Streight of Magellan to Cape Monday
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We steered S.S.W. with little wind, along the shore, from Point Shutup towards Cape Forward; and about three o’clock in the afternoon we passed by the French ship, which we saw in a little cove, about two leagues to the southward of Point Shutup. She had hauled her stern close into the woods, and we could see large piles of the wood which she had cut down, lying on each side of her; so that I made no doubt of her having been sent out to procure that necessary for their new settlement, though I could not conceive why they should have come so far into the Streight for that purpose. After my return to England, I learnt that this vessel was the Eagle, commanded by M. Bougainville, and that her business in the Streight was, as I conjectured, to cut wood, for the French settlement in Falkland’s Islands. From Cape Shutup to Cape Forward the course by compass is S.W. by S.; and the distance is seven leagues. At eight o’clock in the evening, Cape Forward bore N.W. ½ W. and was distant about a mile, and we brought to for the night. This part of the Streight is about eight miles over, and off the Cape we had forty fathom within half a cable’s length of the shore. About four o’clock in the morning, we made sail; and at eight, having had light airs almost quite round the compass, Cape Forward bore N.E. by E. distant about four miles; and Cape Holland W.N.W. ½ W. distant about five leagues. At ten we had fresh gales at W.N.W. and at intervals sudden squalls, so violent as to oblige us to clew all up every time they came on. We kept however working to windward, and looking out for an anchoring-place, endeavouring at the same time to reach a bay about two leagues to the westward of Cape Forward. At five o’clock I sent a boat with an officer into this bay to sound, who finding it fit for our purpose, we entered it, and about six o’clock anchored in nine fathom: Cape Forward bore E. ½ S. distant
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Volume I of the London 1773 Edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, page 63, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv01/099.html