SMYTH'S CHANNEL. 237 



the Pacific, and before long entered on the third stage 

 of our voyage, which is known as Smyth's Channel. 

 This name is used collectively for the labyrinth of 

 passages lying among the smaller islands that fill the 

 space between Queen Adelaide Island and the main- 

 land of South-western Patagonia ; but to distinguish 

 the openings between separate islands various names 

 have been given, with which no one not a navigator 

 need burthen his memory. Perhaps the thick weather 

 may have been the cause, but we all noticed the 

 comparative rarity of all appearance of animal life on 

 this and the previous day. A large whale passing 

 near the ship gave the only occasion for a little 

 momentary excitement. As we ran southward, and 

 were daily approaching the winter solstice, the suc- 

 cessive days became sensibly shorter, and it was 

 already nearly dark when, soon after four p.m., we 

 cast anchor in an opening between two low islands 

 which is known as Mayne Channel. 



It was impossible not to experience a sense of 

 depression at the persistence of such unfriendly 

 weather during the brief period of passing through a 

 region of such exceptional interest, an opportunity, if 

 once lost, never to be recovered. With corresponding 

 eagerness the hope held out by a steady rise of the 

 barometer was greeted, especially when I found that 

 this continued up to ten p.m., and amounted since 

 morning to a quarter of an inch. We were under 

 way some time before daylight on June 9, and 

 great was my delight when, going on deck, I found a 

 cloudless sky and the Southern Cross standing high in 

 the firmament, 



