After several ineffectual attempts to procure refreshments for their men on the coast of Africa and the island of Annobon, they put to sea on the 3d January, 1599, from that island, with the intention of sailing direct for the Straits of Magellan.  The 22d they passed the shelves and rocks on the coast of Brazil, called the Abrolhos.  The 9th March, one of the seamen in the vice-admiral’s ship was hanged, for repeatedly breaking open the cupboard belonging to the cook, and stealing bread.  About this time, the sick beginning to recover, got such good appetites that their allowance was not sufficient.  The 12th, being near the Rio Plata, the sea appeared as red as blood, and some of the water being drawn up was found full of small red worms, that leaped out of it like fleas.

Sec. 2. The Fleet passes through the Straits of Magellan into the South Sea, and is forced to return.

The 6th of April, the fleet got into the Straits of Magellan, and towards evening cast anchor under the smaller of the two Penguin isles, fourteen leagues within the mouth of the straits.  They here saw vast numbers of those birds called plongeons or divers, because they dive into the water to catch fish.  They killed there ten or fourteen of them with sticks, and might have killed as many as would have served the whole fleet, but would not lose the opportunity of a fair wind.  The 9th they proceeded through the straits; and next day the admiral sent fifty men on shore, to look for inhabitants or cattle, but after travelling three leagues along shore, they found nothing.  They arrived in a fine bay on the 15th, twenty-one leagues from the mouth of the straits, called Muscle bay by the English, because of the great quantities of muscles found there, and here they provided themselves abundantly with fresh water and wood.  The 17th they sailed between two rocky shores, so close and so high that they hardly thought to have got through.  The mountains on both sides were covered with snow.  On the 18th, they cast anchor in a bay on the north side of the straits, in lat. 54 deg.  S. called Great bay, having good anchorage on fine sand.  In this bay there are three small islands, the least of which is farthest east.

In these parts, there grow great quantities of trees, resembling bay trees, but somewhat higher, the bark of which is very bitter, and has a hot taste like pepper.[86] They here found abundance of muscles, some of which were a span long, and when boiled, the fish of three of them weighed a pound.  The wind being contrary, they lay here at anchor till the 23d of August,[87] without taking the sails from the yards, to be ready to sail on a change of wind.  In the mean while they suffered much from cold, in so much that they lost above an hundred men, among whom was Captain Buckholt, who was succeeded by Baltazar de Cordes.  Storms were so frequent and violent during this time, that the ships could not ride quietly at