picked up a stone, and threw it into the boat with great force, but luckily without hitting any one of us.  We now called to him again, and pointed to the nail which we had thrown towards him.  As soon as he had seen it, and picked it up, he laughed at his own petulance, and seemed highly pleased with our conduct towards him.  This circumstance, with a little rashness on our part, might have become very fatal to us, or might at least have involved us in a dangerous quarrel.  If we had resented the affront of being pelted with a stone, the whole body would have joined in the cause of their countryman, and we must have fallen an easy prey to their numbers, being at the distance of five or six leagues from the ship, without any hopes of assistance.”—­G.F.

CHAPTER IV.

FROM LEAVING NEW ZEALAND TO OUR RETURN TO ENGLAND.

SECTION I.

The Run from New Zealand to Terra del Fuego, with the Range from Cape Deseada to Christmas Sound, and Description of that Part of the Coast.

At day-break on the 10th, with a fine breeze at W.N.W., we weighed and stood out of the Sound; and, after getting round the Two Brothers, steered for Cape Campbell, which is at the S.W. entrance of the Strait, all sails set, with a fine breeze at north.  At four in the afternoon, we passed the Cape, at the distance of four or five leagues, and then steered S.S.E. 1/2 E. with the wind at N.W., a gentle gale, and cloudy weather.

Next morning the wind veered round by the west to south, and forced us more to the east than I intended.  At seven o’clock in the evening, the snowy mountains bore W. by S., and Cape Palliser N. 1/2 W., distant sixteen or seventeen leagues; from which cape I, for the third time, took my departure.  After a few hours calm, a breeze springing up at north, we steered S. by E. all sails set, with a view of getting into the latitude of 54 deg. or 55 deg.; my intention being to cross this vast ocean nearly in these parallels, and so as to pass over those parts which were left unexplored the preceding summer.

In the morning of the 12th, the wind increased to a fine gale:  At noon we observed in latitude 43 deg. 13’ 30” S., longitude 176 deg. 41’ E.; an extraordinary fish of the whale kind was seen, which some called a sea monster.  I did not see it myself.  In the afternoon, our old companions the pintado peterels began to appear.[1]

On the 13th, in the morning, the wind veered to W.S.W.  At seven, seeing the appearance of land to S.W., we hauled up towards it, and soon found it to be a fog-bank.  Afterwards we steered S.E. by S., and soon after saw a seal.  At noon, latitude, by account, 44 deg. 25’, longitude 177 deg. 31’ E. Foggy weather, which continued all the afternoon.  At six in the evening, the wind veered to N.E. by N., and increased to a fresh gale, attended with thick hazy weather; course steered S.E. 1/4 S.