We encountered a furious storm which drove us to the 56th degree and 18' of latitude.

On the 18th, we were only fifteen leagues from Cape Horn.

A dead calm followed, but the current carried us within sight of the cape, five or six leagues distant.

This cape, which forms the southern extremity of the American continent, has always been an object of terror to the navigators who have to pass from one sea to the other; several of whom to avoid doubling it, have exposed themselves to the long and dangerous passage of the straits of Magellan, especially when about entering the Pacific ocean.

When we saw ourselves under the stupendous rocks of the cape, we felt no other desire but to get away from them as soon as possible, so little agreeable were those rocks to the view, even in the case of people who had been some months at sea! And by the help of a land breeze we succeeded in gaining an offing.