April 1830. wEATHER—MR. MURRAY'S DISCOVERY. 429 
“'Theelasses had at last been rising; and during the past night 
and this day, the wind was very strong with much rain. The 
wind shifted from the northern quarter into the southern, draw- 
ing round to the S.E.; which, of course, would make the mer- 
cury rise higher after being so very low, though the weather 
might prove extremely bad. 
“14th. The master returned, and surprised me with the infor- 
mation that he had been through and far beyond Nassau Bay. 
He had gone very little to the northward, but a long distance 
to the east, having passed through a narrow passage, about 
one-third of a mile wide, which led him into a straight chan- 
nel, averaging about two miles or more in width, and extending 
nearly east and west as far as the eye could reach. Westward of 
the passage by which he entered, was an opening to the north- 
west ; but as his orders specified north and east, he followed 
the eastern branch of the channel, looking for an opening on 
either side, without success. _Northward of him lay a range of 
mountains, whose summits were covered with snow, which 
extended about forty miles, and then sunk into ordinary hills 
that, near the place which he reached, shewed earthy or clayey 
cliffs towards the water. From the clay cliffs his view was 
unbroken by any land in an E.S.E. direction, therefore he 
must have looked through an opening at the outer sea. His 
provisions being almost exhausted, he hastened back. 
** On the south side of the channel there were likewise 
mountains of considerable elevation ; but, generally speaking, 
that shore was lower than the opposite. Mr. Murray saw great 
numbers of natives near the narrow passage and upwards of 
a hundred canoes were seen in one day, each containing from 
two to six people. These Fuegians had much guanaco skin, and 
many of the bones of that animal made into spear-heads, but 
very little seal-skin. The wigwams were large and commodious, 
compared with those of the western tribes, being built of small 
trees piled up endwise, and tied together at the top, their 
outside being covered with bushes, grass, &c. to keep out the 
cold, and the earth inside scooped out much below the surface 
of the ground. Some could hold about twice as many people 
