Sept.] 



NEW BAY. 



41 



mythology of ancient Greece. It is true that we have not heard of 

 Lilliputians, nor even of a nation of centaurs, in Patagonia ; but more 

 than one navigator has contended for a race of giants, not less than 

 ten feet in height ! All accounts, however, agree in one important 

 fact, viz. that the character, history, and every thing relating to Pata- 

 gonia are still involved in great obscurity. Even its northern boundary 

 has never been accurately ascertained, some extending it to Rio Colo- 

 rado, and others limiting it to Rio Negro, from which we departed on 

 Monday, the 23d of September. In due time I shall give the result 

 of my own observations, merely stating here that this country was 

 first discovered by Magellan, in 1519, whose account of it is generally 

 considered to be very defective and erroneous. 



From Rio Negro the coast again changes its southerly direction, and 

 runs westerly for about thirty leagues, when it sweeps round south- 

 easterly in a broad semicircle, terminating in a peninsula which pro- 

 jects to the north-east, thus forming an extensive bay or harbour, 

 or rather gulf, called St. Matias's Bay. At the 'western extremity of 

 this bay, somewhat inland, rises Mount St. Antonio, and on the north- 

 west there is a port of the same name. This is a fine harbour, 

 though but little frequented ; and the bay itself is very convenient for 

 whaling ships, particularly in the months of September, October, No- 

 vember, and December, when the whales come in to bring forth their 

 young. The south part of this bay, as before stated, is formed by a 

 peninsula, called St. Joseph's, within which, on the north side, is the 

 Bay of St. Joseph's, and on the south side New Bay, the neck of the 

 peninsula extending between them. On the east side of St. Joseph's 

 Bay is Port Valdes, lat. 42° 32' S. I did not become sufficiently ac- 

 quainted with St. Joseph's Bay to furnish any information of im- 

 portance respecting it. It was probably in New Bay that Magellan 

 found such vast numbers of seal and penguins. 



September 25th. — We anchored in the last-named bay on Wed- 

 nesday, the 25th, under the south shore, in five fathoms of water, 

 about three miles within Nymph Point. At ten o'clock, A. M., we 

 landed on the south side, where we found gray foxes, brown hares, 

 and mountain deer, in great numbers. We likewise saw many small 

 pods of hair-seal on the beaches, and several cow-whales in the bay 

 of a large size, and perfectly tame. 



September 26th.~-On the following day at two P. M., we landed on 

 the north side of the bay, where we saw on the plains of the penin- 

 sula about three thousand bullocks, which were very wild. After 

 shooting four of the finest of these animals, we returned to the vessel 

 about eight, P. M. ; and in a few minutes afterward, the other boat 

 returned from the south shore with thirty-eight hares, eleven foxes, 

 and four deer. We were thus furnished with a good stock of fresh 

 meat. 



September 27th. — On Friday, the 27th, at eight, A. M., we got 

 under way for the purpose of examining the bay, which having finished, 

 we returned to our former anchorage. At the head of this bay we 

 found vast forests of heavy timber, some of which would make fine 

 spars for ships of any size ; being a kind of bastard cedar, which is 



