[104] Because they formed a capital leading mark for the Strait of Magalhaens.
[105] Beagle Island N. 71°. E., Cape Isabel N. 32°. E., a remarkable mountain in the bight between Cape Santa Lucia and Cape Isabel N. 11°. W. Cape Santa Lucia N. 33°. W.; distance off shore three leagues; and soundings fifty fathoms, sandy bottom.
[106] (Sarmiento, p. 65.)
[107] The description of Port Henry is given in our Sailing Directions.
[108] The N.W. end of the Island de la Campana bearing N. 71°. 40′. E. Two distant hummocky islands (answering pretty well in position with the Guaianeco Islands of the Spanish charts) N. 53°. 30′. E., and N. 55°. 48′. E., and a remarkable rock, the 'Dundee' of Bulkeley and Cummings, about forty-five feet high, rising like a tower from the sea, distant offshore five miles, bearing east of us, distant one mile.
[109] Length twenty feet five inches and a half, sided twelve inches, and moulded eight inches and a half.
[110] Xavier's Island is certainly the Montrose Island of Byron's Narrative. The Wager was lost, as will be seen, more to the southward, on the Guaianeco Islands.
[111] This group was afterwards called Hazard Isles.
[112] D'Azara, in his Essai sur l'Histoire Naturelle des Quadrupèdes de Paraguay, gives the following account of this animal, which he calls Yagouaré. It burrows in the ground, eats insects, eggs, and birds, when it can surprise them, and moves about the plains and fields both by day and night in search of food; brushing the ground with its body, and carrying its tail horizontally. It regards not the presence of man or beast; unless an attempt be made to injure or take it, when it gathers up its body, bristles up the hairs of its tail, erecting it vertically; and in this position awaits the approach of its enemy, at whom it ejects its urine, which produces so unbearable a smell, that neither man, dog, nor tiger, will attempt to touch the animal.
The yagouaré moves very slowly, and cannot run. It produces two young ones, which are placed at the bottom of its burrow. The unconquered Indians of the Pampas make mantles with the furs of the fox, cavia, or other animals, and border them with the skins of the yagouaré, which are very soft and fine, and would be fit for being employed by the furrier were it not for the disagreeable odour which they impart to every thing they touch. The Indians eat the flesh of this animal, which they irritate until its only means of defence is unavailing, and it can be captured without offensive consequences.