Cape
Blanco, on this coast, is in lat. 47 deg. S. which cannot have any reference
to the white cape of the text. - E.]
The eastern mouth of the straits is in lat. 52 deg. S. From thence to the
narrowest part is fourteen leagues W. by N. From thence to Penguin
Island is ten leagues W.S.W. by S. They anchored at Penguin Island on
the 8th January, where they killed and salted a great store of seals, to
serve as sea provisions in case of need. Leaving this place on the 9th,
they sailed S.S.W. The fortress built in these straits by the Spaniards,
called Ciudad del Rey Felippe, had four bulwarks or bastions, in each
of which was one large cannon, all of which had been buried, and their
carriages left standing. The English dug them all up, and carried them
away. Tins city seemed to have been well contrived, especially in its
situation in regard to wood and water; but miserable was the life this
forlorn remnant of Spaniards had endured for the last two years, during
which they had hardly been able to procure any other food than a scanty
supply of shell-fish, except when they had the good fortune to surprise
a deer, coming down from the mountains in search of water.
The object of the Spaniards, in erecting this fortress, was to have
fortified the straits, so as to have excluded all other nations from any
passage into the South Sea: but, besides the barrenness of the soil, and
excessive severity of the climate their most implacable enemies, the
Indians, frequently assailed them, so that they were reduced to the last
extremity of distress. All the stores they had brought from Spain were
expended, and none could be procured in the country, which produced
nothing but deer, and when hunting these for the preservation of their
lives, they were sure to be fallen upon by the Indians. At length almost
all the Spaniards died in their houses, and the stench of the putrefying
carcasses became so intolerable to the few survivors, that they were
forced to quit the fortress, and to range along the seacoast living upon
roots, leaves, and sea weeds, or any animals they could occasionally
fall in with. In this miserable extremity they had determined to attempt
exploring their way to the Rio Plata, and were already on their way,
when this Spaniard was taken by the English.
Mr Candish named the haven where the fortress stood Port Famine, owing
to the utter want of all necessaries. It is in lat. 53 deg. S. Leaving this
place on the 14th, they ran five leagues S.W. to Cape Froward, in the
southernmost part of the straits, in lat. 54 deg. S. Sailing five leagues W.
by N. from this cape, they put into a bay, called Muscle Cove, from the
great quantities of muscles found there. Leaving that place on the 21st,
and sailing N. by W. ten leagues, they came to a fair bay, which Candish
named Elizabeth Bay.
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