CHAPTER II. 



THE passage from the Falklands to the Straits 

 of Magellan is usually a stormy one ; so we con- 

 sidered ourselves fortunate when at daylight of 

 the fourth day, after leaving Keppel Island, we 

 sighted Cape Virgin at the entrance to the 

 straits, and by eight o'clock were fairly in the 

 channel. In the first narrows we found the 

 current running so swiftly that, although going 

 eight knots by the log, we were scarcely moving 

 past the land ; by putting the canvas on we 

 increased the speed to twelve knots, and pushed 

 through, and, without stopping at Sandy 

 Point, anchored in Port Famine the following 

 morning. The scenery up to this part of the 

 straits is very tame ; low, sandy shores, desti- 



