Chapter VIII. Bound for the Falklands

           Onthe8thofSeptember,intheevening,IhadtakenleaveofHisExcellencytheGovernor-GeneraloftheArchipelagoofTristand’Acunha—forsuchistheofficialtitlebestoweduponhimselfbythatexcellentfellow,Glass,ex-corporalofartilleryintheBritishArmy.Onthefollowingday,beforedawn,theHalbranesailed.

           AfterwehadroundedHeraldPoint,thefewhousesofAnsiedlungdisappearedbehindtheextremityofFalmouthBay.Afinebreezefromtheeastcarriedusalonggaily.

           DuringthemorningweleftbehindusinsuccessionElephantBay,HardyRock,WestPoint,CottonBay,andDaly’sPromontory;butittooktheentiredaytolosesightofthevolcanoofTristand’Acunha,whichiseightthousandfeethigh;itssnow-cladbulkwasatlastveiledbytheshadesofevening.

           Duringthatweekourvoyageproceededunderthemostfavourableconditions;iftheseweremaintained,theendofthemonthofSeptemberoughttobringuswithinsightofthefirstpeaksoftheFalklandGroup;andso,verysensiblytowardsthesouth;theschoonerhavingdescendedfromthethirty-eighthparalleltothefifty-fifthdegreeoflatitude.

           Themostdaring,or,perhapsIoughttosay,themostluckyofthosediscovererswhohadprecededtheHalbrane,underthecommandofCaptainLenGuy,intheAntarcticseas,hadnotgonebeyond—Kemp,thesixty-sixthparallel;Ballerry,thesixty-seventh;Biscoe,thesixty-eighth;BellinghausenandMorrell,theseventieth;Cook,theseventy-first;Weddell,theseventy-fourth.