Neither vessels turned even once, and the only
circumstance worthy of remark was the heaving and foaming of the
waves in the Strait, while at both ends the sea lay majestically
calm before our eyes. We had passed the Strait in an hour, and I
took the liberty of asking the captain why our ship had not danced,
to which he replied that it was because we had had both wind and
current with us. It is, perhaps, possible that under other
circumstances the vessel might have turned round once or twice, but
I strongly doubt its doing so a thousand times. This was, however,
a favourite number with our worthy captain. One of the gentlemen
once asked him some question about the first London hotels, and was
told that it was impossible to remember their names, as there were
above a thousand of the first class.
Near the Strait Le Maire begins, in the opinion of seamen, the
dangerous part of the passage round Cape Horn, and ends off the
Straits of Magellan. Immediately we entered it we were greeted with
two most violent bursts of wind, each of which lasted about half an
hour; they came from the neighbouring icy chasms in the mountains of
Terra del Fuego, and split two sails, and broke the great studding
sail-yard, although the sailors were numerous and quick.
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