COMMODORE B Y R O N ’s V O Y A G E
February! 'Yater. This bank lies W. S. W. five or fix miles from the
1— —---- ’ middle o f George’s Ifland, and it is faid Taefdayio, ' ’ , r 1 in fome form■ er 1 ac.-
counts that in many places there is not three fathom water
upon i t : the danger here therefore is confiderable, and to
avoid it, it is neceflary to keep near Elizabeth’s Ifland till the
w-eftern fhore is but at a fhort diftance, and then a foutljern
coui;fe .may ;be fleered with great fafety, till the,reef, which
lies about four miles to the northward of Saint Anne’s Point,
is-in fight. At noon this day, the north point of Frefh Water
Bay bore W. by N .; and Saint Anne’s Point S. by E. i E. The
French fhip ftill fleered after us, and we imagined that, fhe
was either from Falkland’s Iflands, where the French had
then a fettlement, to get wood, or -upon a Purvey of the
Streight. The-remaining part o f this day, and the next
Wednef. morning, we had variable winds with calms ; in the after*
noon -therefore. I hoifted out the boats, and towed round
Saint Anne’s Point into-Port Famine: at fix in the evening we
anchored, and foon after the French fhippafled by us to the1-
fouthward.
Monday a,-. Here vve continued till Monday the 2yth, when both the
Dolphin and Tamar having taken out o f the ftore-fhip'as
much -prpvifion as- they could flow, I gave the Mafter
‘cf s orders to return to England as foon as he could
get ready, and with the Tamar failed from Port Famine,
intending to pufh through the Streight before the fpafon •
ffiould be too far advanced. At noon, we were three leagues
dift^nt from Saint Anne’s Point, which bore N. W, and three
■ or four miles diftant from Point Shutup, which bore S. S. W.
Point Shutup bears from Saint Anne’s Point S. 4 E. by the
•compafs, and they dm about four or fivfe leagues afuhder.
Between thefe two Points there is a flat fhoal, -which runs
from Port Famine before Sedger river, and three or four
miles to the fouthward.
We
. We f. l.erered S. S: W. with littlè wind, along the fhore, from wts* _ , - • . : • . . .. j. f, . . ■ .. • -r - FeSruary.
Point Shutup towards-Cape Forward; and about three o’clock ,
in the afternoon we palled by the French fhip, which we omfi)'z5-
faw in a little cove, about two leagues to the fouthward o f
Point Shutup, She had hauled her ftern elofe into the
woods, and we could fee . large piles of the wood which fhe-
had cut down, lying on each fide o f h e r ; fo that I made no
doubt o f heir having been fent out to procure that neceflary
for their new fettlement, though I. could not conceive why
theyfhould have come lo far into the Streight for that pur-
pofe. After my return to England, I learnt that this veffel
was the Eagle, commanded by M. Bougainville, and that
hér bufinefs in the Streight was, as I conjedtured, to cut
wood, for the French fettle ment in Falkland’s Iflands. From
Cape Shutup to Cape Forward, the. courfe by compafs is
S. W. by SV; and the diftance is fevqa leagues. At eight:
o’clock in the evening, Cape Forward bore N. W. - W. and
was-diflfant about a mile, and we brought to for the night;
This part of the Streight is about eight miles aver, and off
the-Cape we had forty fathom within half a cable’s length
of the fhore; About four o’clock in the morning, we made Tuefdayifo.
fail; and at eight, having had light airs almoft quite round
the compafs, Cape:Forward bore N. E. hy E , diftant about
four miles; and Cape Holland W,N-W. j W. diftant about
five leagues. At ten we had frefh gales at W. N. W. and.at.
intervals fudden fq.ualls, fo violent as to oblige us to clew: all;
up every time they came on. We kept however working, to
windward, and looking out for. an anchoring-place, endeavouring
at the fame, time to reach a bay about two leagues:
to thé weftward. o f Cape Forward. At-five o’clock I fent.a:
hoat with an officer into this, hay to found,, who finding, it
fit for our purpofe, we. entered it; and about fix o'clock anchored
in nine fathom: Cape Forward bore E. I S. diftant.
fiye.