Immediately on getting to the south of the latitude of the Rio Plata we had soundings, which continued all along the coast of Patagonia.  These soundings, when well ascertained, being of great use in determining the position of a ship on this coast, and as we tried them more frequently, in greater depths, and with more attention, than I believe had ever been done before, I shall recite our observations on this subject as succinctly as I can.  In lat. 36 deg. 52’ S. we had 60 fathoms on a bottom of fine black and grey sand:  From thence to 39 deg. 55’ S. we varied our depths from 50 to 80 fathoms, but always with the same bottom:  Between the last-mentioned latitude and 43 deg. 16’ S. we had only fine grey sand with the same variation of depths, except that we once or twice lessened the water to 40 fathoms.  After this we continued in 40 fathoms for about half a degree, having a bottom of coarse sand and broken shells, at which time we were in sight of land at not above seven leagues distance.  As we edged from the land we had a variety of soundings; first black sand, then muddy, and soon after rough ground with stones:  But when we had increased our depth to forty-eight fathoms, we had a muddy bottom to the lat. of 46 deg. 10’ S. Hence drawing near the shore, we had at first thirty-six fathoms, and still kept shoaling till we came into twelve fathoms, having constantly small stones and pebbles at the bottom.

Part of this time we had a view of Cape Blanco, in about lat. 47 deg. 10’ S. and long. 69 deg.  W. from London.[2] Steering from hence S. by E. nearly, we deepened our water to fifty fathoms in a run of about thirty leagues, without once altering the bottom; and then drawing towards the shore, with a S.W. course, varying rather westward, we had constantly a sandy bottom till we came to thirty fathoms, when we had again a sight of land in about lat. 48 deg. 31’ S. We made this land on the 17th February, and came to anchor at five that afternoon in lat. 48 deg. 58’ S. with the same soundings as before; the southermost land then in view bearing S.S.W. the northermost N.E. a small island N.W. and the westermost hummock W.S.W.  At this anchorage we found the tide to set S. by W.

[Footnote 2:  Cape Blanco is in lat 47 deg. 20’ S. long. 64 deg. 30’ W. from Greenwich.  At this place, instead of a description of Cape Blanco, the original gives two views of the coast in different directions, as seen from sea; here omitted for reasons already assigned.—­E.]

We weighed anchor at five next morning, and an hour afterwards descried a sail, which was soon found to be the Pearl, which had separated from us a few days after leaving St Catharines.  Yet she increased her sail and stood away from the Gloucester; and when she came up, the people of the Pearl had their hammocks in their netting, and every thing ready for an engagement.  The Pearl joined us about two in the afternoon, and running up under our stern, Lieutenant Salt informed