t out of England about
the latter end of August, and to pass round Terra del Fuego, and
so stretching over towards New Holland, coast it along that Shore
till I came near to Mindanao; or first I would coast down near the
American Shore, as far as I found convenient, and then direct my Course
accordingly for the Island. By this I should avoid coming near any of
the Dutch Settlements, and be sure to meet always with a constant brisk
Easterly Trade Wind, after I was once past Terra del Fuego. Whereas
in passing about the Cape of Good Hope, after you are shot over the
East-Indian Ocean, and are come to the Islands, you must pass through
the Streights of Malacca or Sundy, or else some other Streights East
from Java, where you will be sure to meet with Country [i.e., contrary]
-winds, go on which side of the Equator you please; and this would
require ordinarily 7 or 8 Months for the Voyage, but the other I should
hope to perform in 6 or 7 at most. In your return from thence also you
must observe the same Rule as the Spaniards do in going from Manila to
Acapulco; [11] only as they run towards the North-Pole for variable
Winds, so you must run to the Southward, till you meet with a Wind
that will carry you over to Terra del Fuego. There are places enough
to touch at for Refreshment, either going or coming. You may touch
going thither on either side of Terra Patagonica, or, if you please,
at the Gallapagoes Islands, [12] where there is Refreshment enough;
and returning you may probably touch somewhere on New Holland, and
so make some profitable discovery in these Places without going out
of your way. And to speak my Thoughts freely, I believe 'tis owing
to the neglect of this easie way that all that vast Tract of Terra
Australis which bounds the South Sea is yet undiscovered: those that
cross that Sea seeming to design some Business on the Peruvian or
Mexican Coast, and so leaving that at a distance. To confirm which,
I shall add what Captain Davis [13] told me lately, That after his
departure from us at the Haven of Ria Lexa [14] (as is mentioned in
the 8th Chap.) he went after several Traverses, to the Gallapagoes
and that standing thus Southward for Wind, to bring him about Terra
del Fuego, in the Lat. of 27 South, about 500 Leagues from Copayapo,
[15] on the Coast of Chili, he saw a small sandy Island just by him;
and that they saw to the Westward of it a long Tract of pretty high
Land, tending away toward the North West out