except in some narrow creeks or inlets, or between rocks.  On both sides of the straits, there are vast mountains covered with snow, their tops reaching in many places to great heights, having often two or three ranges of clouds below their summits.  The air in the straits was extremely cold, with almost continual frost and snow; yet the trees and plants retained a constant verdure, growing and flourishing in spite of the severity of the climate.  At the south and east parts of the straits there are various islands, through between which the sea breaks in, as at the main entrance.  The breadth of the straits in some places was only a league, which was the narrowest, but in most places two, and in some three leagues across.  The 24th August, they came to an island in the straits, where they found vast quantities of penguins, a sort of water fowl, as large as a goose, but which does not fly, and of which they killed 3000 in less than a day.

SECTION III.

Incidents of the Voyage, from the Straits of Magellan to New Albion.

The 6th September, they reached the western extremity of the straits, and entered into the great South Sea or Pacific Ocean.  On the 7th, the fleet encountered a storm, by which they were driven one degree to the southwards of the straits, and more than 200 leagues in longitude back from that entrance.[25] They were driven even so far as the lat. of 57 deg. 20’ S. where they anchored among the islands, finding good fresh water and excellent herbs.[26] Not far from thence, they entered another bay, where they found naked people, ranging about the islands in canoes, in search of provisions, with whom they had some intercourse by way of barter.  Continuing their course towards the north, they discovered three islands on the 3d October, in one of which there was an incredible number of birds.  On the 8th October, they lost company of the Elizabeth, the vice admiral, commanded by Captain Winter.  At his return home, they found that Mr Winter had been forced to take refuge from the storm in the straits, whence he returned to England, though many of us feared he and his people had perished.

[Footnote 25:  This is a gross error, probably a misprint for 20 leagues of longitude, as the quantity in the text would have driven them far to the eastwards of the straits, into the Atlantic, which is impossible, the whole of Tierra del Fuego being interposed.—­E.]

[Footnote 26:  This too is erroneous, as Cape Horn, not then known, is only in lat. 55 deg. 58’ 30’ S.]