322 THE CRUISE OF TEE " CACHALOT:* 



sky a deep, cloudless blue, so that the rugged outline 

 of Stewart's Island was distinctly seen at its extreme 

 distance from us. To the eastward the Straits narrowed 

 rapidly, the passage at the other end biing scarcely five 

 miles wide between the well-known harbour of the Bluff, 

 the port of Invercargill, and a long rocky island which 

 almost blocked the strait. This passage, though cutting 

 off a big corner, not only shortening the distance from 

 the westward considerably, but oftentimes saving out- 

 ward bounders a great deal of heavy weather off the 

 Snares to the south of Stewart's Island, is rarely used 

 by sailing-ships, except coasters ; but steamers regularly 

 avail themselves of it, being independent of its con- 

 flicting currents and baflfling winds. 



