leagues. The coast now began to be very dangerous, there being, in all
directions, rocks and breakers at a great distance from the shore. The
country also inland had a more rude and desolate appearance; the high
ground, as far as we could see, being all barren, craggy rocks, very
much resembling that part of Terra del Fuego which lies near Cape Horn.
As the sea now rose every moment, I was afraid or being caught here upon
a lee-shore, in which case there would have been very little chance of
my getting off, and therefore I tacked, and stood to the northward; the
latitude of the southermost point in sight being about 52°3' S. As we
had now run no less than seventy leagues along the coast of this island,
it must certainly be of very considerable extent. It has been said by
some former navigators to be about two hundred miles in circumference,
but I made no doubt of its being nearer seven. Having hauled the wind, I
stood to the northward about noon; the entrance of Berkeley's Sound at
three o'clock bore S.W. by W. distant about six leagues. At eight in the
evening, the wind shifting to the S.W. we stood to the westward.


SECTION VI.

_The Passage through the Strait of Magellan as far as Cape Monday, with
a Description of several Bays and Harbours, formed by the Coast on each
Side._


We continued to make sail for Port Desire till Wednesday the 6th of
February, when about one o'clock in the afternoon we saw land, and stood
in for the port. During the run from Falkland's Islands to this place,
the number of whales about the ship was so great as to render the
navigation dangerous; we were very near striking upon one, and another