The Streight of Magellan
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the mountains, for she land here is of a stupendous height. Cape Holland bore W.S.W.½ W. distant two miles, and Cape Froward, E. Our latitude, by observation, was 53° 58’S. The next-morning we got off some water, and great plenty of wild celery, but could get no fish, except a few muscles. I sent off the boats to sound, and found that there was good anchorage about half a mile from the Shore, quite from the Cape to four miles below it; and close by the Cape a good harbour, where a ship might refresh with more safety than at Port Famine, and avail herself of a large river of fresh water, with plenty of wood, celery, and berries; though the place affords no fish except muscles.
Having completed our wood and water, we sailed from this place on the 22d, about three o’clock in the afternoon. At nine in the evening, the ship being about two miles distant from the shore, Cape Gallant bore W.½ N. distant two leagues, Cape Holland E.by N. distant six leagues; Cape Gallant and Cape Holland being nearly in one: a white patch in Monmouth’s island bore S.S.W.½ W. Rupert’s island W.S.W. At this place the Streight is not more than five miles over; and we found a tide which produced a very unusual effect, for it became impossible to keep the ship’s head upon any point.
At six the next-morning, the Swallow made the signal for having found anchorage; and at eight we anchored in a bay tinder Cape Gallant, in 10 fathom, with a muddy bottom. The east point of Cape Gallant bore S. W. by W.½ W. the extream point of the eastermost land E. by S. a point making the mouth of a river N. by W. and the white patch on Charles’s island S. W. The boats being sent out to sound, found good anchorage every where, except within two cables length S.W. of the ship, where it was coral, and
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Volume I of the London 1773 Edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, page 387, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv01/387.html