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. 057
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Remarkable Occurrences &ct. at Terra Del Fuego
Firstp.t Strong Gales & very heavy squalls with Hail & Rain, remainder more mod.te but unsettled sometimes a fresh breeze & Squally & sometimes little wind kept plying in the Straits until ½ past 4 PM at which time the Tide had made strong against us & the wind not abating bore away, intending to have hauld under Cape S.t Diego, but was prevented by the Force of the Tide which carried us past that Cape with surprising rapidity at the sametime caused a very great sea at 6 the wea.r being Clear, took 9 or 3 sets of Observations of the sun & moon in order to find the Longitude of the place & as they perhaps are the first Observations of this kind that were ever made so near to the Extremity of S.º America I have inserted them below just as they were taken that every body may judge for themselves. Cape S.t Diego bore at this Time SbE about 4 Leagues Distance at ½ past 7 Tackt & Stood to the SE.t Cape S.t
[note left margin] - Strong Curr.t in Strait Le Maire-
Diego bearing SbE distance 5 Leagues, at 1AM Squally wore Ship Staten Land extending from N.º to East at 4 Moderate weather loosed a Reef out of each Topsail the Cape of good Success WbS & Cape St Diego NNW being now in the Strait, but the Tide turning against us soon carried us out. The Violence of the Tide of Ebb rose such a Sea off Cape S.t Diego that it looked as if it was breaking Violently on a ledge of Rocks, & would be taken for such by any who know'd not the true cause, when the Ship was in this Torrent, she frequently Pitched her Bowsprit in the Water by Noon we got under the Land between Cape S.t Diego & Cape S.t Vincent where I thought to have Anchor'd but found the Bottom every where hard & Rocky the Depth of Water from 30 to 12 fathom, sent the Master to Examine a small Cove which appeared to our View a little to the Eastward of Cape S.t Vincent ~
| Correct Alt.de Moon Center | The Long.de result.g from each set of Observations | |
| 23°.48'.0" 23.14.0 |
66'.7'.45"
66.19.45 |
NB The mean of the 3 Sets is 66'.9'.25" & the mean of Mr Greens Computations from the same Observations was 66.14.0 & the Mean of his Computations & mine will be 66º.11'.32" & therefore the Longitude of Cape S.t Diego on the NW.t entrance of Straits Le Maire will be 66º.0'.0" West from Greenwich & its Latitude 54.39 South. Note the distance of the sun & moon were taken by Mr Green alone my Quadrant being out of Order. |
| 22.55.0 | 66.0.45 |
[Note left margin] Vincent Bay-
SUNDAY 15th Moderate breezes at S.º & SE.t & Cloudy wea.r the greatest part of this day at 2PM the Master return'd with an account that there was Anchorage in 4 fa.m Water & a good bottom close to the Eastward of the First black bluff point which is on the East side of Cape S.t Vincent, at the very Entrance of the Cove we saw from the Ship ( which I named Vincent Bay ) before this Anchoring ground lay several Rocky Ledges covered with sea Weed on these Ledges I was informed was not less than 8 or 9 fathom