It was the 17th of December when we left.

From the first adverse winds prevailed, and in order to make any progress we were obliged to keep well to the south.

At length, on the 6th of January, we sighted Desolation Island.

We found it, indeed, a desolate spot.

In its vicinity we saw a multitude of smaller islands, perhaps a thousand in number, which made navigation difficult, and forced us to hurry away as fast as possible.