388
>795' information more eafy to thofe, who may wiih to benefit by the advan-
■ - - • tages thefe iflands-may be found to furnifh.
I lhall now take my leave of the Gallipagos iflands, and with them alfo
of the north pacific ocean, in which we had palled the laft three
-years/
CH A PTER
C H A P T E R v '
Proceed to the fouthward— The DifcoverySprings her main-majl— Scurvy
. makes its appearance— .Pafs the iflands o f Maffafuero and Juan Fernan-
. dez— Arrive at Valparaifo— Viflt St. Jago, the capital o f Chili.
; . *795’
O N taking, our final leave of the north pacific ocean, I could not avoid
feeling fome. regret in reflecting, that although I was convinced we had
very effeftually delineated its eallern Ihprcs, yet-that the geography pf a
very large, portion of that coaft which give? jttqundji- to its weftern limits,
ftill remained very imperfeftly, and indeed, al.moft intirely, unknown to
Europeans. The examination of thefe, parts however had not formed an
obieft o f the prefent expedition; nor could we, without a complete re-equip-
.ment o f both veffels in fome eltablilhed arftnal,'• have undertaken a fervice
of that nature with any rgafonable- profpeft of fuccefs,^ had it been within
the limits of my commiffion. The length of time j e ; had now been ab-
fent from our native foil, the unpleafimt .intelligence we had recently received
of the ftate of Europe, and the.defire we had of adding, our little
ftrength to. the means adopted for the reparation of good order and
tranquillity at home, all combined to reconcile us. to any difappomtment
■ which the thirft for exploring or difcovering. new countries might have in,
fpired;- and 'operated to fatisfy our minds, as to', the necefiity of making,
the belt'of our way towards thofe regions, where our feryices in another.
line of duty might; poffibly be more acceptable to our country.. :
Our progrefs however , was not equal to our , wjfhes, f?r by the Wednef. n.
j jth at noon we had only reached the latitude .of 4° 3' fouth, when
the vertical inclination,'of the, magnetic needle-was. ohferved to be,
■ - *■ 1 ' ■ .............. ' Marked.