State Library of NSW
Remarkable Occurrences from Rio de Janeiro. Towards Terra del Fuego Forep.t fresh Gales & Clear Middle light Airs, remainder fresh G.s & a little hazey PM found the Variation to be 20.4E.t Soundings 75 & 73 faom. a great Number of Water fowl about the Ship~ Fresh G.s the Air very Sharp & Cold, frequent showers of rain & Squalls Sound.gs 75 fa.om. saw some Penguins, gave to each of the People a Fearnaught Jacket & a pair of Trousers after which I never heard one Man Complain of Cold, not but that the Weather was cold Enough~ First part Strong G.s with excessive hard Squals with rain, at 9 PM wore & bro.t [brought]too her head to the Westward under the Mainsail & Reefd the Foresail for the first Time the Storm continued with little intermission until a little towards Noon when it abated, so as we could set the Tops.ls close Reefed Saw many Penguins & some Seals~ Wind & wea.r both Variable but for the most part little wind PM loosed the Reef out of the Foresail & 2 Reefs out of Each Topsail AM got Topgall.t Yards aCross & loosed all the Reefs out, Soundings from 80 to 75 fa.om First & latter parts a Mod.te breeze & Clear wea.r Middle squally with rain PM found the Variation by several Azm.ths to be 22º.24'E.t saw a great Number of Penguins & Seals~ Mod.te breezes & fine clear wea.r at 2 PM Sounded 86 fa.om black sand & Small Stones Var.on. 21.57E.t at ½ past 10 Tackd having Stood S.o 12 Leagues, after standing to the Westw.d 14 Miles sounded & had 80 fa.om black grey sand 3 Leagues Farther 76 Coarse black sand Tackd & at noon had 70 fa.om black gravel & Small Stones of diff.t Colours, saw several flights of black Sheerwaters~ Arrival on the Coast of Terra del Fuego [note left margin]
A Steady Genteel breeze & clear wea.r PM after standing 13 Leag.s SSW. Sounded 64 fa.om Gravel & small Stones. Stand.g SWbS 11 Lg's farther had 46 fa.om the same sort of bottom at 8 AM saw the Land of Terra del Fuego extending from the West to SEbS.º Distance off shore between 3 & 4 Leagues sounded & had 35 faom. small soft Slate Stones. Var.on 23º.30' E.t in ranging along shore to the SE at the Dist.ce of 2 or 3 Leag.s had 27 & 26 fa.om Muddy Bottom, saw some of the Natives who made a Smock in sev.l places which must have been done as a Signal to us as they did not continue it after we Passed by our Long.de we ought not to have been so far to the Westw.d as Staten Land as it is laid down in the Charts but it appeared from Subsequent Observ.ns that the Ship had got near a Degree of Long.de to the Westward of the Log which is 35 Miles in these Latitudes, Probably this in part may be owing to a Small Current setting to the Westw.d occasioned by the Westerly Current which comes round Cape Horn & through Strait La Mair & the in Draft of the Striaghts[sic] Magellan. Firstp.t Mod.te breezes & Cloudy remainder sometimes a fresh breeze sometimes Calm Hazey wea.r with rain, at 5 the Wind coming to the Northw.d obliged us to Tack & Stood NW.t ward being then about 5 Miles from the Shore & had 23 fa.om sandy Bottom, at Midnight Tackd & Stood to the Eastw.d at Noon the Land over the Entrance of Straits La Maire ENE dist.ce 7 Lg's Soundgs. from 28 to 38 fa.om ~ The greatest part of this day little wind & Cloudy at 8 PM Cape S.t Diego at the W.t Entrance of Straits Le Maire E dist.ce ab.t 5 Lg's keept under an Easy Sail until' day light at which time we were abreast of Cape S.t Diego, & then put into the Strait, but the Tide soon turned against us & obliged us to haul under the Cape again & wait until 9 AM when it shifted in our favour, put into the Straits again with a Mod.te breeze at SW.t which soon grew Boistrous with very heavy Squalls with rain & hail & obliged us to Close reef our Topsails~
This page has its status set to Accepted and is no longer transcribable.