James Cook - A Journal of the proceedings of His Majesty's Bark Endeavour on a voyage round the world, by Lieutenant James Cook, Commander, commencing the 25th of May 1768 - 23 Oct. 1770: No. 063

[page 63]
High & Mountainous & forms several Bays & inlets. SW½S.14 Leagues from the Cape of good Success & 2 or 3 Leagues from the Shore lies New Island it is 2 Leagues in length NE.t & SW.t the NE end is terminated by a remarkable Hillick. SW 7 Leagues from New Island lies the Isle Evouts, & South a little Westerly from this Island lies Barnavelts two small flatt Island close to Each other, they are partly Environ'd with rocks of Differ.t height above Water & lay SW 24 Leagues from Strait Le Mair. from Barnavelts Island to the SE.t point of Hermites Islands is SWbS dist.ce 3 Leagues, these Island lay SE.t & NW.t & are pretty high and will from most points of View be taken for one Island, or a part of the Main from the SE.t point of Hermites Isles to Cape Horn the Course is SWbS dist 3 Leagues - The Appearance of this Cape & Hermites Islands is represented in the last View on the Chart which I have drawn of this Coast from our first making the land unto Cape Horn in which is included Strait Le Mair & part of Staten Land, in this chart I have laid down, no land nor figured out any Shore but what I saw myself, & thus for the Chart may be depended upon the Bays & inlets are left voide, the openings of which we only see from the Ship it cannot be doubted but what there is Anchorages Wood, & Water in those Bays, & it must have been in some of them that the Dutch Squadron commanded by Hermites put into in the year 1624 it was the Vice Admiral Chapenham of this Squadron who first discover'd that the land of Cape Horn was consisted of a Number of Islands, but the account they have given of these parts is very short & imperfect, & that of Schouton & Le Maire still worse. that it is no wonder that the Charts hitherto Published should be found incorrect not only in laying down the Land but in the Latitude & Longitude of the places they contain, but I can now venture to Assert that the Longitude of few parts of the World are better Ascertained than that of Strait Le Maire & Cape Horn be determ.d by several Observations of the Sun & Moon, made both by myself & Mr. Green the Astronomer-

We found the Variation of the Compass on this Coast to be from 23º to 25º East, except near Barnevelts Island and Cape Horn where we found it less and unsettled, it is likely that it is here disturbed by the land, as the Dutch Squadron before mentioned found in this very place all their Compasses to differ from each other The declination of the South Point of the Dipping Needle when set up ashore in Success Bay was  below the Horizon, between Strait Le Maire and Cape Horn we found a Current setting generally pretty strong to the NE.t  when we wore in with the Shore, but when 15 or 20 Leagues off we were, not Sensible of any. 
                                                                                                    
Remarkable Occurrences in January 1769 South Seas~
                                                                                                     
Fresh Gales & thick Hazey wea.r with small rain at 2 PM the weather clearing up a little saw Cape Horn bearing WSW dist.ce about 6 Lg's & from which I take my departure, its Latitude & Longitude have before been taken notice of