This and the other Journals convince me intirely that the best way to the South-Sea is round Cape Horne, the Route we pursu’d in our Voyage.
Besides what I said from my own Observation, to prove how extensive a Trade we might have in those Seas, I shall add the following Observations from M. de Beauchesne; who says, that tho he was look’d upon as a Free-Booter, and that the then Spanish Governours on those Coasts were forbid to trade or suffer the People to trade with any but their own Subjects in those Seas, and that at Valdivia and other places they fir’d at him when he approach’d their Harbours, and deny’d so much as to sell him any Provisions, or to suffer him to wood or water; yet at Rica some particular Persons traded with him to the Value of 50000 Crowns, and told him, That that place was not so proper for them to act so manifestly contrary to Law, but if he went to a place more retir’d, they would buy all he had, tho both his Ships were full of Goods. Accordingly, when he came to Hilo, a great number of Merchants bought all that he had of Value at good rates. He owns that the Cloth he had on board was half rotten, that the Merchants were vex’d at their Disappointment, and express’d their Resentment that he should come to those parts so ill provided: but in other places the People bought all to the very Rags he had on board, and brought him Provisions in abundance to sell, tho they were forbid doing so on pain of Death; and the Officers themselves conniv’d at it.
He return’d by the way of Cape Horne in 58 deg. 15 min. January 1701. and had as good a Passage and Season as could be desir’d, but saw no Land on either side till the 19th of January 1701. when he discover’d a small Island about 3 or 4 Ls. round, in Lat. 52. odd min. not mark’d in our Maps, with strong Currents near it; and on the 20th he came to the Isle of Sebald de Wert, which is a marshy Land with some rocky Mountains, no Trees, but abundance of Sea-Flow.
Account of the Straits of Le Maire.
It is proper here likewise to give an Account of the Straits of Le Maire, so call’d from James Le Maire an Amsterdam Merchant, their Discoverer in 1615. They lie in S. Lat. 55. 36. and are form’d by the Terra del Fuego on the West, and an Island by the Dutch call’d Staten-landt, or the Country of the States, on the E. The Straits are 8 Leagues wide, with good Roads on each side, and plenty of Fish and Fowl. The Land on both sides is high and mountainous. The Discoverers saw very large Fowls bigger than Sea-Mews, and their Wings when extended above a Fathom long each. They were so tame that they flew into the Ships, and suffer’d the Sailors to handle them. In Lat. 57. they saw two barren Islands, which they call’d Barnevelt; and the South Cape of Terra del Fuego, which runs out in a Point to Lat. 57. 48. they nam’d Cape Horne. Some compute this Strait to be only 5 Leagues in Length.
Ovalle[121] says, that in 1619 the King of Spain being inform’d that Le Maire had discover’d these Straits, he sent two Vessels to make a further Discovery of ’em. These Ships came to the East side of the Straits of Magellan, where the Crew found a sort of Giants higher by the Head than any Europeans, who gave them Gold in exchange for Scissars and other Bawbles; but this can’t be rely’d on. They went thro this Strait in less than a day’s time, it being not above 7 Leagues in length.
I return now to my Journal.
Jan. 16. Fresh Gales of Wind with cloudy Weather. These 24 hours we had extraordinary smooth Water, as if we were close under Land: Indifferent warm Weather. Wind from the W S W. to W by N.
January 20. Yesterday at three in the Afternoon we saw high Land bearing E by N. dist. about 10 Ls. being the Land about Port St. Stephen’s on the Coast of Patagonia in the South-Sea, describ’d in the Draughts. S. Lat. 47.
Jan. 22. Fair Weather, with fresh Gales of Wind from W by S. to the W N W. Last night George Cross died; he was a Smith by Trade, and Armourer’s Mate. We and the Dutchess have had a great many Men down with the Cold, and some with the Scurvey; the Distemper that this Man died of. The Dutchess had always more sick Men than we, and have so now: They buried but one Man that died of Sickness, and tell us they hope the rest will recover. We have but one Man whose Life we doubt of, tho most want a Harbour. This day Capt. Courtney and Capt. Cook din’d with us. At two a clock we saw the Land on the Coast of Patagonia, being very high, distant about 14 Ls. Lat. 44. 9. S.