202 BAROMETERS—KATER’S PEAK. April 1829. 
p 
one insect, a species of Oniscus. Nothing, in fact, could be 
more desolate, and we had only the satisfaction of a good 
observation for the height, and an excellent bird’s-eye view of 
the surrounding islands and channel, to repay us for the labour 
of the ascent. On reaching the top, the barometers were sus- 
pended under the lee of the rock, twelve feet below its summit, 
and I then proceeded to set up the theodolite, which I found 
more damaged than I had anticipated ; but not so much as to 
deprive me of a very extensive round of angles, in which were 
contained bearings of the Ildefonso Islands. We were thus 
occupied about an hour and half, which afforded me an oppor- 
tunity of obtaining two good readings of the barometer. 
The view to the N.W. was very extensive, and bounded by 
long ranges of snow-clad mountains of great height ; the atmos- 
phere was remarkably clear, and every object unusually dis- 
tinct. Bearings of the islands of Diego Ramirez would have 
been taken, but for the extreme force of the wind, which more 
than once blew me from the theodolite, and once actually threw 
. me on the ground. The temperature was not below 38°; but; 
owing to the wind, the cold was intense, and the rapid evapo- 
ration produced the most painful sensations, particularly in 
our feet and legs, which were thoroughly wet when we reached 
the top. 
Our descent was not effected in less than an hour and twenty 
minutes, owing to the difficulty of passing through the beech 
thickets ; but we reached the base without injury to the baro- 
meters, which was being more fortunate than I expected. They 
were again set up on the beach, and read; after which we 
returned on board, amply gratified and rewarded for our 
fatigue. 
The height of the peak, which, from its vicinity to the sta- 
tion selected by Captain Foster for the pendulum experiments, 
could not receive a more appropriate name than Kater’s Peak, 
was found to be 1,742 feet above the high-water mark.* 
* The changes of pressure, during the intervals of ascent and descent, 
were obtained by registering the ship’s barometer, which was done by 
signal from the stations on shore, when the readings were taken. During 
the 
