HOMEWARD BOUND. 95 



not see land. At 4.15 a.m. sighted Cape Pillar off star- 

 board bow, about three miles distant. Weather con- 

 tinued very thick, giving us only occasional glimpses of 

 land. At 5.25 a.m. the Spanish Launches bore abeam, 

 and. at 6 a.m. Westminster Hall was abeam. At 8 a.m. 

 it cleared off, and during the remainder of the day the 

 weather was clear, with a bright sun. Steamed until 

 •6.55 P.M., when we anchored in Fortesque Bay. It 

 rained again during the night. 



December 17. Underway at 5 a.m., and reached 

 Sandy Point (Punta Arenas) at 1.30 p.m., where we 

 found at anchor the French man-of-war Reine Blanche, 

 bearing the flag of Rear Admiral Franquet. Had re- 

 maining on boaid 40^ tons of coal. Draught of ship, 

 14 feet forward, 16 feet 3 inches aft. 



Of the fifty-seven casts taken in the line just com- 

 pleted, forty-four were between 2 and 3^ statute miles, 

 as follows : 



Between 2 and 2^ miles 10 



Between 2| and 3 miles 21 



Between 3 and ^^ miles 13 



At Sandy Point sixteen tons of coal were taken on 

 board, to insure enough for emergencies. Exchanged 

 visits with the governor of the place, and on the loth of 

 December left for Montevideo, where we arrived on the 

 I St January, 1886, having swung ship and had target- 

 practice en roiite. 



