C H A P. X.
From Cape Noire to the Ifland of 'Juan Fernandes..
A F T E R the mortifying difappointment o f falling in with
the coaft of Terra del Fuego, when we efteemed ourfelves;
ten degrees to the weftward of it, as hath been at large
recited in the eighth chapter, we Rood away to the S. W. till the
zzd of April, when we were in upwards o f 60° of South latitude,
and by our account near 6° to the weftward o f Cape 1Voir: in this
run, we had a feries o f as favourable weather, as could well be expected
in that part of the world, even in a better feafon : io that
this interval, letting the inquietude o f our thoughts afide, was by
far the moft eligible of any we enjoyed' from Streights Le Maire to
the Weft coaft o f America. This moderate weather continued!
with little variation, till the 24th ; but on the 24th, in the evening,
the wind began to blow frefh, and loon increafed to a prodigious
ftorm: and the weather being extremely thick, about midnight we
loft light o f the other fourlhips o f the fquadron, which, notwith-
ftanding the violence of the preceding ftorms, had hitherto kept in
company with us. Nor was this our foie misfortune; for the next
morning, endeavouring to hand the top-fails, the clew-lines and
burnt-lines broke, and, the ftieets being half flown,. every feam in.
the top-fails was foon lplit from top to bottom.; and the main top-
fail fhook fo.ftrongly in the wind, that it carried away the top-
lanthorn„and endangered the head of the mail:: however, at length
fome of the moft daring of our men ventured upon the yard, and
cut the fail away clofe to the reefs, though with the utmoft hazard'
of their lives ; whilft, at the fame time, the foretop-fail beat about
the yard with fo much fury, that it was foon blown to pieces: nor;
was our attention to our. top-fails our Idle employment; for the
main.-
main-fail blew loofe, which obliged us to lower down the yard to
fecure the fail; -and, the fore-yard being likewife lowered, we lay-
to under a mizen. In this ftorm, befides the lofsof our top-fails,
we had much of our rigging broke, and loft a. main ftudding-fail-
boom out of the chains.
On-the 25th, about noon, the weather became more moderate,
which enabled us to fway up our yards, and to repair, in the be;ft
manner we could, our lhattered rigging ; but ftill we had no fight
o f the reft o f our fquadron ; nor indeed were we joined by any. of
them again, till after our arrival at Juan Fernandes ; nor did any
two of them, as we have fince learned, continue in company together.
This total and almoft inftantaneous reparation was.the- more
wonderful, as we had hitherto kept together, for feven weeks,
through all the reiterated tempefts of this turbulent climate. It
muft, indeed, be owned, that we had hence room to expeCt, that
we might make our paffage in a Ihorter time, than if we had continued
together, becaufe we could now. make the beft o f our way,
without being retarded by the misfortunes of the other Ihips ; but
then we had the melancholy reflexion, that we ourfelves were
hereby deprived o f the afliftance o f others, and our fafety would
depend upon our Angle Ihip; fo that, i f a plank ftarted, or any
other accident of the fame nature {hould take place, we muft all irrecoverably
perifh ; or, Ihould we be driven on fhore, we had the
uncomfortable profpect o f ending our days on fome defolate coaft,
without any reafonable hope o f ever getting off again : whereas,
with another Ihip in company, all thefe .calamities are much lefs
formidable, fince, in every kind o f danger, there would be fome
probability that one Ihip at leaft might efcape, and might be capable
o f preferving or relieving the crew of the other.
The remaining part of this month o f April we had generally
■ hard gales,, although we had been every day, fince the 22d, edging
■ to the northward: however, on the laft day of the month, we
flattered ourfelves with the expectation of foon terminating all our
fufferings; for we that day found ourfelves in the latitude o f 52°: 13'
O 2 which