1833. PONSOXBY SOUND. 223 



Bay, and on the 11th anchored in Scotchwell Bay. A rough 

 night was passed under sail between Wollaston and Navarin 

 Islands, in which we pretty well proved the clearness of that 

 passage, as it blew fresh and we made a great many boards. 



Next day I set out to examine the western part of Ponsonby 

 Sound and revisit Woollya. In my absence one party was to 

 go westward, overland, to look at the outer coast between 

 False Cape and Cape Weddell, and another was to examine 

 and make a plan of the bay or harbour in which the Beagle 

 lay. In 1830, Mr. Stokes had laid down its shores with 

 accuracy on a small scale, but there was not then time to take 

 many soundings ; and as I conceived that Orange Bay and 

 this harbour were likely to be useful ports, it was worth 

 making a particular plan of each. 



12th. With one boat I crossed Tekeenica Sound, and ex- 

 plored the western part of Ponsonby Sound. Natives were seen 

 here and there, but we had little intercourse with them. Some 

 curious effects of volcanic action were obsevred, besides masses 

 of conglomerate, such as I had not noticed in any other part 

 of Tierra del Fuego. On one islet I was placed in an awkward 

 predicament for half an hour ; it was a very steep, precipitous 

 hill, which 1 had ascended by climbing or creeping through 

 ravines and among trees ; but, wishing to return to the boat's 

 crew, after taking a few angles and bearings from its sum- 

 mit, I could find no place by which it appeared possible to 

 descend. The ravine up which I crawled was hidden by 

 wood, and night was at hand. I went to and fro, like a dog 

 on a wall, unable to descend, till one of the boat's crew who 

 was wandering about heard me call, and, ascending at the 

 only accessible place, showed me where to plunge into the 

 wood with a prospect of emerging again in a proper direction. 

 This night we had dry beautiful weather, the leaves and sticks 

 on the ground crackhng under our feet as we walked, while 

 at the ship, only sixty miles distant, rain poured ^down inces- 

 santly. 



The night of the 13th was passed on Button Island. This 



