and this allowance being double what former navigators
have thought necessary to be taken in order to compensate the drift of
the eastern current, we esteemed ourselves to be well advanced within the
limits of the southern ocean, and had therefore been ever since standing
to the northward with as much expedition as the turbulence of the weather
and our frequent disasters permitted. And, on the 13th of April, we were
but a degree in latitude to the southward of the west entrance of the
straits of Magellan, so that we fully expected, in a very few days, to
have experienced the celebrated tranquillity of the Pacific Ocean.

AN UNEXPECTED DANGER.

But these were delusions which only served to render our disappointment
more terrible; for the next morning, between one and two, as we were
standing to the northward, and the weather, which had till then been
hazy, accidentally cleared up, the pink made a signal for seeing land
right ahead and it being but two miles distant, we were all under the
most dreadful apprehensions of running on shore; which, had either the
wind blown from its usual quarter with its wonted vigour, or had not the
moon suddenly shone out, not a ship amongst us could possibly have
avoided. But the wind, which some few hours before blew in squalls from
the south-west, having fortunately shifted to west-north-west, we were
enabled to stand to the southward, and to clear ourselves of this
unexpected danger; so that by noon we had gained an offing of near twenty
leagues.

By the latitude of this land we fell in with, it was agreed to be a part
of Tierra del Fuego, near the southern outlet of the Straits of Magellan.
It was indeed most wonderful that the currents should have driven us to
the eastward with such strength; for the whole squadron esteemed
themselves upwards of ten degrees more westerly than this land. And now,
instead of having our labours and anxieties relieved by approaching a
warmer climate and more tranquil seas, we were to steer again to the
southward, and again to combat those western blasts which had so often
terrified us; and this, too, when we were weakened by our men falling
sick and dying apace, and when our spirits, dejected by a long
continuance at sea, and by our late disappointment, were much less
capable of supporting us in the various difficulties which we could not
but expect in this new undertaking. Add to all this, too, the
discouragement we received by the diminution of the st