138 WINTER VOYAGE THROUGH STRAITS OF MAGELLAN 



lands in the world, and I gay this after a lengthened experience 

 at sea. Let those who have seen the sea face of Gibraltar imagine 

 a thousand feet added to the rock and they will have an idea of 

 the grandeur of Cape Froward. But we are now on the home- 

 stretch for San Francisco as the shij? doubles the pitch of the 

 cape and edges closer and closer to the eastern shore to avoid 

 the fur}^ of the west wind, of the force of which the white ca])s 

 and heav}^ sea in the middle of Frow^ard reach give indications. 



It was quite dark when the ship reached Fortescue ba}'' and 

 anchored. This is the most secure anchorage in the strait, and 

 may eventually become the,, principal stopping-point of mail 

 steamers. There is an outer and an inner harbor, the latter, 

 known as Port Gallant, being accessible for ordinary steam ves- 

 sels. The view from the anchorage is ver}^ fine. There are several 

 prettily wooded islets separating Fgrtescue bay from Port Gal- 

 lant, while Mount Cross, covered with snow, rises gradual]}'' to a 

 height of 3,000 feet and completely overlooks the anchorage. 



A few weeks before our arrival off Port Gallant it had been the 

 scene of a tragical occurrence, the captain and three men of 

 an English vessel, the P/'opon^/s, having been murdered by the 

 Fuegians while obtaining water. On our arrival the Fuegians 

 had apparently deserted that part of the strait. The governor 

 had evidently deemed it impossible to apprehend the wretches 

 concerned in these frightful murders. The fate of these unfortu- 

 nate men should be a warning to small merchant vessels. 



The next day was mostly consumed in making the run from 

 Port Gallant to Borja bay, the wind being adverse and the tide 

 strongly against us, but the beautiful scener}^ compensated for the 

 tediousness of the trip ; it was by far the finest that we had yet 

 seen. The serrated ranges of mountains on Cordoba peninsula, 

 covered with snow and glaciers sparkling in the sunlight, are very 

 grand. The character of the strait seems to change entirely 

 when abreast of Jerome channel, at the entrance to which Cor- 

 doba peninsula apparently blocks up the strait, which now as- 

 sumes all the grandeur and beauty of an Alpine lake. The ship 

 anchored in the deep waters of Byron's Island bay. under the 

 shadow of Borja mountain, towering grandly 3,000 feet above 

 our heads. A landing party soon woke the echoes of the moun- 

 tain with the sharp crack of the rifle, the sound reverberating in 

 prolonged echoes. The scenery on the mountain side is very 

 picturesque, but the ascent is made under difficulties. The deep 

 bay is thoroughl}^ sheltered, and to add to its beauty three spark- 



