cams_HDudley_b13_F005_001_020

20

We have been standing off and on for a week trying to
get to the west of these islands, with the wind blowing
continually from the westward, today yesterday we had strong
hopes of passing them, but towards night the wind headed
us off, by hauling into the South, so that just at night
they [...?] ship and stood, toward the North W

This morning, the weather was verry fine ^ and mild with a verry light
breeze from the S.W. which soon came round into the N.W. which
enabling us to lay our course towards Cape Horn, which lays
about S.S.E. from us.

[on right] Tuesday 10^th

Lat [Latitude] 52° 34" ... yesterday we had a fine run, going at the rate
of from 8 to 10 knots, untill 08 o'clock when the wind
hauled into the S.W. and increased into so much that
they took in sail.

This morning we found ourselves nearly becalmed but
heading towards the NW, but the wind soon came round
again into the N.W. to and at 8 o'clock they tack't [tacked] ship and
head again towards Cape Horn, and had a good run all
day, during which we saw, a large number of whales, spouting
but a number of miles to leeward, throwing the water in every
direction

[on right] Thursday 12 ^th

Last night we passed through the straights straits of Le Maire
which seperates Staten Land from Terra del Fuego, against a
current of from five to 7 seven knots.

We have had a glorious run these two or three days, the wind
blowing strong from the N.W., yesterday at 8 o'clock we made
land over the weather bow ... laying S.W. about 25 miles distant ...
which we continued to near, untill we could, plainly disting-
uish the coast for miles which appeared rugged and verry
mountainous, the mountains peaks of which were covered with snow appeared to be cove thickly covered
with woods, untill as we approached the straits, they appeared were
nearly destitute of vegitation, the ground being covered mostly
with a kind of moss

I passed the most agreeable day yesterday that I have experienced
since starting from Boston. The day being extremely fine, we
had an unintrupted view of the coast down which we run for
sixty fifty or sixty miles, which at some points presented
most sublime views, but all looked, lonely and desolate, the
only sign of of human life being a smoke which we saw
rising from a fire that seemed burning in the moss near the
point of land, on the west side of the straits, how it came there
I knowst not, as there was no living thing to be seen near
it, so that with us, this may well pass for "the land of Fire"