it came home again.  At this time, they had only three fathom and a half of water astern, and were not more than thrice the length of the ship from the shore, when a little breeze opportunely springing up, filled their sails, and carried them to leeward, the boats of both vessels coming a-head, and taking her in tow.  Their danger, however, was yet to be increased, for when veering away their cable, it happened to get foul between decks, and so stopt their course; a hinderance, for which there remained no other remedy than that of cutting it, which was most promptly done, and saved the ship.  The breeze then freshened, and enabled them with some difficulty and tacking, to return to Port Gallant, where they anchored in twenty fathom, and an oozy bottom.  Thus ended their enjoyment of the fine weather.

[Footnote 167:  This is particularly related in our account of Cook’s voyage, vol. xii. p. 397.]

On the following day, a greater storm came on than had been yet experienced.  The sea ran mountains high in the channel, and often exhibited waves striking in contrary directions against each other.  A clap of thunder was heard at noon, the only one they had ever noticed in this strait, and it seemed to be a signal for an increased violence of the wind.  They dragged their anchor in the storm, and were obliged to let go the sheet-anchor, and to strike their lower yards and top-masts.  Some intervals between the bad weather occurred on the 18th and 19th, and allowed them, among other things, to send the Etoile’s barge, which was in peculiar good condition, to view the channel of Sainte Barbe, about which, however, his information was so scanty and apparently incorrect, at least imperfect, as to prove of little utility in his present situation.  This he the more regretted, as, in his opinion, the perfect knowledge of it would have considerably shortened the passage of the straits.  It requires little time, he remarks, to get to Port Gallant, the chief difficulty being to double Cape Forward, which, he says, is rendered easier by the discovery he made of three ports on the Terra del Fuego side; and when once that port is gained, even though the winds should prevent a vessel taking the ordinary course, this channel is open, and may be gone through in twenty-four hours, so as to reach the South Sea.  He could not perfectly demonstrate the truth of this opinion he entertained, as the bad weather prevented the examination of some points as he had projected.

The storm and bad weather continued with little intermission till the 24th, when a calm and some sun-shine induced him to make another attempt to proceed.  Since re-entering Port Gallant, he had taken in several tons of ballast, and altered his stowage, by which he succeeded in getting the frigate to sail better than it did before.  On the whole, however, he remarks, it will always be found very difficult to manage so long a vessel as a frigate usually is, in the midst of currents.  Captain Cook, perhaps, had contemplated such a difficulty, when he assigned his reasons for preferring a vessel like the Endeavour, for the purposes of discovery.