178 CHANNEL’S MOUTH. June 1828. 
scene of the Wager’s wreck, I wished to examine its western 
side; but a strong N.N.E. wind did not permit my doing so, 
without risking the loss of more time than could be spared for 
an object of mere curiosity. I steered, therefore, to the south- 
eastward for an inlet, which proved to be the Channel’s Mouth 
of the Spanish charts, and reached it, after running seventeen 
miles from the south end of Xavier Island. We got no sound- 
ings with ninety fathoms of line, when at its entrance ; but 
making no doubt that we should get anchorage within, we left, 
at the distance of half a mile, the islets of the northern point ; 
passed between two others distant apart only one-fifth of a mile, 
and shortly after anchored in twenty fathoms, sheltered by an 
island to the westward, but with rocky islets around us in all 
directions, except the S.E., some of which were less than a 
cable’s length from us.* Here we were detained until the 10th 
of June by the worst weather I ever experienced: we rode 
with three anchors down and the topmasts struck ; and though 
we lay within a couple of hundred yards of the islands and 
rocks, and less than half a mile from the shores of the inlet, 
such a furious surf broke on them all, that it was but rarely 
a boat could land, even in the least exposed situations the 
inlet afforded. The evening of our arrival was fine, and we 
put up the observatory tent, on the island to the westward 
of us; but the weather was so bad, during the next day, 
that we could effect no landing to remove it, although we 
anticipated the result that followed, namely, its being washed 
away. 
“In the short intervals of the horrible weather that pre- 
vailed, boats were sent to the northern shore of the inlet, for 
the purpose of procuring water and fuel; but though they 
sometimes succeeded, by dint of great perseverance, in landing 
through a raging surf, it was but seldom they could embark 
the small casks (barecas) which had been filled, or the wood 
they had cut. 
“ Upon this shore the master observed remains of some 
Indian wigwams, that seemed to have been long forsaken, and 
* This group was afterwards called Hazard Isles. 
