m water.

SECTION II.

_The Passage through the Streight of Magellan, with some further Account
of the Patagonians, and a Description of the Coast on each side, and its
Inhabitants._

About one o'clock, on Wednesday the 17th of December, I made the signal
and weighed, ordering the Swallow to go a-head, and the store-ship to
bring up the rear. The wind was right against us, and blew fresh; so
that we were obliged to turn into the Streight of Magellan with the
flood-tide, between Cape Virgin Mary and the Sandy Point that resembles
Dungeness. When we got a-breast of this Point, we stood close into the
shore, where we saw two guanicoes, and many of the natives on horseback,
who seemed to be in pursuit of them: When the horsemen came near, they
ran up the country at a great rate, and were pursued by the hunters,
with their slings in their hands ready for the cast; but neither of them
was taken while they were within the reach of our sight.

When we got about two leagues to the west of Dungeness, and were
standing off shore, we fell in with a shoal upon which we had but seven
fathom water at half flood; This obliged us to make short tacks, and
keep continually heaving the lead. At half an hour after eight in the
evening, we anchored about three miles from the shore, in 20 fathom,
with a muddy bottom: Cape Virgin Mary then bearing N.E. by E. 1/2 E.;
Point Possession W. 1/2 S. at the distance of about five leagues.

About half an hour after we had cast anchor, the natives made several
large fires a-breast of the ship, and at break of day we saw about four
hundred of them encamped in a fine green valley, between two hills, with
their horses feeding beside them. About six o'clock in the morning, the
tide being done, we got again under sail: Its course here is from east
to west; it rises and falls thirty feet, and its strength is equal to
about three knots an hour. About noon there being little wind, and the
ebb running with great force, the Swallow, which was a-head, made the
signal and came to an anchor; upon which I did the same, and so did the
store-ship that was a-stern.

As we saw great numbers of the natives on horseback a-breast of the
ship, and as Captain Carteret informed me that this was the place where
Commodore Byron had the conference with the tall men, I sent the
lieutenants of the Swallow and the store-ship to the shore, but with
orders not to land, as the ships were at too great a distance to protect
th