Noir Island facts for kids
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Native name:
Isla Noir
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 Noir Island
Location in Southern Patagonia
Noir Island, a outlying island of the Tierra del Fuego labyrinth
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| Geography | |
| Coordinates | 54°29′S 73°02′W / 54.483°S 73.033°W |
| Archipelago | Tierra del Fuego |
| Adjacent bodies of water | Pacific ocean |
| Highest elevation | 183 m (600 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Region | Magallanes Region |
| Province | Punta Arenas |
| Commune | Punta Arenas |
| Additional information | |
| NGA UFI -893783 | |
Noir Island (Spanish: Isla Noir) is a small island located about 17 kilometers (11 miles) west of Tierra del Fuego. It is part of Chile and rises to about 183 meters (600 feet) high. The island has a special point called Cabo Noir, also known as Cape Noir.
Contents
Noir Island in Famous Stories
Cape Noir plays an exciting role in a book called The Golden Ocean by Patrick O'Brian. This story is based on real events from Commodore George Anson's journey around the world.
A Surprising Discovery
In the book, a group of ships is sailing around the world. They believe they have successfully sailed past Cape Horn and are now in safer waters. They think they have traveled far enough west.
But then, they see Cape Noir! This sight makes them realize something shocking. Their maps and calculations were very wrong. They had not traveled as far west as they thought.
The Chaplain's Account
The chaplain, who was like a priest on one of the ships, wrote about this moment. He said it was amazing how strong the ocean currents were. These currents had pushed their ships much further east than they expected.
The sailors thought they were about 10 degrees of longitude (a measure of how far east or west you are) further west. But when they saw Cape Noir, they realized they had barely moved half that distance.
Facing New Challenges
Instead of reaching warmer, calmer seas, they had to turn back south. They faced the same strong western winds that had scared them before. This was tough because many sailors were sick and dying.
Their spirits were low after being at sea for so long and because of this big disappointment. They knew they had to be strong for the new challenges ahead.
See also
In Spanish: Isla Noir para niños
