Captain Cook's Journal During His First Voyage Round the World
hapens here at the full and Change of the Moon about 1 or 2 o'clock, and
then to keep as near to Terra Del Fuego Shore as the winds will permit.
By using these Precautions you will be sure of either getting quite
through the Straits in one Tide or to the Southward of Success Bay; and
it may be more Prudent to put in there should the wind be Southerly, than
to attempt to weather Staten Land with a Lee Wind and Current, for I
believe this to be the Chief reason why Ships have run a Risk of being
drove on that Island.
Strait Le Maire is formed on the West by part of Terra Del Fuego, and on
the East by the West end of Staten Land or Island; its Length and Breadth
is about 5 Leagues each; about the Middle of the Strait is Success Bay,
on Terra Del Fuego side, and about a 1/4 of a League more to the
Northwards is Port Maurice, a little Cove, before which we Anchored in 12
fathoms.
[Description of Strait of Le Maire.]
The Bay of Success is discovered immediately upon entring the Strait from
the Northward; there is likewise a good Land Mark near the South head to
know it by, which is a Mark on the land like a lane or broad road leading
up from the Sea into the Country; this Bay is 1/2 a League Wide at the
Entrance, and lies in West 2 1/2 Miles, and hath good Anchorage in every
part of it, in 10, 8, and 7 fathoms clear ground, and affords plenty of
exceeding good Wood and Water. The Wood is of the Birch kind, but of a
diffrent Quality to that in England or North America; here are likewise
of the Winter Bark tree and some few others, Wild Selary, some Berrys
like Cranberrys, but growing on Bushes, very few Wild Fowls of any Sort,
and no Fish Except Shell Fish, such as Muscels, Limpets, etc.; and what
we saw of the interior parts of the Country is still more barren of the
necessaries of Life than the Sea. The few days we stay'd here we had
constant bad weather, the Winds from the South-West and West-South-West
with rain, Hail and Snow. Snow generally fell on the Hills everywhere
with these winds when we had rain in the Bay or upon the Sea Coast. I
observed the same in respect to Staten Land, but as it never froze it did
not lay long; yet it must render the Country Cold and barren, and unfit
for Cultivation. The Tides in Success Bay flows at the full and Change of
the Moon, about 4 or 5 o'Clock, and riseth between 5 and 6 feet
Perpendicular, but in the Strait the flood runs 2 or 3 Hours longer, and
there the Ebb or Southerly Current runs near Double the strength of the
Flood or Northerly Current.
Staten Island lies nearest East and West, and from what I could see and
judge of it may be about 12 Leagues in length and 5 in breadth. On the
North side are the appearances of Bays or Harbours, and the land is not
destitute of Wood and Verdure, nor covered with Snow any more than Terra
del Fuego.
On the South-West side of the Cape of good Success (which forms the
South-West entrance of Strait Le Mair, and is known by some rocks off it)
lies Valentine's Bay, the entrance of which we only saw. From this Bay
the land Trends to the West-South-West; for 20 or 30 Leagues it appears
High and Mountainous, and forms several Bays and inlets South-West 1/2
South 14 Leagues from the Cape of good Success, and 2 or 3 Leagues from
the Shore lies New Island; it is 2 leagues in length, North-East and
South-West, the North-East end is terminated by a remarkable Hillock.
South-West 7 Leagues from New Island lies the Isle Evouts, and South, a
little Westerly from this island, lies Barnevelts, two small flatt
Islands close to each other; they are partly Environ'd with rocks of
Different height above water, and lay South-West 24 leagues from Strait
le Mair. From Barnevelts Island to the South-East point of Hermites
island is South-West by South, distance 3 Leagues. These Islands lay
South-East and North-West, and are pretty high, and will, from most
points of view, be taken for one Island or a part of the Main; from the
South-East point of Hermites Isles to Cape Horn, the Course is South-West
by South, distance 3 Leagues. The Appearance of this Cape and Hermites
Islands is represented in the last View in 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 and part of Staten Land. In this chart I have
laid down no land nor figured out any Shore, but what I saw myself and
thus far the Chart may be depended upon. The Bays and inlets are left
voide, the openings of which we only see from the Ship. It cannot be
doubted but what there is Anchorage, Wood and Water in those Bays, and 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 discovered that the land of Cape Horn was
consisted of a Number of Islands, but the account they have given of
those parts is very short and imperfect, and that of Schouton and 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 and 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 and Cape Horn, being
determined by several Observations of the Sun and moon made both by
myself and Mr. Green, the Astronomer.
We found the Variation of the Compass on this Coast to be from 23 to 25
degrees east, except near Barnevelts Islands 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
68 degrees 15 minutes below the horizon. Between Strait Le Maire and Cape
Horn we found a Current setting generally pretty strong to the North-East
when we were in with the Shore, but when 15 or 20 Leagues off we were not
sencible of any.
REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES IN JANUARY 1769. SOUTH SEAS.
[Off Cape Horn.]
Thursday, 26th. Fresh Gales and thick Hazey weather, with small rain. At
2 p.m., the weather clearing up a little, saw Cape Horn bearing
West-South-West, distance about 6 leagues, and from which I take my
departure. Its Latitude and Longitude have before been taken notice of.
Wind South-West by West to West-North-West; course South 15 degrees West;
distance, 63 miles; latitude 56 degrees 57 minutes South; longitude 68
degrees 13 minutes West; at noon, Cape Horn North, 58 miles.
