Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
forts of the entire company she was soon ablaze from stem to stern.
Fortunately, most of her stores had been unloaded but her loss was,
nevertheless, a severe blow.
The
Eendracht
was under way again early in January 1616 and,
on the 24th in 55°50′S the lookout sighted what appeared to be
a channel between Tierra del Fuego and another landmass which
Schouten presumed to be the Antarctic continent (in reality it is a
large island). Schouten sailed through and named the passage Le-
maire (modern spelling Le Maire) Strait. The land to the south he
called Staten Land, after the States General. He continued south-
west in fair weather until 29 January, a historic day. For it was on that
Monday that the
Eendracht
encountered 'a high, hilly land, covered
over with snow, ending with a sharp point, which we called Cape
covered by Drake but fog prevented them discerning that they were
islands. Thus Cape Hoorn was named after Schouten's home town
and marked on the chart as the southern point of Tierra del Fuego.
Later generations would change the spelling to 'Horn' and assume
that that title derived from the appearance of the granite pinnacle -
sic transit gloria mundi.
Onward the
Eendracht
sailed, through open,
easy seas, until, on 12 February, Schouten calculated that he could
steer a northerly course. It was one of the most important moments
in the history of circumnavigation. From then onwards the signi-
ficance of Magellan's discovery would gradually dwindle. Passage
through the straits could be slow and difficult. Doubling the Horn
could be hazardous but, if undertaken at the right time of year, it was
faster. More and more bold captains and stout ships would attempt
it. Schouten realised, at least in part, how valuable his discovery was.
No wonder he and his men celebrated with cheers and an extra ra-
tion of wine.
The expedition continued to be well favoured. The
Eendracht
made a good crossing of the Pacific and took on a rich cargo of spices
