clothes, which were wet through. From the place where we stopped, the
Indians had been gone so lately, that the wood, which lay half burnt,
where they had made their fire, was still warm; and soon after our fire
was kindled, we perceived that another was kindled directly opposite to
it, on the Terra del Fuego shore; probably as a signal, which, if we had
been Indians, we should have understood. After we were dried and
refreshed at our fire, the rain having abated, I walked cross the Cape,
to see how the Streight ran, which I found to be about W.N.W. The hills,
as far as I could see, were of an immense height, very craggy, and
covered with snow quite from the summit to the base. I made also another
excursion along the shore to the northward, and found the country for
many miles exceedingly pleasant, the ground being, in many places,
covered with flowers, which were not inferior to those that are commonly
found in our gardens, either in beauty or fragrance; and if it were not
for the severity of the cold in winter, this country might, in my
opinion, be made, by cultivation, one of the finest in the world. I had
set up a small tent at the bottom of this bay, close to a little
rivulet, and just at the skirts of a wood, soon after the ship came to
an anchor, where three men were employed in washing: They slept on
shore; but soon after sunset were awakened out of their first sleep by
the roaring of some wild beasts, which the darkness of the night, and
the solitariness of their situation in this pathless desert, rendered
horrid beyond imagination: the tone was hollow and deep, so that the
beasts, of whatever kind, were certainly large, and the poor fellows
perceived that they drew nearer and nearer, as the sound every minute
became more loud. From this time sleep was renounced for the night, a
large fire was immediately kindled, and a constant blaze kept up: This
prevented the beasts from invading the tent; but they continued to prowl
round it at a little distance, with incessant howlings, till the day
broke, and then, to the great comfort of the affrighted sailors, they