[25] WORK OF STEAMER ALBATROSS. 395 



the horizon, and the rain poured down in torrents. A strong search 

 party left the ship and soon found the missing men, who had carelessly 

 strolled so far away that they were unable to return before dark, and 

 were wet to the skin, cold aud hungry. The naturalists made valuable 

 additions to their collections, both from land and water. 



We left Mayne Harbor at 4 a. m. on the Gth, the weather still squally, 

 with snow and sleet. Two successful hauls of the trawl were made in 

 Sarmiento Channel, aud at 10.40 we anchored in Latitude Cove, in 24 

 fathoms, mud, where we remained until the following morning in order 

 to give the naturalists an opportunity to examine the locality. The 

 plan and sailing directions for Latitude Cove are all that could be 

 desired for making that snug and convenient anchorage. 



The morning of the 7th was thick and rainy, with squalls of snow and 

 sleet. We were under way at 4.35, and after leaving the cove, steamed 

 to the position of a kelp-covered rock reported in midchannel between 

 Cape Charles and Europe Point, but saw no indication of shoal water. 

 We did, however, see a patch of kelp extending off Blanca Point, the 

 northern extremity of Latitude Cove, outside of a line drawn from Cape 

 Alexander to El Manchon. 



We were obliged to depend mostly on compass courses, until, between 

 9 and 10, the fog lifted, and although it remained overcast and squally, 

 we had no difficulty in recognizing landmarks. Passing Cape Somer- 

 set at noon, we were near Grappler Reach at 5 p. m., when, off Chill 

 Point, in Eyre Sound, a small iceberg was discovered a mile or more 

 from the nearest land. Our ice-house was empty, and with a tropical 

 voyage before us, we looked upon this opportunity of filling it as prov- 

 idential. Steaming alongside, we got a line fast, and a few minutes 

 sufficed to give us about 7 tons, all we could stow, of excellent ice, 

 which lasted until our arrival in Panama. 



We anchored in Port Grappler at 7.52 p. m. in 9 fathoms, mud, an 

 excellent harbor, and easy of approach. The chart of Grappler Reach 

 is simply a reconnaissance, but the channel is clear, and one can not go 

 amiss having once entered it. It was still rainy and squally when we 

 anchored, but the wind came out from the southward during the night, 

 bringing clear weather. 



We left Port Grappler at 4.30 on the morning of the 8th, and steam- 

 ing to the northward, passed through Indian Reach and English Nar- 

 rows without difficulty. The short turn around Mid Channel Island 

 and Caution Shoal is the only really difficult navigation in the western 

 Patagonian channels, and it would be imprudent to attempt this with 

 a heavy vessel, except at slack water or with a head tide. The 

 wreck of a German steamer was seen on a reef off the south end of New- 

 ton Island, near Eden Harbor. We saw nothing of the kelp-patch 

 reported by H. B. M. S. Zealous off Greville Point, the southern entrance 

 to Eden Harbor, but it might have been towed under by the tide. Quite 

 a large number of fur-seals were hauled out on the small islets of the 



