SMYTHE'S CHANNEL. 741 



for ages, asking of the land only a strip of 

 beach and a handful of fire ; and of the 

 ocean, shell-fish enough to save them from 

 starvation. 



The Hassler had now fairly entered upon 

 Smythe's Channel, and was anchored at even- 

 ing (March 27th) in Otway Bay, a lake-like 

 harbor, broken by islands. Mount Burney, a 

 noble, snow-covered mountain, corresponding 

 to Mount Sarmiento in grandeur of outline, 

 was in full view, but was partially veiled in 

 mist. On the following day, however, the 

 weather was perfect for the sail past Sarmi- 

 ento Range and Snowy Glacier, which were in 

 sight all day. Blue could not be more deep 

 and pure, nor white more spotless, than their 

 ice and snow-fields. Toward the latter part 

 of the day, an immense expanse of snow 

 opened out a little beyond Snowy Range. It 

 was covered with the most curious snow hum- 

 mocks, forming high cones over the whole 

 surface, their shadows slanting over the glit- 

 tering snow in the afternoon sunshine. They 

 were most fantastic in shape, and some fifty 

 or sixty in number. At first sight, they re- 

 sembled heaped-up mounds or pyramids of 

 snow ; but as the vessel approached, one 

 group of them, so combined as to simulate a 



