fuccefs, or to what actions worthy of death he could have proceeded without accomplices, for none are. mentioned, is equally difficult to imagine. Nor, on the other hand, though the obfcurity of the account, and the remote place chofen for the discovery of this wicked project, feem to give fome reafon for fufpicion, does there appear any temptation, from either hope, fear, or intereft, that might induce Drake, or any commander in his ftate, to put to death an innocent man upon false pretences.

After the execution of this man, the whole company, either convinced of the juftice of the proceeding, or awed by the feverity, applied themfelves without any murmurs, or appearance of difcontent, to the profecution of the voyage; and having broken up another veffel and reduced the number of their fhips to three, they left the port, and on Auguft the 20th entered the Straits of Magellan, in which they ftruggled with contrary winds, and the various dangers to which the intricacy of that winding paffage expofed them till night, and then entered a more open fea, in which they difcovered an ifland with a burning mountain. On the 24th they fell in with three more islands to which Drake gave names, and, landing to take poffef-` fion of them in the name of his Sovereign, found in the largest so prodigious a number of birds, that they killed three thousand of them in one day. This bird, of which they knew not the name, was fomewhat lefs than a wild goofe, without feathers, and covered with a kind of down, unable to fly or rife from the ground, but capable of running and fwimming with amazing celerity; they feed on the fea, and come to land only to rest at night or lay their eggs, which they depofit in holes like those of coneys.

From

From these iflands to the South-fea, the ftrait becomes very crooked and narrow, fo that fometimes, by the interpofition of headlands, the paffage feems fhut up, and the voyage entirely stopped. To double thefe capes is very difficult, on account of the frequent alterations to be made in the course. There are indeed, as Magellan obferves, many harbours, but in most of them no bottom is to be found.

The land on both fides rifes into innumerable mountains the tops of them are encircled with clouds and vapours, which being congealed fall down in fnow, and increase their height by hardening into ice, which is never diffolved; but the valleys are, nevertheless, green, fruitful, and pleasant.

Here Drake finding the strait in appearance fhut up, went in his boat to make farther discoveries, and, having found a paffage towards the north, was returning to his fhips; but curiofity foon prevailed upon him to ftop, for the fake of obferving a canoe or boat, with feveral natives of the country in it. He could not at a distance forbear admiring the form of this little veffel, which feemed inclining to a femicircle, the ftern and prow standing up, and the body finking inward; but much greater was his wonder, when, upon a nearer inspection, he found it made only of the barks of trees fewed together with thongs of feal-fskin, so artificially, that fcarcely any water entered the feams. The people were well-fhaped and painted, like thofe which have been already defcribed. On the land they had a hut built with poles and covered with fkins, in which they had water-veffels and other utenfils, made likewife of the barks of trees.

VOL. IV.

F f

Among

Among these people they had an opportunity of remarking, what is frequently obfervable in favage countries, how natural fagacity, and unwearied induftry, may fupply the want of fuch manufactures, or natural productions, as appear to us abfolutely neceffary for the fupport of life. The inhabitants of thefe iflands are wholly ftrangers to iron and its ufe, but inftead of it make ufe of the fhell of a mufcle of prodigious fize, found upon their coafts; this they grind upon a ftone to an edge, which is fo firm and folid, that neither wood nor ftone is able to resist it.

September 6, they entered the great South-fea, on which no English veffel had ever been navigated before, and propofed to have directed their course towards the line, that their men, who had fuffered by the feverity of the climate, might recover their ftrength in a warmer latitude. But their defigns were scarce formed before they were fruftrated; for on September 7, after an eclipfe of the moon, a storm arose, so vialent, that it left them little hopes of furviving it; nor was its fury fo dreadful as its continuance, for it lafted with little intermiffion till October 28, fifty-two days, during which time they were toffed inceffantly from one part of the ocean to another, without any power of fpreading their fails, or lying upon their anchors, amidft fhelving fhores, fcattered rocks, and unknown iflands, the tempeft continually roaring, and the waves dafhing over them.

In this ftorm on the 30th of September, the Marigold, commanded by captain Thomas, was feparated from them. On the 7th of October, having entered a harbour, where they hoped for fome intermiffion of their fatigues, they were in a few hours forced out to

fea

fea by a violent guft, which broke the cable, at which time they loft fight of the Elizabeth, the vice-admiral, whofe crew, as was afterwards difcovered, wearied with labour, and difcouraged by the profpect of future dangers, recovered the Straits on the next day, and, returning by the fame paffage through which they came, failed along the coaft of Brafil, and on the 2d of June, in the year following, arrived at England.

From this bay, they were driven fouthward to fiftyfive degrees, where among fome iflands they ftayed two days, to the great refreshment of the crew; but, being again forced into the main fea, they were toffed about with perpetual expectation of perifhing, till foon after they came again to anchor near the fame place, where they found the natives, whom the continuance of the storm had probably reduced to equal diftrefs, rowing from one island to another, and providing the neceffaries of life.

It is, perhaps, a juft obfervation, that, with regard to outward circumftances, happinefs and mifery are equally diffused through all ftates of human life. In civilized countries, where regular policies have fecured the necessaries of life, ambition, avarice, and luxury, find the mind at leifure for their reception, and foon engage it in new purfuits; purfuits that are to be carried on by inceffant labour, and, whether vain or fuccessful, produce anxiety and contention. Among favage nations, imaginary wants find indeed no place; but their ftrength is exhausted by neceffary toils, and their paffions agitated not by contefts about fuperiority, affluence, or precedence, but by perpetual care for the present day, and by fear of perifhing for want of food.

But for fuch reflections as thefe they had no time; for, having spent three days in fupplying themselves with wood and water, they were by a new storm driven to the latitude of fifty-fix degrees, where they beheld the extremities of the American coaft, and the confluence of the Atlantic and Southern

ocean.

Here they arrived on the 28th of October, and at laft were bleffed with the fight of a calm fea, having for almost two months endured such a storm as no traveller has given an account of, and fuch as in that part of the world, though accustomed to hurricanes, they were before unacquainted with.

towards

On the 30th of October they steered away the place appointed for the rendezvous of the fleet, which was in thirty degrees, and on the next day difcovered two iflands fo well stocked with fowls, that they victualled their fhips with them, and then failed forwards, along the coaft of Peru, till they came to thirty-feven degrees, where finding neither their fhips, nor any convenient port, they came to anchor, November the 25th, at Mucho, an island inhabited by fuch Indians as the cruelty of their Spanish conquerors had driven from the continent, to whom they applied for water and provifions, offering them in return fuch things as they imagined most likely to please them. The Indians feemed willing to traffick, and, having presented them with fruits and two fat fheep, would have fhewed them a place whither they fhould come for water.

The next morning, according to agreement, the English landed with their water-veffels, and fent two men forward towards the place appointed, who, about

the

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