On the 10th, a little before noon, latitude 54°, longitude 102° 7' west, passed a small bed of sea-weed. In the afternoon the wind veered to S.W., blew a fresh gale, attended with dark cloudy weather. We steered east half a point north; and the next day, at six in the evening, being in latitude 53° 35', longitude 95° 52' west, the variation was 9° 58' east. Many and various sorts of albatrosses about the ship.
On the 12th, the wind veered to the west, N.W.; and in the evening to north; and, at last, left us to a calm; that continued till midnight, when we got a breeze at south; which, soon after, veering to, and fixing at, west, we steered east; and on the 14th, in the morning, found the variation to be 13° 25' east, latitude 53° 25', longitude 87° 53' west; and in the afternoon, being in the same latitude, and the longitude of 86° 2' west, it was 15° 3' east, and increased in such a manner, that on the 15th, in the latitude of 53° 30', longitude 82° 23' west, it was 17° east; and the next evening, in the latitude of 53° 25', longitude 78° 40', it was 17° 38' east. About this time, we saw a penguin and a piece of weed; and the next morning, a seal and some diving peterels. For the three last days, the wind had been at west, a steady fresh gale, attended, now and then, with showers of rain or hail.
At six in the morning of the 17th, being nearly in the same latitude as above, and in the longitude of 77° 10' west, the variation was 18° 33' east; and in the afternoon it was 21° 38, being at that time in latitude 53° 16' S., longitude 75° 9' west. In the morning, as well as in the afternoon, I took some observations to determine the longitude by the watch; and the results, reduced to noon, gave 76° 18' 30" west. At the same time, the longitude, by my reckoning, was 76° 17' west. But I have reason to think, that we were about half a degree more to the west than either the one or the other; our latitude, at the same time, was 53° 21' S.
We steered E. by N. and E. 1/2 N. all this day, under all the sail we could carry, with a fine fresh gale at N.W. by W. in expectation of seeing the land before night; but not making it till ten o'clock, we took in the studding-sails, top-gallant sails, and a reef in each top-sail, and steered E.N.E., in order to make sure of falling in with Cape Deseada.
Two hours after, we made the land, extending from N.E. by N. to E. by S. about six leagues distant. On this discovery, we wore and brought-to, with the ship's head to the south; and having sounded, found seventy-five fathoms water, the bottom stone and shells. The land now before us could be no other than the west coast of Terra del Fuego, and near the west entrance to the Straits of Magalhaens.
As this was the first run that had been made directly across this ocean, in a high southern latitude*, 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.
[It is not to be supposed that I could known at this time, that the
Adventure had made the passage before me.]
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 top-sails 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 north 7° east, to E S.E.; a pretty high ragged isle, which lies near a league from the main, and S., 18° E. six leagues E. 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° 40' west.