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. On the 22d
October, our fore-top-mast was carried away, and we rigged another next
day. Having contrary winds from the time we passed the straits of Le
Maire, with the most uncomfortable weather, we made our way very slowly
to the west and northwards, the hopes of getting soon into a wanner and
better climate supporting us under our many miseries.
SECTION II.
Proceedings in the South Sea, till Ship-wrecked on the Island of Juan
Fernandez.
At length, on the 14th November at noon, our spirits were cheared by
seeing the coast of Chili; yet here we found ourselves under very great
difficulties. Our tedious passage and extraordinary consumption of
provisions, had so reduced our wood and water, and even our food, that
it was necessary to repair to some place where our wants might be
supplied; but it was difficult to resolve where that might be done.
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