From this place we saw many high mountains, bearing from S. to W.S. W.; several parts of the summits were covered with snow, though it was the midst of summer in this part of the world: they were clothed with wood about three parts of their height, and above with herbage, except where the snow was not yet melted. This was the first place where we had seen wood in all South America.

At two o’clock in the morning of the 26th, we weighed, and having a fair wind, were abreast of the north end of Elizabeth’s island at three: at half an hour after five, being about mid-way between Elizabeth’s island and St. George’s island, we suddenly shoaled our water from 17 fathom to six: we struck the ground once, but the next cast had no bottom with 20 fathom. When we were upon this shoal, Cape Porpoise bore W.S.W.½ W. the south-end of Elizabeth’s island W. N. W. ½ W. distant three leagues, and the south-end of Saint George’s island N.E. distant four leagues. The store-ship, which was about half a league to the southward of us, had once no more than four fathom, and for a considerable time not seven; the Swallow, which was three or four miles to the Southward, had deep water, for she kept near to St. George’s island. In my opinion it is safest to run down from the north-end of Elizabeth’s island, about two or three miles from the shore, and so on all the way to Port Famine. At noon, a low point bore E. ½ N. Fresh-water Bay

S. W.½ W. At this time we were about three miles distant

Voyaging Accounts