The calm being succeeded by a light breeze at N.N.W., we stood over for Success Bay, assisted by the currents, which set to the north.  Before this we had hoisted our colours, and fired two guns; and soon after saw a smoke rise out of the woods, above the south point of the bay, which I judged was made by the natives, as it was at the place where they resided when I was here in 1769.  As soon as we got off the bay, I sent Lieutenant Pickersgill to see if any traces remained of the Adventure having been there lately; and in the mean time we stood on and off with the ship.  At two o’clock, the current turned and set to the south; and Mr Pickersgill informed me, when he returned, that it was falling water on shore, which was contrary to what I had observed when I was here before, for I thought then that the flood came from the north.  Mr Pickersgill saw not the least signs of any ship having been there lately.  I had inscribed our ship’s name on a card, which he nailed to a tree at the place where the Endeavour watered.  This was done with a view of giving Captain Furneaux some information, in case he should be behind us and put in here.

On Mr Pickersgill’s landing he was courteously received by several of the natives, who were clothed in guanicoe and seal skins, and had on their arms bracelets, made of silver wire, and wrought not unlike the hilt of a sword, being no doubt the manufacture of some Europeans.  They were the same kind of people we had seen in Christmas Sound, and, like them, repeated the word pechera on every occasion.  One man spoke much to Mr Pickersgill, pointing first to the ship and then to the bay, as if he wanted her to come in.  Mr Pickersgill said the bay was full of whales and seals; and we had observed the same in the strait, especially on the Terra del Fuego side, where the whales, in particular, are exceedingly numerous.

As soon as the boat was hoisted in, which, was not till near six o’clock, we made sail to the east, with a fine breeze at north.  For since we had explored the south coast of Terra del Fuego, I resolved to do the same by Staten Land, which I believed to have been as little known as the former.  At nine o’clock the wind freshening, and veering to N.W., we tacked, and stood to S.W., in order to spend the night; which proved none of the best, being stormy and hazy, with rain.

Next morning, at three o’clock, we bore up for the east end of Staten Land, which, at half past four, bore S. 60 deg.  E., the west end S. 2 deg.  E., and the land of Terra del Fuego S. 40 deg.  W. Soon after I had taken these bearings, the land was again obscured in a thick haze, and we were obliged to make way, as it were, in the dark; for it was but now and then we got a sight of the coast.  As we advanced to the east, we perceived several islands, of unequal extent, lying off the land.  There seemed to be a clear passage between the easternmost, and the one next to it, to the west.  I would gladly have gone through this passage, and anchored