he coast, but if there had been many islands
in that situation, it is impossible but that the Dolphin, the Tamar, or
the Swallow, must have seen them, as we ran near their supposed
meridian, and so did the Dolphin and the Tamar the last voyage. Till we
came into this latitude, we had tolerable weather, and little or no
current in any direction, but when we came to the northward of 48 deg., we
found a current setting strongly to the north, so that probably we then
opened the great bay, which is said to be ninety leagues deep. We found
here a vast swell from the N.W. and the winds generally blew from the
same quarter; yet we were set every day twelve or fifteen miles to the
northward of our account.

On Wednesday the 15th, at about four o'clock in the morning, after
surmounting many dangers and difficulties, we once more got abreast of
Cape Pillar, with a light breeze at S.E. and a great swell. Between five
and six o'clock, just as we opened Cape Deseada, the wind suddenly
shifted to S. and S. by W. and blew so hard that it was with great
difficulty we could carry the reefed top-sails: The sudden changing of
the wind, and its excessive violence, produced a sea so dreadfully
hollow, that great quantities of water were thrown in upon our deck, so
that we were in the utmost danger of foundering; yet we did not dare to
shorten sail, it being necessary to carry all we could spread, in order
to weather the rocky islands, which Sir John Narborough has called the
Islands of Direction, for we could not now run back again into the
Streight, without falling down among the broken land, and incurring the
dangers of the northern shore, which was to leeward; towards this broken
land, however, and lee-shore, the ship settled very fast,
notwithstanding our utmost efforts: In this pressing emergency we were
obliged to stave all the water-casks upon the deck, and between decks,
to clear the vessel, and to make her carry better sail, and at length,
happily escaped the danger which threatened us. After we got clear of
those islands, and drew off from the Streight's mouth and the land, we
found the sea run more regularly from the S.W. and the wind soon after
coming from S.S.W. to S.S.E. we had by noon got a pretty good offing,
about nine leagues from Cape Victory, which is on the north shore. Thus
we cleared the western entrance of the Streight, which, in my opinion,
is too dangerous for navigation; a deliverance which happened in the
very cri