_Departure from the Bay of St Julian, and Passage from thence to the
Straits of Le Maire._
The Tryal being nearly refitted, which was our principal occupation
at this bay, and sole occasion of our stay, the commodore thought
it necessary to fix the plan of his first operations, as we were
now directly bound for the South Seas and the enemy's coasts; and
therefore, on the 24th February, a signal was made for all captains,
and a council of war was held on board the Centurion. There were
present on this occasion the Honourable Edward Legg, Captain Matthew
Mitchell, the Honourable George Murray, Captain David Cheap, and
Colonel Mordaunt Cracherode, commander of the land-forces. At this
council, it was proposed by Commodore Anson, that their first attempt,
after arriving in the South Seas, should be against the town and
harbour of Baldivia, the principal frontier place in the south of
Chili, informing them, as an inducement for this enterprize, that it
formed part of his majesty's instructions to endeavour to secure
some port in the South Seas where the ships of the squadron might be
careened and refitted. The council readily and unanimously agreed
to this proposal; and, in consequence of this resolution, new
instructions were issued to the captains, by which, though still
directed, in case of separation, to make the best of their way to the
island of Socoro, they were only to cruize off that island for ten
days; from whence, if not then joined by the commodore, they were to
proceed off Baldivia, making the land between the latitudes of 40° and
40° 30' S. and taking care to keep to the southward of the port. If
not there joined in fourteen days by the rest of the squadron, they
were then to direct their course for the island of Juan Fernandez;
after which they were to regulate their farther proceedings by the
former orders given out at St Catharines. The same orders were also
given to the master of the Anna pink, who was enjoined to answer and
obey the signals made by any ship of the squadron, in absence of the
commodore; and, if he should be so unfortunate as to fell into the
hands of the enemy, he was directed to destroy his orders and papers
with the utmost care. Likewise, as the separation of the squadron
might prove highly prejudicial to the service, each captain was
ordered to give it in charge to the respective officers of the watch,
on all occasions, never to keep their respective ships at a greater
distance from the Centurion than two miles, as they should answer
at their peril; and if any captain should find his ship beyond the
specified distance, he was to acquaint the commodore with the name of
the officer who thus neglected his duty.
These necessary regulations established, and the repairs of the Tryal
sloop completed, the squadron weighed from Port St Julians on Friday
the 27th February, 1741, at seven in the morning, and stood to sea.
The Gloucester found such difficulty in endeavouring to purchase her
anchor, that she was left a great way astern, so that we fired several
guns in the night as signals for her to make more sail: But she did
not rejoin us till next morning, when we learnt that she had been
obliged to cut her cable, leaving her best bower anchor behind. At ten
in the morning of the 28th, Wood's Mount, the high land over Port
St Julian, bore from us N. by W. distant ten leagues, and we had
fifty-two fathoms water. Standing now to the southward, we had great
expectations of falling in with the Spanish squadron under Pizarro;
as, during our stay at Port St Julian, there had generally been hard
gales between W.N.W. and S.W. so that we had reason to conclude that
squadron, had gained no ground upon us in that interval. Indeed, it
was the prospect of meeting them that had occasioned our commodore to
be so very solicitous to prevent the separation of our ships; for, had
he been solely intent on getting round Cape Horn in the shortest time,
the most proper method for this purpose would have been, to order each
ship to make the best of her way to the rendezvous, without waiting
for the rest.
From the time of leaving Port St Julian to the 4th March, we had
little wind with thick hazy weather and some rain, and our soundings
were generally from forty to fifty fathoms, with a bottom of black
and gray sand, sometimes mixed with pebble stones. On the 4th March
we were in sight of Cape Virgin Mary, and not more than six or seven
leagues distant, the northern boundary of the eastern entrance of
the Straits of Magellan, in lat 52° 21' S. long. 71° 44' W. from
London.[1] It seemed a low flat land, ending in a point.[2] Off this
cape the depth of water was from thirty-five to forty-eight fathoms.
The afternoon of this day was bright and clear, with small breezes
of wind, inclining to a calm; and most of the captains took the
opportunity of this fine weather to visit the commodore. While all
were on board the Centurion, they were greatly alarmed by a sudden
flame bursting out in the Gloucester, followed by a cloud of
smoke; but were soon relieved of their apprehensions, by receiving
information that the blast had been occasioned by a spark of fire from
the forge lighting on some gun-powder, and other combustibles, which
an officer was preparing for use, in case of falling in with the
Spanish squadron, and which had exploded without any damage to the
ship.
[Footnote 1: The longitude of Cape Virgin Mary, is only 67° 42' W.
from Greenwich.--E.]
[Footnote 2: By the draught in the original, omitted here for
substantial reasons already repeatedly stated, the coast at this
southern extremity of Patagonia is represented as a high bluff flat on
the top, and ending abruptly at this cape.--E.]
