March 1830. SAN ANDRES OF SARMIENTO. 339 
bay exposed to a long reach of sea from that quarter, it cannot 
be accounted a safe harbour ; yet it was very far preferable to 
many places in which we had been obliged to anchor. 
“This bay (Portland Bay) is on the north side of an open- 
ing called by Sarmiento « Canal de Tres Cerros,’ and from the 
broken state of the interior high land, one is led to imagine a 
channel might be found there. His conclusion, I have no doubt, 
was drawn from this appearance, since the view down the open- 
ing is very limited, and, at the distance of three or four miles 
within the entrance, is interrupted by several small islands. 
Mr. Kirke passed between those islets, and followed an opening 
to the S.E., for upwards of eight leagues. On his return, he 
reported that he had found a fine channel, of which the principal 
entrance was the opening of Sarmiento’s ¢ Canal San Andres.’ 
* On the 12th, in full anticipation of making some inte- 
resting discovery, we sailed into the ‘Canal San Andres,’ 
anchoring in the afternoon in Expectation Bay, where we 
remained until the 15th. During that time, Mr. Kirke was 
employed examining the different openings, and tracing this 
supposed channel farther. At his return, he said that he had 
found a termination to every opening, even to that in which 
we then were, which he had previously thought to be a channel. 
Like the rest, it extended only to the base of the snowy Cor- 
dillera, and then was suddenly closed by immense glaciers. 
* This information caused great disappointment, as all hope 
of passing through the Cordillera, thus far northward, was 
now given up; and I was fearful we should be delayed many 
more days before we could extricate ourselves from this (as we 
then supposed) false channel. We were many miles within 
the entrance ; in that distance there were no anchorages, and 
the wind being generally from the westward, I anticipated much 
labour before we could effect our return; but the very next 
day we were so fortunate as to have a slant of fair wind, by 
which we cleared this opening, and a second time entered Con- 
cepcion Strait. Knowing, by our former survey, that there 
was no anchorage along the coast to the southward of Cape 
San Andres before reaching Guard Bay, I ran over to Madre 
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