270 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



had great difficulty in making Cape Pillar, the western 

 landmark of the Straits, I bade farewell to my kind 

 host, and sought for quarters in ■ the great floating 

 hotel. There is something depressing in arriving in 

 a place of entertainment on a cold night, when it is 

 obvious that one's appearance is neither expected nor 

 desired. After a while a steward, scarcely half awake, 

 made his appearance, and arranged my berth. I soon 

 turned in, and slept until near nine o'clock, when we 

 were already well on our way towards the Atlantic 

 opening of the Straits. The morning was bright and 

 not very cold, and for the first time since I entered 

 this region the weather remained unchanged during 

 the day, and the, sky clear, with the exception of 

 heavy banks of cloud which showed in the afternoon 

 above the southern and western horizon. 



In the morning, when about twenty miles north of 

 Sandy Point, and nearly abreast of Peckett Harbour, 

 the unmistakable peak of Mount Sarmiento was for 

 a short time distinctly seen. It is needless to say 

 that this was due to atmospheric refraction, for the 

 distance was rather over a hundred English miles, 

 and in a non-refracting atmosphere a mountain seven 

 thousand feet high would be below the visible horizon 

 at a distance of about eighty-five miles. Of Mount 

 Darwin, which is believed to be the highest summit of 

 the Fuegian Archipelago, I was not destined to see 

 anything ; it is probably completely concealed by the 

 range which runs across the main island of Tierra del 

 Fuego. 



The scenery of the eastern side of the Straits of 

 Magellan offers little to attract the eye, the shores on 



