The Seamen Also Became Much
Dissatisfied, Though Allowed Two Ounces Of Dried Fish A Day To Each Man,
With A Reasonable Quantity Of Biscuit.
But they were much discontented
with this scanty allowance, having been used in the straits to fill
themselves with muscles, of which they could not now brook the want, so
that the captains had much ado to pacify them.
In the night of the 26th September they fell in with the land to the
north of the straits by mistake, thinking themselves to have been twenty
leagues from the land; and in the morning the Faith was in great danger,
as the wind drifted her towards the coast, on which were two rocks,
which they avoided with the utmost difficulty. The Fidelity, which was a
considerable way in front, had discovered the rocks in time, and had
easily given them a wide birth. They were only three leagues from the
straits when they fell in with the land; and as the westerly wind now
blew so hard that they were unable to bear up against it, the two
captains now resolved to regain the straits, and to wait there in some
safe road or bay for a fair wind, when they did not doubt of rejoining
the other ships, as it had been agreed to wait at the island of St. Mary
on the coast of Chili for two months, in case of separation. About
evening, therefore, of the 27th September, they arrived at the southern
point of the straits' mouth, and were drifted by the current six or
seven leagues within the straits, where they anchored in a very good
road.
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