44 



When we were apparently about half way between 

 Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego I asked the captain 

 at what time we were going to land. 



"0 Sir we will probably not land at all to night, was 

 the unexpected answer. I cross for the first time and 

 the entrance of Porvenir is very difficult, so that if there 

 is a fogg I dare not venture it." 



"Where must I spend the night in that case" was my 

 rejoinder. 



"O Sir you will have to spend the night on the sofa 

 in the saloon". 



As he said this a cold shudder ran through my back. 

 The "sofa" was the dirtiest bench imaginable and the 

 saloon a low stuffy locality full of stinking halfcasts! 



"But — continued the captain — if there is no fog and 

 the moon comes out well, I will venture it". 



I heartily did pray that the moon would come out! 



The moon did come out, when we were in proximity of 

 land and my friend the captain said that he would ven- 

 ture the entering of the harbour. 



"I am glad of it for your sake" was the goodnatured remark ; 

 "It would not have been comfortable for you to spend the 

 night on the sofa of the saloon!" 



I heartily acquiesced to this! 



As we came nearer the land there still was no vestige 

 of any habitation or entrance and I began to wonder where 

 Porvenir was. 



As we were quite near I now saw a side entrance of 

 the sea into the land and into it we steered under a 

 glorious moonshine. 



I now saw that the captain had not exagerated when 

 he said that the entrance was difficult. We had to follow 

 a zigzag course and to double three or four corners and to 

 evade as I was told, numerous sandplates before at the end of a 

 deep bay the lights of Porvenir became visible in the distance. 



Near the last turn there was a large sandbank and on 

 it was a large flock of Upland Geese {ChJoëpltcuja dispar) 

 which quietly saw us pass. 



Notes from the Leyden Museum, Vol. XXXV. 



