The 17th They Sailed Between Two Rocky Shores, So
Close And So High That They Hardly Thought To Have Got Through.
The
mountains on both sides were covered with snow.
On the 18th, they cast
anchor in a bay on the north side of the straits, in lat. 54 deg. S. called
Great bay, having good anchorage on fine sand. In this bay there are
three small islands, the least of which is farthest east.
In these parts, there grow great quantities of trees, resembling bay
trees, but somewhat higher, the bark of which is very bitter, and has a
hot taste like pepper.[86] They here found abundance of muscles, some of
which were a span long, and when boiled, the fish of three of them
weighed a pound. The wind being contrary, they lay here at anchor till
the 23d of August,[87] without taking the sails from the yards, to be
ready to sail on a change of wind. In the mean while they suffered much
from cold, in so much that they lost above an hundred men, among whom
was Captain Buckholt, who was succeeded by Baltazar de Cordes. Storms
were so frequent and violent during this time, that the ships could not
ride quietly at anchor, and the seamen were forced to be continually at
work to keep them right. They were also forced to go often on shore, in
rain, snow, and hail, to get in fresh water, wood, muscles, and such
other food as they could find, by which they were greatly fatigued.
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