Friday, 27th. First part, moderate breezes and thick Hazey weather; the
Middle, fair and Cloudy; and the Latter, fresh Gales with some rain. At 8
a.m. took two Setts of Observations of the sun and moon; the first gave
68 degrees 15 minutes; the second, 68 degrees 9 minutes; the Mean of the
2 is 68 degrees 12 minutes West. The Longitude of the Ship at Noon by
these Observations is 68 degrees 42 minutes less 14 minutes, the
Longitude made from Cape Horn, equal to 68 degrees 28 minutes, the
longitude of Cape Horn according to the Observation. A Great many large
Albetrosses about the Ship. Wind, South-West, West and North; course,
South and West; distance, 32 miles; latitude 57 degrees 2 minutes South,
longitude 68 degrees 27 minutes West.
Saturday, 28th. Fresh Gales the most part of this day; first and Middle
parts cloudy; latter, clear with a Sharp cold air. At 2 p.m. saw the
land, bearing North, distant about 8 Leagues; it made in 2 Hummocks, and
appeared to be an Island, which I take to be the Isle of Diego Ramirez.
It lays in the Latitude of 56 degrees 38 minutes South and Longitude 68
degrees 47 minutes West from Greenwich.* (* Diego Ramirez is in 56
degrees 31 minutes South, 68 degrees 43 minutes West.) Found the
Variation this Evening to be 22 degrees East. A.M. had 3 sets of
Observations of the sun and moon, which gave the Longitude 69 degrees 7
minutes 15 seconds West. The Longitude of the Ship at Noon by the
Observation is 69 degrees 24 minutes, from which take 1 degree 48
minutes, the longitude made from Cape Horn, the remainder is 67 degrees
36 minutes, the Longitude of the Cape, which is 52 minutes less than the
result of Yesterday's Observations.* (* This was the best observation.)
This difference may arise partly from the Observations and partly from
the Ship's runs; the mean of the 2 gives 68 degrees 2 minutes and 68
degrees 24 minutes, the Longitude of the Cape from the Observations taken
at Strait Maire 136 degrees 26 minutes/2 = 68 degrees 13 minutes West
from Greenwich. The Longitude of Cape Horn being deduced from no less
than 24 Observations taken at no very great distance from the Cape, and
on both sides of it, and when the Sun was both to the East and West of
the Moon; for in this case the Errors arising from the Observations are
most likely to Correct one another. Wind, North and West by North to
North-West by West; course, South 39 degrees West; distance, 80 miles;
latitude 58 degrees 4 minutes South, longitude 70 degrees 1 minute West.
Sunday, 29th. First and Latter parts, fresh Gales and Squally, with
flying Showers of rain and Hail; the Middle, strong Gales with heavy
Squalls and showers of rain. At 8 p.m. took 2nd Reef Topsails, at 6 a.m.
Close reefd the Foretopsails and took in the Mizen Topsl, and at 10 set
it again and let the reef out of the Fore top-sails. Wind, West
Northerly; course South-West; distance, 79 miles; latitude 59 degrees 0
minutes South, longitude 72 degrees 48 minutes West.
Monday, 30th. Fore part, fresh Gales and Squally with Hail and rain,
remainder moderate and Cloudy. At 6 a.m. loosed the 2nd reef out of the
Topsails and set Top-gallant Sails. At 11 Longitude per 3 sets of
Observations of the sun and moon, 1st set 73 degrees 38 minutes 15
seconds; second set 73 degrees 25 minutes 45 seconds; and 3rd, 73 degrees
19 minutes 30 seconds; the mean of the whole is 73 degrees 27 minutes 50
seconds West, and 35 minutes less than the Longitude by Dead reckoning,
which is only 6 Leagues in this Latitude, and therefore not worth taking
notice of. Latitude per Observation 60 degrees 4 minutes South. Wind West
by North and West-North-West; course, South 33 degrees West; distance, 76
miles; latitude 60 degrees 4 minutes South, longitude 74 degrees 10
minutes West.
Tuesday, 31st. First part moderate and Cloudy, with some rain; in the
night, little wind and Calm; towards Noon, fresh Gales and Cloudy.
Between 7 and 8 p.m., being then in the Latitude of 60 degrees 10
minutes, which was the farthest south we were, and in the Longitude of 74
degrees 30 minutes found the Variation of the Compass by the mean of
Azimuth to be 27 degrees 9 minutes East. At 3 a.m. wind at
East-South-East, and Moderate breeze. Set the Steeringsails, and soon
after 2 Birds like Penguins were seen by the Mate of the Watch. Wind
West-North-West, calm, East-South-East, South-South-East; course North 71
degrees West; distance, 55 miles; latitude 59 degrees 46 minutes South,
longitude 75 degrees 54 minutes West.
[February 1769.]
Wednesday, February 1st. First part, fresh Gales; latter, light Airs and
Cloudy; P.M. found the Variation by several Azimuth to be 24 degrees 53
minutes East. At Noon sounded, but had no ground with 240 fathoms of
line; hoisted a Boat out to try if there was any Current, but found none.
The weather was such as to admit Mr. Banks to row round the Ship in a
Lighterman's Skiff shooting birds. Wind, South-East by East,
South-South-East, East; course, North-West by West; distance, 106 miles;
latitude 58 degrees 46 minutes South, longitude 78 degrees 42 minutes
West.
Thursday, 2nd. First part, light breezes and Cloudy; remainder, sometimes