104 NATIVE FIRES. 



It was nearly dark when we anchored, and therefore 

 our intended attempt to gain the summit of the 

 neifThbouring heights, was necessarily postponed till 

 this morning — 



March 24. — When the first rays of the sun saw 

 us strufifoflino; over the huo^e masses of rock of which 

 they are composed. The view itself differed but 

 little from that obtained yesterday, except that the 

 islands are yet more numerous, the mainland more 

 frequently indented with bays varying from two to 

 five miles in width, and invariably trending in the 

 same E.S.E. direction. The long and narrow 

 islands which these bays contained generally sub- 

 sided to the S.S.W. I was fully occupied in sketch- 

 ing the surrounding objects from this station, till 

 the tide had risen sufficient for us to pass the 

 channel. After a late breakfast we again bore 

 away to the N.E. under a double reefed sail, as the 

 sky wore a threatening appearance. After clearing 

 the channel we crossed a bay about two miles wide 

 and four deep, thickly studded vvith small islands. 

 At noon being near the north point of it, I landed 

 in order to secure a latitude, and at the same time 

 a round of angles. Having the flood tide against 

 us, we had only made five miles in a N. by E. direc- 

 tion from last night's bivouac. 



Here for the first time since leaving the Fitz-Roy 

 we saw native fires. One of them was upon an 

 island eight or nine miles from the main, between 

 which, however, a chain of smaller ones formed 



