a8
■ f788..
March;
. pofite cöafts ó f the Straits - exhibited* very1different appearances.
The land1 of Terra del J'ueg^ hereabouts, though1
the interior parts are mountainous, yet near the .coaft is of
a moderate- height,>and, at the diftance’We were1 froirfcit*
had not an unpromifihg appearance; The’coaft of Stateit
Land, near the Straits,, is mountainous- 'and; craggy, and
Straits le Make is a
fair opening," which cannot well be miftaken;; but i f any
doubt could remain, the different appearances o f the op-
polite fhores .would fufficiently make-the Straits known.'
I did< not fail within léfs- than fix leagues o f the coaft*
that we might have the wand more -regular, and* avoid
being expofed to- the heavy fqualls that came o ff from thé
land» At noon Gape St. Anthony-bare S, and the weftem-
moft-of New. Year’s Htes,~S>ETS,<. five or fix leagues»
Latitude pbferved 540 18' Sj longitude 64° 4' W..
The fight of New Year’s Harbour ahnoft temptédmeéo
put in ; but the lateheft o f the-feafon,, and thé people;
being in..g o o i’ health* determined mé .to lay .afide all
thoughts of refreshment,. until we fliould reach Otaheitéi
A t two o’clock in; the afternoon, the-eafternmoft- of New;
Year’s Iftes, where Captain Cooksobferved-the latitude to-be
' f p p S,' bore from-us fouth four leagues-. We-faw the en4r
trance ifles-of' New Year’s harbour; at thé, back of which
the land? is very- craggy and. mountainous-» This ;muft b e
a very convenient port to touch, at, as the accgfs to iHs-fafe
and. eafy. The harbour lies &SI3*;by eompafs,;frpmthe N E
part of the eaflemtnpft of the New Year’s Iflands.
About two leagues to- the.weftward o f ..Cape St. John, I
©bferyedthe reparation o f the mountains that Captain Cook-
has taken notice of, which has the appearance, o f Staten.
Land, being them divided into two, iflands v
At
At fun-fety Cape;St^John bore S S-E five or fix leagues.
The land hereabouts As;of:lefsffieight,.and not. fo rugged,as
near Ne\y Year’s Harbour. . The n i g h t ; comifig.on, I could
get no good view of tfecoaft-near,thpGape; and. at daylight,
next morning, we were at too great -a- diftance. -
-Monday 24th. the- fouthward all night,-Monday h.
with.the wind a t S W< At eiSht in the S ®
ing, Cape St^ohmbQre-N W, terv leagues. diftant. - Soon
after we loff fight of the lands -
From the refult of my lunar obfervations, affiftedby the
fime-keeper,' B make the longitude of the weft fid^.of
grafts fe,Maire ft* be 64° M fg g the eaftemmoft.of the
^ e w Yeaf’Si'tfles W | and the longitude of. Cape. §&
John 63?; 19TW »• „
■ M opr,run. fronpthe. latitude 0^,12, degrees?»S to 4»- b,-
the fhip was- fe£ e .go' to- the eastward by-^urrentsand-
from .the latitude of 48* S t;o?Staten-(^.and,-the .currents, fet,
US' to the.weftward 20 43'^which-1 imagine tO’hwgf been-
occafioned by an indr-aught. inter the Straits, of Magellan. •-
From thetimq.we loft fight of the land, tntheend’of the-»
month, w:e* were -ftruggling with had weather and contrary-
Winds-:, but omthemorning of the 31& the wind,came to- Moadiy.s*
the N:N E, and made us- entertain great .hopes-that-we
fbould be able-to aeeomplifh o u e paffage round the Cape«
without much difficulty. At noomwe-wetes maafijtude,
6o° S B and in y iW W Iongitpde,, Which* is.*,8.,26» W oh
’ the meridian of Cape St. John. This flattering appear- ,
ance was not of-long continuance; in the night the wind»
became variable, and'.nexfcday fettled-again in the.W and-
N W, with .very; bad weather. • 1 a
On the ad, in the morning, the wind, which had blownfrelh
all night from the N W, came round to the SW,
and