WESTERN PATAGONIA. 569 
spears. Among others there is one, the wood of which being ex- 
tremely hard and weighty, answers better than the rest for fuel : 
the sealers call it ‘the red wood,’ from its colour. From the 
great quantity of timber which grows here it would be naturally 
supposed probably that spars for masts could be easily obtained, 
or at least wood useful for less important purposes; but although 
many trees were found that were sufficiently large at the base, they 
grew to no great height ; and, in consequence of the moisture of 
the climate, and the crowded state of the forests preventing the 
admission of the sun’s rays, the wood generally proved to be 
decayed in the heart; besides being very apt, even after a long 
seasoning, to warp and split when exposed toa dry air. 
Ten miles beyond White-kelp Cove, which is fifty miles within 
the entrance, the character of the Mesier Channel changes entirely ; 
the shore on either side being formed of mountainous and preci- 
pitous ridges rising abruptly from the water. After this, at Halt 
Bay, twenty-three miles beyond White-kelp Cove, the channel 
narrows for a considerable distance, and in three particular places 
is not more than four hundred yards wide. This part of the 
channel is called in the chart the English Narrow. It is long 
aud intricate, with many islands strewed throughout; and preserves 
its tortuous and frequently narrow course to its junction with the 
Wide Channel, in which the breadth increases to two miles and 
a half; and then, running thirty-four miles with a direct and unim- 
peded course, falls into the Concepcion Strait as above stated. 
At the point where the Mesier and the Wide Channels unite, a 
deep sound extends to the N.N.E. for forty-six miles. It was 
named Sir George Eyre Sound. An extensive glacier sloping 
into the sea from the summit of a range of high snowy mountains, 
that are visible from many parts of the Mesier Channel, terminates 
this sound ; and near the head of it several large icebergs, contain- 
ing no inconsiderable blocks of granite, were found aground.* 
* Near Falcon Inlet, seven miles up the eastern side of Sir George 
Eyre Sound, are some large ‘ rookeries,’ or breeding-haunts, of fur- 
seal. Many thousands of these animals were congregated together, 
which probably had been driven from the sea-coast by the activity of the 
seal-fishers ; and perhaps, for many years, if not ages, have been breeding 
undisturbed in this hitherto unknown, and therefore safe and quiet recess. 
Two seals that were killed appeared to be of the same description as the 
species which frequents the sea-coasts. 
