THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 461 



from Valparaiso should make her appearance with our letters. 

 The 19th, the day on which she was due, passed without 

 her appearance, but at this we were not surprised, as we 

 were informed that she was not unfrequently a day behind 

 her time. As day after day, however succeeded, and there 

 were still no signs of her, we began to be apprehensive for her 

 safety, more especially as heavy south-westerly gales had 

 been of late prevailing ; and by the evening of the 23d we had 

 entirely given up hopes of her arrival, and Captain Mayne 

 accordingly determined on starting next day for the westward. 

 The 24th was a lovely day, perfectly calm in the morn- 

 ing, and most unusually warm, one of the thermometers 

 registering 75° Fahr. in the course of the afternoon. At 

 four P.M. we got under way, with our provision -brig in 

 tow. Captain Mayne having made an engagement with 

 her skipper to convey her to the western entrance of the 

 Strait, as, owing to the prevalence of westerly winds, it is by 

 no means an easy task for a sailing vessel to pass through the 

 Strait from the eastwards, though a passage in the opposite 

 direction is readily accomplished. We reached Port Famine on 

 a fine moonlight evening, and there anchored for the night, a 

 gun and rocket being held in readiness for the purpose of 

 attracting the attention of the steamer should she happen to 

 pass by us. Next morning we got under way and continued 

 on our course, making slow progress in consequence of the 

 wind being strong against us, so that we did not reach 

 Fortescue Bay until the evening. On the 26th we weighed 

 early, with the intention of proceeding as far as Port Angosto. 

 It was a dull misty morning, causing us to realise that we 

 were rapidly penetrating into the region of almost perpetual 

 rain. Between nine and ten a.m. a small schooner was per- 

 ceived in the distance bearing down in our direction, and 



