Aug. 1829. LIEUT. SKYRING’S DISCOVERY. 263 
the mountains, such as to justify this belief. Returning, they 
entered the smaller opening to the eastward, and were almost 
assured of its being a channel; for when they were between 
the points, many porpoises and seals were observed, and a tide 
was found setting westward, at the rate of two knots. At dark, 
they hauled their boat on the beach of an excellent bay, at the 
north side of the narrow reach, and secured her for the night. 
On the 9th, shortly after daylight, they set out in a N.E. 
direction to ascertain the truth of their supposition; and before 
noon knew, beyond a doubt, that they were correct in their 
belief, being in the narrows of a channel before unknown, that 
had eluded Sarmiento’s notice. These narrows, which Lieu- 
tenant Skyring felt assured would lead to a large opening, were 
upwards of three miles in length, and generally about one-third 
of a mile in breadth. A strong tide took the boat through ; 
and at the N.E. extremity, where the narrows were reduced to 
four hundred yards in width, the water, although a neap-tide, 
rushed at the rate of four knots, forming whirling eddies, which 
were carefully avoided by Lieutenant Skyring. At spring-tide, 
the strength of these rapids would probably not be less than 
seven knots. 
Having passed through them, a clear channel was seen, 
upwards of two miles wide, running to the N.b. E. for, at least, 
eight miles, and then turning directly eastward, between mode- 
rately high land. Another channel, nearly a mile and a half 
wide, trended to the S.E. for two or three miles, and then 
also turned to the eastward. Here they stopped. Lieutenant 
Skyring regretted extremely not being able to prosecute the 
discovery, and have one more view from the eastern point of 
the N.E. channel ; but as only one day’s provisions remained, 
it would have been imprudent to delay his return. It was evi- 
dent, that they had passed through the range of the Cordil- 
leras,* for to the eastward the country appeared totally differ- 
ent, the highest hill not being above seven hundred feet. 
The opening to the N.E. was thought to communicate with the 
waters’ lately discovered by Captain Fitz Roy. The latitude 
* ¢Cordillera Nevada’ of Sarmiento, 
