wisTicn voYAdi': riiRorcii srn.\rrs of .\f.if;j:ij,.\x 1:57 



orij<in:il]y founded as a penal Hettlenient in 1H40, when the j^ov- 

 ernnient removed its post from Port Famine 2H miles to the 

 southward. A dreadful traj^edy took place in l.Sr>l, the eonvictH 

 rising upon the {garrison, seizinfr several vessels, and murdering' 

 the gcn-ernor and his subordinates with cireumstanejfs of atro- 

 cious cruelty, since which time the practice of sending felons 

 here has been aljan<lr)ne'l. 'i'he vilhige consists of ahout one 

 hundred houses built upon ground which slopes gradually l»ack 

 from the water. The governor was very enthusiastic about the 

 success of the colony and showed soinegoM nuggets found in tln' 

 little- stream east of the village. The attractions of Sandy I'oint 

 were insullicient to detain us long, and on tb*; next evening we 

 left \>y moonlight, steaming slowly for that niiignifieent head- 

 land, Cajx; Froward. 



The morning sun shone bright and beautiful over the lofty 

 sn(;w-cap|»e<l hills, while in the valleys, which were entirely free 

 from snow, a flood of golden light upon the dark green foliage 

 of the forest rendered the landscape very charming. 'J'he shore, 

 after passing Cape San Isidro, is dotted with numerous little 

 bays, in one of which, known as Jack harbor, the celel)rat<.*d 

 ]>ougainville in 1704 moored his ships an<l cut timber for the 

 French colony on the Malouines, now the Falkland islan<ls- 

 The cove, which is hardly larger than an ordinary wet dock, is 

 a romantic-looking nook, sheltered completely, ;ind to add to its 

 beaut}' a sparkling mountain rivulet tinublcs noisily into the 

 sea at its head. 



At noon we had reached our exlr(;me i-outhern limit and were 

 offCaj^e Froward. 'i'hough up to this time the weather had be'cn 

 beautifully clear and pleasant, the moment we roun<led this 

 magnificent terminus of our continent we felt a change. 'J'he 

 bright sky gave place to an overcast leaden hued one, the air 

 grew colder, and for the first time since enU^ring the strait we 

 felt the williwaw. These winds are peculiar to this region, 

 the name being corrupted from the term "whirl awas" of the 

 old navigators and seal hunters. They are rotary squalls. whi«h 

 blow at times with indescribable fury, seeming apparently to 

 come from every point of the comjmss. There is one peculiarity 

 ab(nit these squalls which seems to have escaped notice hitherto. 

 This is the singularly mournful whistling .s»und, like the sighing 

 of an vEolian harp, whicli invariably |>recedeH and follows them. 



Cai)e Froward, 58° o4'S., 71° IS' \V., is the southern extremity 

 of the coiitiiM-iif ..r Aniciira. It is one of the grandest head- 



