C H A P . VIII.
The Run from the TVfern Entrance o f the Slreight oj
Magellan, to the IJlands o f D i f appointment.
T T A V IN G cleared the Streight, we purfued our courfe
T i l l f theAWeftward, as appears by the track in the chart,
nil Fnday, April the 26th, when we difcovered the ifland of
Mafafuero, bearing W .N .W . ■ W. diftant about fixteen
eagues ; but as to the northward it was hazey, the ifland
o f Don Juan Fernandes was not in fight. During this run,
the variation had gradually decreafed from 22° to 9° 36' E.
We bore away for Mafafuero, and at fun-fet, being within
^ J f ° U\ 1f agUCS ° f " we brought to, and afterwards
• kept the wind all night. At day-break the next day, we
ore away again for the ifland, at the fame time fending an
officer, with a boat from each Ihip, to found the eaftern fide
o it. About noon, the middle o f the ifland bore W. diftant
about three miles, and as I faw the boats run along the
fhore, without being able to land any where for the fu rf I
bore down to the north part o f the ifland, off which a reef
them Th 6 J r ' ° f ab°Ut tW° them. This ifland is very high, and tmhiel£ gSr>e aatnedr plaar?t obfy it% is
covered with wood; but towards the north end, where I
lay, feme fpots feemed to have been cleared, upon which
Jieat numbers of goats were Feeding, and they had a green
and pleafant appearance. When the boats returned the
officer informed me that Tie had found a bank, on the eaft
fide o f the ifland neareft to the fouth point, at a confiderable
<1 fiance from the ffiore, where we might anchor, and oppolitepolite
to which there was a fine fall of frelh water- but l i near
the north point, he faid, he could find no anchorage.
•The boats brought o f f a great quantity o f very fine fiffi Sa‘urd=y^-
which they had: caught with hook and line near the ffiore •’
and as foon as we had: taken them on board, which was late
in the afternoon, we made fail, and worked to windward in
the night-
--o’ wilu une
fmalf bower, on the bank which the boats had difcovered
in twenty-four fathom, with black fandy ground The ex'
I ' T w P°J,nI S H f ® S' t0 N- W‘ and the f all o f water bore
b . S. W. diftant about a mile from the ffiip’s ftation. This
part o f the ifland lies north and fouth, and is about four
miles, long: the foundings are very regular, from twenty to
fifteen fathom, within two cables’ length o f the ffiore. Soon
after we were come to an anchor, I fent out the boats to endeavour
to get fome wood and water, but as I obferved the
ffiore to be rocky, and a furf to break with great violence
1 ordered all the men to put on cork jackets, which
had been fent with us to be made ufe o f upon fuch occafions.
By the help o f thefe jackets, which not only aflifted the men
in fwimming, but prevented their being bruifed againft the
rocks, we got off a confiderable quantity o f water and .wood
which, without fuch affiftance, we could not have done •
there was, however, another fpecies o f danger here, againft
which cork jackets afforded no defence, for the fea abounded
with ffiarks of an enormous fize, which, when they faw a
man in the water, would dart into the very furf to feize
h im : our people, however, happily efcaped them, though
they were many times very near: one o f them, which was
upwards of twenty f eet long, came clofe to one o f the boats
that was watering, and having feized a large feal, inftantly
devoured it at one mouthful; and I myfelf faw another
of
Sunday 28.