PREFACE XV 



from a height of fifteen hundred or two thousand feet. The 

 course of many is concealed, at first, by intervening trees, 

 and, when half way down the descent, they burst upon the view, 

 leaping, as it were, out of the wood. Some unite as they fall, 

 and together are precipitated into the sea, in a cloud of foam ; so 

 varied, indeed, are the forms of these cascades, and so great their 

 contrast with the dark foliage of the trees which thickly cover 

 the sides of the mountain, that it is impossible adequately to 

 describe the scene. I have met with nothing exceeding the 

 picturesque grandeur of this part of the Strait." 



Again, of Ainsworth Harbour : — " The bottom of the port is 

 formed by an immense glacier, from which during the night, 

 large masses broke off and fell into the sea with a loud crash. 

 At high tide the sea water undermines, by thawing, large masses 

 of ice, which, when the tide falls, want support, and, consequently, 

 break ofi" bringiDg with them huge fragments of the glacier, and 

 falling into the still basin with a noise like thunder." 



Mount Sarmiento is thus described by Graves: — "Rising 

 abruptly from the sea, to a height of about 7,000 feet, it terminates 

 in two sharp peaks, which seem absolutely in the sky : so lofty 

 does the mountain appear when you are close to its base. Two 

 thirds of the height are covered with snow ; and two enormous 

 glaciers descend into the deep blue waters of the sea beneath. 

 When the sun shines, it is a most brilliant and magnificent sight." 



From Port Famine, King mentions that "during 190 days, 

 this wonderful mountain was only seen on twenty-five, and 

 during seven days only was it constantly visible. On the 

 remaining eighteen, portions only were seen, and those but for 

 a very few hours at a time." 



Yet one more description will I quote, that of the scenery at 

 night from Devil Island, in Beagle Channel, by Fitzroy : — 

 " Between some of the mountains the ice extended so widely as to 

 form immense glaciers, which were faced towards the Avater by 

 lofty cliffs. During a beautifully fine and still night, the view 

 from our fireside in this narrow channel, was most striking, 



