Even At My Own
Table, Captain Betagh Of The Marines Insisted On A Larger Allowance In
Such Coarse Terms, That I Confined Him Till He Wrote Me A Submissive
Letter, On Which I Restored Him.
But this squabble constrained me to
allow an extraordinary meal to the people daily, either of flour or
calavances; which reduced our stock of provisions, and consumed our
wood and water, proving afterwards of great inconvenience.
Whales,
grampuses, and other fish of monstrous size, are in such vast numbers on
the coast of Patagonia, that they were often offensive to us, coming so
close to us that it seemed impossible to avoid striking them on every
scud of a sea, and almost stifling us with the stench of their breaths,
when they blew close to windward. Being ignorant of the Greenland
fishery, I cannot pretend to say whether that trade might not be carried
on here; but this I may venture to affirm, that the navigation here is
safer, and I am apt to believe it has a greater chance of being
successful.[256]
[Footnote 256: This southern whale-fishery is now carried on to a
considerable extent. - E.]
On the 19th September, about midnight, perceiving the water all at once
to be discoloured, we sounded, and had 25 fathoms, on which we stood out
from the land, but did not deepen our water in five leagues. This bank
must lie very near the entrance into the Straits of Magellan. On this
bank we saw great numbers of blubbers, appearing like the tops of
umbrellas, curiously streaked with all sorts of colours, being an
entirely different species from any I had ever seen before. We now
steered for the Straits of Le Maire, and met with very foggy weather
on approaching the coast of Terra del Fuego. The fog cleared up on the
23d September, when we had sight of stupendous mountains on that
southern land, entirely covered with snow. The nearest point of land was
at least eight leagues from us, in the S.W. but before we could
ascertain our situation the mist returned. At four next morning,
proceeding under easy sail to the S.E. it proved very clear at
day-break, and I found we had fallen in with the land about five leagues
N.W. from the straits of Le Maire. We had now a full, but melancholy
prospect of the most desolate country that can well be conceived,
appearing a congeries of chains of mountains in succession, one behind
the other, perpetually cloathed in snow.
Hitherto we had not been sensible of any current, either favourable or
adverse, after getting to the south of the Rio Plata. But this afternoon
we were hurried with incredible rapidity into the straits of Le Maire;
and when we had gained about the middle of the passage, the tide
slackened. On sounding we had twenty-seven fathoms on a rocky bottom. We
had a dear view of Staten-land, which yields a most uncomfortable
prospect of a surprising height, quite covered with snow to the very
wash of the sea, so that it seems more like a white cloud than firm
land. These straits seemed to answer well to the map of Frezier; being
about seven leagues through and six wide, and extend almost due north
and south. Now the return tide rushed upon us with a violence equal to
that which brought us in, and it was astonishing with what rapidity we
were driven again to the north, though we had a fresh gale at N.W. so
that we seemed to advance six knots by the log; whence I judged this
tide ran not less than ten knots. In short, we were carried quite out of
the straits to the north in about an hour. Upon this shift of tide there
arose such a short sea, and so lofty at the same time, that we
alternately dipped our bowsprit and poop-lanterns into the water; our
ship all the while labouring most violently, and refusing to answer the
helm. The tide shifted again at midnight, and we shot through the
straits, steering S. with a brisk gale at N.W. without seeing the land
distinctly on either side: And, in the morning, had a good offing to the
southward.
We found it very cold before we got thus far; but now we began to feel
the utmost extremity of coldness. The bleak western winds had of
themselves been sufficiently piercing; but these were always accompanied
by snow or sleet, which beat continually on our sails and rigging, cased
all our masts, yards, and ropes with ice, and rendered our sails almost
useless. We had been so much accustomed to most severe storms, that we
thought the weather tolerable when we could carry a reefed main-sail; as
we were often for two or three days together lying-to under bare poles,
exposed to the shocks of prodigious waves, more mountainous than any I
had ever seen. We now sensibly felt the benefit of our awning, without
which we could scarcely have lived. The wind continued to rage without
intermission from the westward, by which we were driven to the latitude
of 61 deg. 30' S. and had such continued misty weather, that we were under
perpetual apprehension of running foul of ice islands: But, thank God,
we escaped that danger, though under frequent alarms from fog banks and
other false appearances. Though the days were long, we could seldom get
sight of the sun, so that we had only one observation for the variation
in all this passage, which was in lat. 60 deg. 37' S. 5 deg. W. of the straits
of Le Maire, when we found it 22 deg. 6' E. On the 1st October, as we were
furling the main-sail, one William Camell, cried out that his hands and
fingers were so benumbed that he could not hold himself: And, before
those near could assist him, he fell down and was drowned.
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