It Lies S.S.E. 1/2 E. Distant Seventeen Leagues From
The Isle Of Landfall.
The coast between them forms two bays, strewed with
rocky islets, rocks, and breakers.
The coast appeared very broken with many
inlets; or rather it seemed to be composed of a number of islands. The land
is very mountainous, rocky, and barren, spotted here and there with tufts
of wood, and patches of snow. At noon Cape Gloucester bore north, distant
eight miles, and the most advanced point of land to the S.E., which we
judged to be Cape Noir, bore S.E. by S., distant seven or eight leagues.
Latitude observed 54 deg. 13' S. Longitude, made from Cape Deseada, 54' E. From
Cape Gloucester, off which lies a small rocky island, the direction of the
coast is nearly S.E.; but to Cape Noir, for which we steered, the course is
S.S.E., distant about ten leagues.
At three o'clock we passed Cape Noir, which is a steep rock of considerable
height, and the S.W. point of a large island that seemed to lie detached, a
league, or a league and a half, from the main land. The land of the cape,
when at a distance from it, appeared to be an island disjoined from the
other; but, on a nearer approach, we found it connected by a low neck of
land. At the point of the cape are two rocks; the one peaked like a sugar-
loaf, the other not so high, and shewing a rounder surface; and S. by E.,
two leagues from the cape, are two other rocky islets. This cape is
situated in the latitude of 54 deg. 30' S., longitude 73 deg. 33' W.
After passing the two islets, we steered E.S.E., crossing the great bay of
St Barbara. We but just saw the land in the bottom of it, which could not
be less than seven or eight leagues from us. There was a space, lying in
the direction of E.N.E. from Cape Noir, where no land was to be seen: this
may be the channel of St Barbara, which opens into the straits of
Magalhaens, as mentioned by Frezier. We found the cape to agree very well
with his description, which shews that he laid down the channel from good
memoirs. At ten o'clock, drawing near the S.E. point of the bay, which,
lies nearly in the direction of S. 60 deg. E. from Cape Noir, eighteen leagues
distant, we shortened sail, and spent the night standing off and on.
At two o'clock in the morning of the 19th, having made sail, we steered
S.E. by E. along the coast, and soon passed the S.E. point of the bay of St
Barbara, which I called Cape Desolation, because near it commenced the most
desolate and barren country I ever saw. It is situated in the latitude of
54 deg. 55' S., longitude 72 deg. 12' W. About four leagues to the east of this
cape is a deep inlet, at the entrance of which lies a pretty large island,
and some others of less note.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 450 of 461
Words from 233532 to 234061
of 239428
