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10 r Cordova's Voyage of Discovery ters. These machines pointed out a considerable setting of the waters to the E. ; insomuch, that from the 8th to the 13th De cember, in which time we crossed the parallels from 41° to 45°, there was an error in our reckoning of 1° 35' of longitude. There was likewise an error of 1° 3a' of latitude; and both were evidently occasioned by the currents towards the E. and N. The drift of the sea in that direction first gave us notice of that which observations, made on purpose, afterwards con-: firmed. A little before noon of the I lth December we felt a quick short motion of the vessel, which was repeated after a short in terval, and was supposed to proceed from an earthquake, agree ably to the opinion of some of our officers, who had experi- ! enced the like on other occasions. On the following day died 1 Alonzo Mateo, a seaman, with no other symptoms of illness than a violent colic, which carried him off in a few hours. The 1 loss of one of our company was sensibly felt; however, we had the satisfaction to observe that all others continued to enjoy ! good health; and that the transition from a warm to a cold cli- ‘ mate had made no considerable alteration on them. From south latitude 43°, we directed our course to disco- 1 ver Cape Blaneo; but were prevented from seeing it by the f westerly winds. We cannot sufficiently recommend it to navigators in these seas, bound for the Strait of Magellan or the Pacific Ocean, to keep as close as possible to the Patagonian coast, in summer time; that is, in the months of November, December, Janu ary, and February, during which the cross-winds from the SE. are not known; otherwise, the winds which predominate from NW. to SW. will prevent them from doing it when it is absolutely necessary. If, in a passage to Lima, a vessel should pass much to the eastward of Cape de las Yirgines, and in that latitude should meet with winds from SW., it would after wards cost infinite labour to make States Island ; and, conse quently, it would be to enhance unnecessarily the difficulties and dangers of a voyage, which is already one of the most ha zardous and severe that can be undertaken. At length, on the evening of the 13th December, we came into soundings, with 60 fathoms fine brown sand. We were then distant from the land about 64 leagues/-according to the chart of M. Beilin ; our time-pieces and lunar observations shewing us to be in west longitude 55°, our latitude at the same time being 45° 35' 5" south. From that position we judged a SSW. course to be the most advantageous, and accordingly steered to that quarter. It is proper to remark in this place, that the soundings on the
