8z L O R D A N S O N ’ S V O Y A G E
day, a lignal o f diftrefs was made by the Anna Pink; and, upon
ipeaking with the Mailer, we learnt, that they had broke their
fore-ftay and the gammon o f the bowfprit, and were in no fmall
danger of having all their mails come by the board; fo that we
were obliged to bear away until they had made all fall; after
which we haled upon a wind again.
And now, after all our folicitude, and the numerous ills o f every
kind, to which we had been inceflantly expofed for near forty days,
we had great confolation in the flattering hopes we entertained, that
our fatigues were drawing to a period, and that we Ihould fooa
arrive in a more holpitable climate, where we Ihould be amply rewarded
for all our pall fufferings: for, towards the latter end of
March, vve were advanced by our reckoning near l o : to the well-
ward o f the wellermoll point of Terra del Fuego; and this allowance
being double what former Navigators have thought ne-
ceflary to be taken, in order to compenfate the drift of the weftern
current, we elleemed ourfelves to be well advanced within the
limits of the fouthern Ocean; and had therefore been ever lince
Handing to the northward, with as much expedition as the turbulence
of the weather and our frequent difafters permitted. And
on the 13th o f April, we were but a degree in latitude to the
fouthward of the welt entrance of the Streights of Magellan; lo
that we fully expedled, in a very few days, to have experienced
the celebrated tranquillity of the Pacifick Ocean.
But thefe were delulions, which only ferved to render our dif-
appointment more terrible; for the next morning, between one
and two, as we were Handing to the northward, and the weather,
which had till then been hazy, accidentally cleared up, the Pink
made a lignal for feeing land right a-head ; and it being but two
miles dillant, we were all under the moll dreadful apprehenfions of
running on Ihore ; which, had either the wind blown from its
ufual quarter with its wonted vigour, or had not the moon fud-
denly (hone out, not a Ihip among!! us could poflibly have avoided:
but the wind, which fome few hours before blew in fqualls from
1 the
H o u n d t h e w o r l d , s 3
the S. W , having fortunately Ihifted to W . N. W, we were enabled
to Hand to the fouthward, and to clear ourfelves of this unexpeaed
danger ; and were fortunate enough, by noon, to have gained an
offing of near twenty leagues.
By the latitude of this land we fell in with, it was agreed to be
a part of Terra del Fuego, near the fouthern outlet defcribed in
Frezier's Chart of the Streights of Magellan, and was fuppofed to
be that point called by him Cape Noir. It was, indeed, moll wonderful,
that the currents Ihould have driven us to the ealtward with
fuch ftrength ; for the whole Iquadron elleemed themfelves upwards
of ten degrees more wellerly than this land ; fo that, in running
down, by our account, about nineteen degrees of longitude,
we had not really advanced half that dillance. And now, inftead
o f having our labours and anxieties relieved by approaching a
warmer climate, and more tranquil feas, we were to fleer again to
the fouthward, and were again to combat thole wellern blafls,
which had fo often terrified us ; and this too, when we were
greatly enfeebled by our men falling fick, and dying apace ; and
when our fpirits, dejefled by a long continuance at fea, and by our
late difappointment, were much lefs capable of fupporting us in
the various difficulties, which we could not but expe£l in this new
undertaking. Add to all this too, the difcouragement we received
by the diminution of the ftrength of the fquadron ; for, three days
before this, we loft fight o f the Severn and the Pearl in the morning;
and though wre fpread our Ihips, and beat about for them
fome time, yet we never faw them more ; whence we had apprehenfions,
that they too might have fallen in with this land in the
night, and, by being lefs favoured by the wind and the moon than
we were, might have run on Ihore, and have perilhed. Full of
thefe defponding thoughts and gloomy prefages, we Hood away to
the S. W , prepared, by our late difalter, to fufpecl, that, how
large foever an allowance we made in our welling for the drift o f
the wellern current, we might Hill, upon a feeoiul trial, perhaps
find it infufficient.
M 2 C H A P .