We here found, what was constantly the case in these high southern
latitudes, that fair weather was always of exceedingly short
continuance, and that when remarkably fine it was a certain presage of
a succeeding storm: For the calm and sunshine of this afternoon ended
in a most turbulent night; the wind freshening from the S.W. as the
night came on; and increasing continually in violence till nine next
morning. It then blew so hard that we were forced to bring to with the
squadron, and to continue under a reefed mizen till eleven at night,
having in that time from forty-three to fifty-seven fathoms water
on black sand and gravel; and, by an observation we had at noon, we
concluded that a current had set us twelve miles to the southward
of our reckoning. Toward midnight the wind abated, and we again made
sail, steering S. In the morning we discovered the southern land
beyond the Straits of Magellan, called Terra del Fuego, stretching
from S. by W.S.E. 1/2 E. This country afforded a very uncomfortable
prospect, appearing of stupendous height, every where covered with
snow, and shewing at its southern extremity the entrance into the
Straits of Le Maire at Cape St Diego.[3] We steered along this
uncouth and rugged coast all day, having soundings from forty to fifty
fathoms, on stones and gravel.
[Footnote 3: The western side of the entrance into the Straits of Le
Maire is formed by the Capes of St Vincent and St Diego; the former in
lat. 54° 30', the latter in 54° 40', both S. and long. 65° 40' W.]
Intending to pass through the straits of Le Maire next day, we lay to
at night that we might not overshoot them, and took this opportunity
to prepare ourselves for the tempestuous climate in which we were soon
to be engaged, with which view we were employed good part of the night
in bending an entire new suit of sails to the yards. At four next
morning, being the 7th of March, we made sail, and at eight saw land,
and soon after began to open the straits, at which time Cape St Diego
bore E.S.E. Cape St Vincent S.E. 1/2 E. the middlemost of the Three
Brothers, hills so called on Terra del Fuego S. by W. Montegorda, a
high land up the country appearing over the Three Brothers; S. and
Cape St Bartholomew, the southernmost point of Staten Land, E.S.E. I
must observe here that, though Frezier has given a very correct view
of that part of Terra del Fuego which borders on these straits to the
westwards, he has omitted the draught of Staten Land, which forms
the opposite shore of these straits, whence we found it difficult to
determine exactly where the straits lay until they began to open upon
our view; and hence, had we not coasted a considerable way along the
shore of Terra del Fuego, we might have missed the straits, and have
gone to the eastward of Staten Land before discovering it. This has
happened to many ships; particularly, as mentioned by Frezier, to the
Incarnation and Concord, which, intending to pass through the Straits
of Le Maire, were deceived by three hills on Staten Land, and some
creeks, resembling the Three Brothers and coves of Terra del Fuego, so
that they overshot the straits.
Though Terra del Fuego presented an aspect exceedingly barren and
desolate, yet this island of Staten Land far surpasses it in the
wildness and horror of its appearance, seeming to be entirely composed
of inaccessible rocks, without the smallest apparent admixture of
earth or mould, upon or between them. These rocks terminate in a vast
number of rugged points, which spire up to a prodigious height,
and are all covered with everlasting snow; their pointed summits or
pinnacles being every way surrounded by frightful precipices, and
often overhanging in a most astonishing manner. The hills which are
crowned by the rugged rocks, are generally separated from each other
by narrow clifts, appearing as if the country had been frequently rent
by earthquakes; for these chasms are nearly perpendicular, and extend
through the substance of the main rocks almost to their bases; so that
nothing can be imagined more savage and gloomy than the whole aspect
of this coast.
Having opened the Straits of Le Maire on the morning of the 7th March,
as before mentioned, the Pearl and Tryal, about ten o'clock,
were ordered to keep a-head of the squadron and lead the way. We
accordingly entered the straits with fair weather and a brisk gale,
and were hurried through by the rapidity of the tide in about two
hours, though they are between seven and eight leagues in length. As
these straits are often esteemed the boundary between the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans, and as we presumed that we had nothing now before us
but an open sea, till we should arrive on the opulent coasts where all
our hopes and wishes centered, we could not help flattering ourselves
that the greatest difficulty of our voyage was now at an end, and
that our most sanguine dreams were on the point of being realized. We
indulged ourselves, therefore, in the romantic imaginations which
the fancied possession of the gold of Chili and silver of Peru might
readily be conceived to inspire. These joyous ideas were considerably
heightened, by the brightness of the sky and serenity of the weather,
which indeed were both most remarkably delightful: For, though the
antarctic winter was now advancing with hasty strides, the morning of
this day, in mildness and even brilliancy, gave place to none that
we had seen since our departure from England. Thus, animated by these
flattering delusions, we passed those memorable straits, ignorant of
the dreadful calamities then impending, and ready to burst upon us;
ignorant that the moment was fast approaching when our squadron was to
be separated, never again to unite; and that this day of our passage
was the last cheerful day that the greatest part of us was ever to
enjoy in this world.