Streight of Magellan to Cape Monday
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I sent an officer to the westward to look out for a harbour, but he did not succeed. It was calm the rest of the day, and all night, the tide setting to the eastward from the time we anchored till six o’clock the next morning, when we weighed, and were towed by the boats to the westward. At eight, a fresh breeze sprung up at W.S.W. and W. and at noon, Cape Quod bore E. by S. at the distance of about five miles. In this situation I sent the boats out again to look for an anchoring-place, and about noon, by their direction, we anchored in a little bay on the south shore, opposite to Cape Quod, in five and twenty fathom, with very good ground. A small rocky island bore W. by N. at the distance of about two cables’ length, the eastermost point E. ½ S. and Cape Quod N.E. by N. distant about three miles: in this place we had shell-fish of various kinds in great plenty. The Tamar, not being able to work up to us, anchored about two o’clock in the bay on the north shore, about six miles to the eastward of Cape Quod, which has been mentioned already. During the night, it was stark calm, but in the morning, having little airs of wind westerly, I weighed about eight o’clock, and worked with the tide. At noon, Cape Quod bore E. by S. distant between two and three leagues, and Cape Monday, which is the westermost land in sight on the south shore, W. by N. distant about ten or eleven leagues. This part of the Streight lies W.N.W. ½ W. by the compass, and is but four miles over; so that the craggy mountains which bound it on each side, towering above the clouds, and covered with everlasting snow, give it the most dreary and desolate appearance that can be imagined. The tides here are not very strong; the ebb sets to the westward, but with an irregularity for which it is very difficult to account. About one o’clock, the Tamar anchored in the bay on the south shore, opposite to Cape Quod, which
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Volume I of the London 1773 Edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, page 69, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv01/105.html