Perilous situation of the ship. 

 Orange Harbour. A wolf seen. 



SOUTHERN CRU1S& 



Scapeiiham Bay. 

 Passage round the Cape. 



a:-, 



came rapid. From the set of the current, they 

 just cleared the reef. When the point of the 

 island bore east of south, they slipped their cablps, 

 wore round, and made sail ; and on the 21st, at 

 daybreak, they found themselves off Cape Glou- 

 cester. 



The conduct of Lieutenant Commandant Long, 

 his officers and men, during the perilous situation 

 in which the Relief was placed, deserves great 

 praise ; they did their duty in every respect. On 

 getting to sea, Lieutenant-Commandant Long, 

 with a council of officers, opened his sealed in- 

 structions, which directed him to proceed to Val- 

 paraiso, in the event of not finding me on his 

 return to Orange Harbour; and concluded to make 

 for Valparaiso, off which port he arrived on the 

 13th of April, without anchors. It was here that 

 Commandant Locke, of her Britannic Majesty's 

 ship Fly, in the most prompt and handsome 

 manner, despatched a boat with an anchor to the 

 assistance of the Relief ; and it affords me great 

 pleasure to acknowledge the obligation we feel for 

 this opportune service. The next day the Relief 

 anchored in the bay of Valparaiso. 



But to return to Orange Harbour. 



The Flying-Fish arrived on the llth April. 

 The duties of the observatory having been com- 

 pleted, the instruments were embarked, and every 

 thing made ready for our departure. During the 

 Vincennes' stay here of sixty days, we found the 

 weather exceedingly changeable. The winds pre- 

 vailed forty-seven days from the westward, twelve 

 days from the north and eastward, and one from 

 the south-east. The mean temperature was 44'36; 

 maximum 56, minimum 32. During this time 

 there were eleven gales of wind, of from two to 

 three days' duration. 



There were but few days on which rain did not 

 fall during some portion of the twenty-four hours, 

 but seldom heavily; lightning and thunder occurred 

 once during the time. The climate may be called 

 extremely boisterous, although from the fact of the 

 natives being without any kind of covering, one 

 would suppose it cannot be very variable as to 

 temperature, throughout the year. The want of 

 clothing is not, however, peculiar to all the natives; 

 those seen at Good Success Bay were well covered 

 with guanacoe skins, and are a finer-looking and 

 taller race of men. 



Observations of any kind are difficult to be had 

 at Orange Harbour, either by day or night. 



While Lieutenant Carr and his party were at the 

 observatory, a wolf was seen, at which Midship- 

 man Clark fired, but supposed he was not shot. 

 The next morning he was found dead at a short 

 distance from the place. Mr. Drayton made a 

 correct drawing of him, and a number of measure- 

 ments were taken. The liair was long over the 

 whole body, and that about the neck and shoulders 

 stood erect. It was a male, weighed fifteen pounds 

 and three-quarters, and measured, from nose to tip 

 of tail, three feet six and three-fourths inches, and 

 stood sixteen inches and a half high; colour of 

 back, top of head, and tail, gray, the latter with a 

 tuft of black at its end; sides of head and outside 

 of legs reddish brown; white between the legs and 

 on the belly. Dr. Fox some days afterwards shot 

 a female near the same place; she had attacked one 

 of the men, and seized his pea-jacket. 



The wolf is the only land animal that is a native 



of the soil, and is supposed tlie same as that de- 

 scribed by Captain King. The natives have many 

 dogs. 



Of land birds, we found the upland goose, a most 

 beautiful eagle, a few plover, and some small birds. 

 There are great quantities of wild fowl, geese, 

 ducks, and the usual sea-birds, to be seen at all 

 times iii the harbour, where they find abundance 

 of food among the kelp. 



A number of burnt human bones were dug up 

 in a cave; but whether the natives burn their 

 dead or not, we had no opportunity of ascer- 

 taining. 



Orange Harbour is an excellent place to obtain 

 wood and water. The latter is easily procured, and 

 of good quality. Winter-bark may be obtained 

 hare in large quantities; scurvy-grass and wild 

 celery are also plentiful around the shores; and fish 

 are in abundance. 



As a resort for vessels in distress or affected 

 with scurvy, &c. &c., this port may be recom- 

 mended; and it is the only one on this coast that 

 offers a safe and convenient harbour to supply 

 their wants. 



On the 17th April, the time having expired for 

 the return of the Relief, I concluded to leave 

 Orange Harbour with the Vincennes and Porpoise. 

 Believing the Relief had been detained, the Flying- 

 Fish and Sea-Gull tenders were both left to await 

 her arrival for ten days, to take the scientific gen- 

 tlemen on board, and join us at Valparaiso, in 

 order to prevent detention by the slow sailing of 

 that ship. 



We got under way, but the wind drawing 

 ahead, with appearances of bad weather, we an- 

 chored in Scapenham Bay. The weather becom- 

 ing stormy, and thinking the place in which we 

 were anchored too much exposed, we again got 

 under way, ran back, and anchored in Orange 

 Bay. 



Before leaving these desolate and stormy re- 

 gions, it may be expected that I should say a few 

 words relative to the passage round the Cape. 

 There are so many opinions relative to the best 

 manner of proceeding in this navigation, that one 

 in consulting them derives but little satisfaction, 

 no two authorities agreeing hi their views upon the 

 subject. I am inclined to believe that as much 

 depends upon the vessel, and the manner in which 

 she is navigated, as the route pursued, whether the 

 Cape is passed close to, or given a good berth: the 

 object of all is to pass it as quickly as possible, and 

 taking into consideration the difficulties to be in- 

 curred from boisterous weather, heavy seas, and 

 ice, it is impossible to lay down any precise rule: 

 that course which appears most feasible at the time 

 ought to be adopted; keeping, however, in view, 

 that there is no danger to be apprehended in navi- 

 gating on the western coast of Terra del Fuego, as 

 the current sets along its coast, and it is perfectly 

 safe and practicable to navigate it as far as Cape 

 Pillar. The great difficulty exists in passing the 

 pitch of the Cape ; there is none afterwards in get- 

 ting to the westward. On the coast, the wind 

 seldom blows long from the same quarter, but 

 veers from south-west to north-west : the gales 

 generally begin at the former quarter and end at 

 the latter. Previous to the south-west gales, it 

 would, therefore, in all cases, be advisable, when 

 indications of their occurrence are visible, (which 



