The Streight of Magellan
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for which we directly steered, and at half an hour after five anchored, with the Swallow, in the bay. When we dropped the anchor, we were in 24 fathom, and after we had veered away a whole cable, in 46, with a muddy bottom. In this situation, a high bluff on the north shore bore N.W. ½ N. distant five leagues, and a small island within us S. by E. ½ E. Soon after we had anchored, the Swallow drove to leeward, notwithstanding she had two anchors a-head, but was at last brought up, in 70 fathom, about a cable’s length a-stern of us. At four o’clock in the morning I sent the boats, with a considerable number of men, and some hausers and anchors, on board her, to weigh her anchors, and warp her up to windward. When her best bower anchor was weighed, it was found entangled with the small one; I therefore found it necessary to send the stream cable on board, and the ship was hung up by it. To clear her anchors, and warp her into a proper birth, cost us the whole day, and was not at last effected without the utmost difficulty and labour.
On the 18th we had fresh breezes, and sent the boats to sound cross the Streight. Within half a mile of the ship, they had 40, 45, 50, 70, 100 fathom, and then had no ground, till within a cable’s length of the lee shore, where they had 90 fathom. We now moored the ship in 78 fathom, with the stream anchor.
The next morning, while our people were employed in getting wood and water, and gathering celery and muscles, two canoes, full of Indians, came along side of the ship. They had much the same appearance as the poor wretches whom we had seen before in Elizabeth’s bay. They had on board some seal’s flesh, blubber, and penguins, all which they eat raw. Some of our people, who were fishing with a
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Voyaging Accounts |  |
© Derived from Volume I of the London 1773 Edition: National Library of Australia call no. FERG 7243, page 403, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/hv01/403.html