May 1830. CHANNELS—UNBROKEN CHAIN. 443 
just now, about three thousand. At a distance, the channel 
appeared to trend to the southward of west, and there the sides 
of the mountains seemed to be very bare, and weather-beaten, 
while near me they were covered with wood. This led me to 
conclude that farther westward they were open to the sea 
winds, and that there the channel ended. By the observations, I 
found that we were* nearly in the longitude of Christmas 
Sound, and in latitude 54° 54’ S., being therefore twenty miles 
south of the end of Admiralty Sound, but considerably to the 
westward of it. This position, and the bearings and estimated 
distances, showed me that the other arm of this long channel 
opened near the spot where Mr. Murray laid down (near the 
head of Christmas Sound) a ‘channel, running to the east- 
ward, beyond eyesight ;’ and that the branch in which I was 
must lead towards the bay or sound to the N.W. of Christmas 
Sound, at the base of very high land, which Mr. Murray laid 
down as ‘ an unbroken range of snow-covered mountains.’ The 
time of high water in this channel exactly corresponded with 
that on the adjacent sea-coast, but did not nearly agree wit 
that of the Strait of Magalhaens. These facts, and the appear- 
ance of the land, removed every doubt in my mind of the 
existence of an unbroken chain of mountains, reaching from the 
Barbara Channel to the Bell Mountain, and I therefore decided 
to spend no further time in searching thereabouts for a passage 
northward, but make all haste to examine the exterior shores. 
*< The channel here was about a mile wide, but the moun- 
tains on each side rising so abruptly, made it appear much 
narrower. It might be a good passage for a ship to sail 
through, from the westward, were it not for the trouble and 
anxiety of getting in with the land at the right place; and 
that a ship might sail on her course, in the open sea, by 
night as well as by day ; but here she could hardly choose to 
run at night, because there are a few low islets, near mid- 
channel, in some parts. For a boat, in case of shipwreck, or 
other urgent reason, it might be convenient : but going through 
to the westward would be very difficult, because it would be 
* In longitude 69.20. W. 
