it was too faint to make head against the current, and we drove with it back to the N. N. E. At four o’clock the wind veered at once to S. by E. and blew in squalls attended with rain. Two hours after, the squalls and rain subsided, and the wind returning back to the west, blew a gentle gale. All this time the current set us to the north; so that, at eight o’clock, Cape St. John bore W. N. W. distant about seven leagues. I now gave over plying, and steered S. E. with a resolution to leave the land; judging it to be sufficiently explored to answer the most general purposes of navigation and geography.
CHAP. IV.
OBSERVATIONS, GEOGRAPHICAL AND NAUTICAL, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE ISLANDS NEAR STATEN LAND, AND THE ANIMALS FOUND IN THEM.
The annexed chart will very accurately shew the direction, extent, and position of the coast, along which I have sailed, either in this or my former voyage; and no more is to be expected from it. The latitudes have been determined by the sun’s meridian altitude, which we were so fortunate as to obtain every day, except the one we sailed from Christmas Sound; which was of no consequence, as its latitude was known before. The longitudes have been settled by lunar observations, as is already mentioned. I have taken 67° 46ʹ for the longitude of Cape Horn. From this meridian, the longitudes of all the other parts are deduced by the watch; by which the extent of the whole must be determined to a few miles; and whatever errors there may be in longitude, must be general. But I think it highly probable, that the longitude is determined to within a quarter of a degree. Thus the extent of Terra del Fuego from east to west, and consequently that of the Straits of Magalhaens, will be found less than most navigators have made it.
In order to illustrate this, and to show the situations of the neighbouring lands, and, by this means, make the annexed chart of more general use, I have extended it down to 47° of latitude. But I am only answerable for the inaccuracy of such parts as I have explored myself. In laying down the rest, I had recourse to the following authorities.
The longitude of Cape Virgin Mary, which is the most essential point, as it determines the length of the Straits of Magalhaens, is deduced from Lord Anson, who made 2° 3ʹ difference of longitude between it and the Strait Le Maire. Now as the latter lies in 65° 22ʹ, Cape Virgin Mary must lie in 67° 52ʹ, which is the longitude I have assigned to it, and which, I have reason to think, cannot be far from the truth.
The Strait of Magalhaens, and the east coast of Patagonia, are laid down from the observations made by the late English and French navigators.
The position of the west coast of America, from Cape Victory northward, I have taken from the discoveries of Sarmiento, a Spanish navigator, communicated to me by Mr. Stuart, F. R. S.