Thursday, 12th. First part, moderate breezes and Cloudy; remainder sometimes a fresh breeze, sometimes Calm, Hazey weather with rain. At 5 the wind coming to the Northward obliged us to Tack and Stood North-Westward, being then about 5 Miles from the Shore, and had 23 fathoms, sandy Bottom. At Midnight Tackt and Stood to the Eastward. At Noon the Land over the Entrance of Straits La Maire, East-North-East, distance, 7 leagues; Soundings from 28 to 38 fathoms. Wind North, North-North-East, variable, West-South-West; latitude 54 degrees 34 minutes South per observation.
Friday, 13th. The greatest part of this day little wind and Cloudy. At 8 p.m., Cape St. Diego, at the west entrance of Straits La Maire, East, distance about 5 leagues. Keept under an easey Sail until daylight, at which time we were abreast of Cape St. Diego, and then put into the Straits, but the Tide soon turned against us and obliged us to haul under the Cape again and wait until 9 a.m. when it shifted in our favour. Put into the Straits again with a Moderate breeze at South-West, which soon grew Boisterous with very heavy Squalls, with rain and hail, and obliged us to Close reef our Topsails. Wind North-East by East, West-South-West, South-West; latitude 54 degrees 39 minutes South; at noon, Cape St. Diego North 2 leagues.
[In Strait of Le Maire.]
Saturday, 14th. First part Strong Gales, and very heavy squalls with Hail and Rain; remainder more moderate but unsettled, sometimes a fresh breeze and Squally, and sometimes little wind. Kept plying in the Straits until 1/2 past 4 p.m., at which time the Tide had made strong against us, and the wind not abating, bore away, intending to have hauled under Cape St. Diego, but was prevented by the force of the Tide, which carried us past that Cape with surprising rapidity, at the same time caused a very great sea. At 6, the weather being Clear, took 9, or 3 sets of, Observations of the sun and moon in order to find the Longitude of the place, and as they perhaps are the first Observations of this kind that were ever made so near to the Extremity of South America, I have inserted them below just as they were taken, that everybody may judge for themselves.
COLUMN 1: NAME OF SET. COLUMN 2: TIME BY THE WATCH IN HOURS, MINUTES AND SECONDS. COLUMN 3: APPARENT TIME COMPUTED FROM IN HOURS, MINUTES AND SECONDS. COLUMN 4: OBSERVED DISTANCE. SUN AND MOON'S NEAREST LIMB IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND SECONDS. COLUMN 5: OBSERVED ALTITUDE. SUN'S LOWER LIMB IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND SECONDS. COLUMN 6: OBSERVED ALTITUDE. MOON'S UPPER LIMB IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND SECONDS. COLUMN 7: CORRECT ALTITUDE. SUN'S CENTER IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND SECONDS. COLUMN 8: CORRECT ALTITUDE. MOON'S CENTER IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND SECONDS. COLUMN 9: THE LONGITUDE RESULTING FROM BOTH SETS OF OBSERVATIONS IN DEGREES, MINUTES AND SECONDS.
-- : 8 27 15 : -- : 71 26 0 : 15 36 0 : 24 13 0 : -- : -- : --. -- : 8 30 30 : -- : 71 28 0 : 15 11 0 : 24 8 0 : -- : -- : --. -- : 8 32 15 : -- : 71 29 0 : 14 56 0 : 23 57 0 : -- : -- : --. ------------------------------------------------ -- : 25 30 00 : -- : - 83 0 : 45 43 0 : 72 18 0 : -- : -- : --. ------------------------------------------------ 1st set : 8 30 0 : 6 12 53 : 71 27 40 : 15 14 20 : 24 6 0 : 15 22 39 : 23 43 0 : 66 7 45. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
-- : 8 33 50 : -- : 71 30 0 : 14 43 0 : 23 38 0 : -- : -- : --. -- : 8 35 39 : -- : - 31 0 : 14 25 0 : 23 42 0 : -- : -- : --. -- : 8 37 46 : -- : - 30 30 : 14 10 0 : 23 32 0 : -- : -- : --. ------------------------------------------------- -- : 8 107 15 : -- : - 91 30 : 43 18 0 : 23 112 0 : -- : -- : --. ------------------------------------------------- 2nd set : 8 35 45 : 6 18 41 : 71 30 30 : 14 26 0 : 23 37 20 : 14 34 00 : 23 14 0 : 66 19 45. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
-- : 8 39 10 : -- : 71 31 30 : 13 56 0 : 23 26 0 : -- : -- : --. -- : 8 41 20 : -- : - 32 00 : 13 40 0 : 23 20 0 : -- : -- : --. -- : 8 43 49 : -- : - 33 00 : 13 18 0 : 23 6 0 : -- : -- : --. ------------------------------------------------- -- : 8 124 19 : -- : - 96 30 : - 114 0 : - 52 0 : -- : -- : --. ------------------------------------------------- 3rd set : 8 41 26 : 6 24 26 : 71 32 10 : 13 38 0 : 23 17 20 : 13 46 0 : 22 55 0 : 66 0 45. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------
N.B. The mean of the three sets is 66 degrees 9 minutes 25 seconds, and the mean of Mr. Green's Computations from the same Observations was 66 degrees 14 minutes 0 seconds, and the mean of his computations and mine will be 66 degrees 11 minutes 32 seconds, and therefore the Longitude of Cape St. Diego or the North-West entrance of Strait Le Maire will be 66 degrees 0 minutes 0 seconds West from Greenwich, and its Latitude 54 degrees 39 minutes South.* (* Modern determination is 54 degrees 40 minutes South, 65 degrees 8 minutes West.)
Note: The distance of the sun and moon was taken by Mr. Green alone, my Quadrant being out of Order.