[49] The ships _S. Antonio_ and _Conception_ were sent on this exploration of the Straits; they were with difficulty able to double the Cape Possession, named thus in Bougainville’s map, and in others. They at length entered a narrow opening, which in the maps is named the first gut, and they proceeded thence to another bay, which is named Boucant bay, or Boucam. At the end of this they entered into another strait, named the second gut, and having passed that, they came out into another bay larger than the former ones. Then, seeing that the strait was prolonged and offered an outlet to the ships, they returned with the good news to Magellan, who was waiting for them, and on seeing him, they fired off all their artillery and shouted for joy. The fleet then sailed together as far as the third bay, and as they found two channels, Magellan despatched the two vessels, _S. Antonio_ and _Conception_, to examine whether the channel, which took the S.W. direction, would issue into the Pacific sea. Here it was that the ship _S. Antonio_ deserted, going ahead of its companion for that purpose. The other two ships, _Victoria_ and _Trinity_, meanwhile entered the third channel, where they waited four days for the explorers. During this interval, Magellan despatched a well equipped boat to discover the cape with which the strait ought to terminate: this having been sighted, and the boat returning with the news, all shed tears of consolation, and they gave to this cape the name of Cape Desire; it is that which is at the outlet of the strait on the South side. They then turned back to seek for the ships _Conception_ and _S. Antonio_, and leaving marks by which this one might steer, in case of its having lost the way (for they were still ignorant of its desertion), they sailed forward until they came out into the Pacific Ocean. _Lisbon Ac. note._ [50] The Paris Manuscript has “fully in 52 degrees.” _Lisbon Ac. note._ [51] Pigafetta remarks: In the strait in which they were, in the month of October, the night was only of three hours; and Transylvan says that, in November the navigators found the night of little more than five hours; and that on one night they saw to the left hand many fires. It is from this that that country came to be called _Terra do fogo_. _Lisbon Ac. note._ [52] The Paris MS. has, and also others which were, &c. Pigafetta places these two islands in 15 deg. and 9 deg. South latitude. See Amoretti’s note, p. 45, upon their situation, in which he supposes them to be in the archipelago of the Society Islands. In some maps they are designated by the name of _Infortunadas_. _Lisbon Ac. note._