C A P 16* T A I N W A L L I S ’ » V O Y A G E
17661 fometimes- backing, fometimes filling, we entered the firft
December jsjarr0WS, About fix o’clock in tbe evening, the tide being
Taefday 23. (jone> we anchored on the fomh fhore, in 40 fathom, with
a fandy bottom; the Swallow anchored on the north fhore,
and the ftore-fhip not a cable’s length from a fand bank,
about two miles to the eaftward. The fre ight here is only
three miles wide, and at midnight, the tide being flack, we
weighed and towed the fhip through. A breeze fprting up
Wednef. 24. foon afterwards, which continued till feveu in the morning,
and then, died away. We fleered: from the firft. Narrows to
the fecond S. W. and had 19 fathom, with a muddy bottom.
At eight we anchored two leagues from the fhore, in 24 fathom,
Cape Gregory bearing W. 4 N. and Sweepftakes Foreland
S. W. 4 W. The tide here ran feven knots an hour, and
fuch bores fometimes came down, with immenfe quantities
o f weeds, that we expedited every moment to be adrift.
Tha.aaj- 25. The next day, being Chriftma-s day,, we failed through the
fecond Narrows. I-n turning through this part o f the
Streighr we had. 12 fathom within half a mile o f the fhore-
©n each fide, and in the middle B7 fathom, 22 fathom, and
no ground. At five o’clock in the evening, the Ihip-fudd'enly
fhoaled from 17 fathom to 5, St Bartholomew’s ifland then,
hearing s. 4 W , diftant between three and four miles, and
Elizabeth ifland S..S. W, ,4 W. diftant five orfix miles. About
half an hour after eight o’clock, the weather being rainy
and tempeftuous, we anchored under Elizabeth ifland in
»4. fathom, with hard gravelly ground. Upon this ifland':
w-e found great quantities of celery, which, by the direction
of the furgeon, was given to the people, with boiled
wheat and portable foup, forbreakfaft every morning. Some
of the officers who. went afhore with their guns, faw two-
fmall dogs, and feveral places where fires had been recently
9 made,.
R O U N D T H E WO R L D .
made, with many frefh fhell® o f mufcles and limpets lying
about them: they faw alio feveral wigwams or huts, coiffift- <---- ,---- <
ing of young trees, which, being fharpened at one end, and Th“rrda>'*5*
thruft into the ground in a circular form, the other ends
were brought to meet, and fattened together at the top;
but they faw none o f the natives.
From this place we faw many high mountains,- bearing
from S. to W. S. W .; feveral parts o f the fummits were covered
with fnow, though it was the midft of fummer in this
part o f the world: they were clothed with wood about three
parts o f their height, and above with herbage, except where
the fnow was not yet melted. This was the firft place where
we had feen wood in all South America.
At two o’clock in the morning o f the 26th, we weighed, Friday i&.
and -having a fair wind, were a-breaft of the north end of
Elizabeth’s ifland at three: at half an hour after five, being
about mid-way between Elizabeth’s ifland and St, George’s
ifland, we fuddenly fhoaled our water from 17 fathom to
fix: we ftruck the ground once, but the next caft had no
bottom with 20 fathom. When we were upon this fhoal.
Cape Porpaife bore W. S. W. 4 W.the fouth-end of Elizabeth’s
ifland W. :N. W. 4 W. diftant three leagues, and the fouth-end
of Saint George’s ifland N. E. diftant four leagues. The
ftore-fhip, which was about half a league to the fouthward
of us, had once no more than four fathom, and for a con-
fiderable time not feven ; the Swallow, which was three or
four miles to the fouthward, had deep water, for fhe kept
•near to St. George’s ifland. In my opinion it is fafeft to run
down from the north-end o f Elizabeth’s ifland, about two or
three miles from the fhore» and ,fo on all the way to Port
Famine. At noon, a low point bore E. 4 N. Frefh-water Bay
S. W. 4 W. At this time we were about three miles diftant
Y 2 ■ from
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