On the 12th, the wind veered to the west, N.W.; and in the evening to north; and, at last, left us to a calm; that continued till midnight, when we got a breeze at south; which, soon after, veering to, and fixing at, west, we steered east; and on the 14th, in the morning, found the variation to be 13 deg. 25’ east, latitude 53 deg. 25’, longitude 87 deg. 53’ west; and in the afternoon, being in the same latitude, and the longitude of 86 deg. 2’ west, it was 15 deg. 3’ east, and increased in such a manner, that on the 15th, in the latitude of 53 deg. 30’, longitude 82 deg. 23’ west, it was 17 deg. east; and the next evening, in the latitude of 53 deg. 25’, longitude 78 deg. 40’, it was 17 deg. 38’ east.  About this time, we saw a penguin and a piece of weed; and the next morning, a seal and some diving peterels.  For the three last days, the wind had been at west, a steady fresh gale, attended, now and then, with showers of rain or hail.

At six in the morning of the 17th, being nearly in the same latitude as above, and in the longitude of 77 deg. 10’ west, the variation was 18 deg. 33’ east; and in the afternoon it was 21 deg. 38, being at that time in latitude 53 deg. 16’ S., longitude 75 deg. 9’ west.  In the morning, as well as in the afternoon, I took some observations to determine the longitude by the watch; and the results, reduced to noon, gave 76 deg. 18’ 30” west.  At the same time, the longitude, by my reckoning, was 76 deg. 17’ west.  But I have reason to think, that we were about half a degree more to the west than either the one or the other; our latitude, at the same time, was 53 deg. 21’ S.

We steered E. by N. and E. 1/2 N. all this day, under all the sail we could carry, with a fine fresh gale at N.W. by W. in expectation of seeing the land before night; but not making it till ten o’clock, we took in the studding-sails, top-gallant sails, and a reef in each top-sail, and steered E.N.E., in order to make sure of falling in with Cape Deseada.

Two hours after, we made the land, extending from N.E. by N. to E. by S. about six leagues distant.  On this discovery, we wore and brought-to, with the ship’s head to the south; and having sounded, found seventy-five fathoms water, the bottom stone and shells.  The land now before us could be no other than the west coast of Terra del Fuego, and near the west entrance to the Straits of Magalhaens.

As this was the first run that had been made directly across this ocean, in a high southern latitude*, I have been a little particular in noting every circumstance that appeared in the least material:  and, after all, I must observe, that I never made a passage any where of such length, or even much shorter, where so few interesting circumstances occurred.  For, if I except the variation of the compass, I know of nothing else worth notice.  The weather had been neither unusually stormy nor cold.  Before we arrived in the latitude of 50 deg., the mercury in the thermometer fell gradually from sixty to fifty; and after we arrived in the latitude of 55 deg., it was generally between forty-seven and forty-five; once or twice it fell to forty-three.  These observations were made at noon.