Braoz del Norte. 1 1 1 



which long files of cormorants will continue on their course 

 over the surface of the water without deviating so as to avoid a 

 dangerous locality until they are close to the place or object to be 

 avoided. Many persons are doubtless familiar with the appearance 

 of these birds as they fly towards a boat which happens to lie in 

 their route, and may remember the startled way in which, when 

 about twenty or thirty yards off, they will alter their course with a 

 vigorous swish of the tail and sheer off confusedly from the danger. 

 Again, how eager they are to take advantage of the (probably) 

 acuter vision of terns and gulls, when they observe that either of the 

 latter have discovered a shoal of fish. Is it not therefore probable 

 that cormorants are naturally short-sighted t — a disadvantage for 

 which they are amply compensated by their superior diving powers. 



The required survey of the Trinidad Channel was completed 

 by the middle of the month of December ; but before leaving this 

 part of the coast, one day was devoted to an exploration of the 

 "Brazo del Norte," a sound running in a northerly direction from 

 the Trinidad Channel, and piercing the so-called Wellington Island. 

 We got under way from Tom Bay early in the morning, and 

 steaming across the Trinidad Channel, entered " Brazo del Norte," 

 and explored it to a distance of twenty-six miles from the entrance. 

 We were then obliged to turn back in order to reach Tom Bay 

 before nightfall. It was a great pity that time did not permit us 

 to trace this magnificent Sound to its northern extremity ; for so 

 far as we could judge there seemed every probability of its com- 

 municating directly with the Fallos Channel, which is known to 

 extend southwards from the Gulf of Penas to within a i&\\ miles 

 of the place where we turned back. In this event it would prove 

 a good sheltered route for vessels using the Straits of Magellan, 

 and if free from the objectionable restrictions which close the 

 Messier Channel route to large steamers, would be used not only 

 in preference to it but to Trinidad Channel itself, whose approach 

 from seaward is at least uninviting, if not hazardous. 



On leaving Tom Bay we moved gradually down the Concepcion 



