narrow clefts, which appear as if the country had been frequently
rent by earthquakes; for thefe chafms are nearly perpendicular,
and extend through the fubftance o f the main rocks, almoft to their
very bottoms: fo that nothing can be imagined more favage and
gloomy, than the whole afped of this coaft. But to proceed:
I have above mentioned, that on the 7th o f March, in the ..
morning, we opened Streights Le M a in ; and loon after, or about
ten o’clock, the Pearl and the Tryal being ordered to keep a-head
o f the fquadron, we entered them with fair weather and abrifk
gale, and were hurried through by the rapidity o f the tide 111 about
two hours, though they are between feven and eight leagues in
length As thefe Streights are often efteemed to be the boundary
between the Atlantick and Pacifick Oceans, and as we prefumed
we had nothing before us from hence but an open fea, till we at.
rived on thofe opulent coafts where all our hopes and wilhes centered
; we could not help perfuading ourfelves, that the greateft
difficulty of our voyage was now at an end, and that our mpft fan-
guine dreams were upon the point of being realized ; and hence
we indulged our imaginations in thofe romantiek fchemes, which
the fancied poffeffion of the Chilian gold and Peruvian filver might
be conceived to infpire. Thefe joyous ideas were confiderably
heightened by the brightnefs of the Iky and ferenity of the weather,.
which was indeed moft remarkably pleafing ; for though the winter
was now advancing apace, yet the morning of this day, in its brilliancy
and mildnefs, gave place to none we had feenfince our departure
from England. Thus animated by. thefe flattering delufions,.
we paffed thofe memorable Streights, ignorant of the dreadful,
calamities which were then impending, and juft ready to break s
upon us; ignorant that the time drew near, when the fquadron
would be feparated, never to unite again ; and that this day of our
paffage was the laft chearful day that the greateft part of us would
ever live to enjoy.
La CHAP.