Oct.] 



NEW ISLAND— STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 



155 



This place is only fit for small vessels, and requires no other direc- 

 tions for entering the harbour than to keep clear of the kelp. There 

 is a small round island lying off the mouth of the cove, which may 

 be passed, on either side, within a hundred yards, with safety. For 

 further information, the reader is referred to the affecting and instructive 

 narrative of Captain Charles Barnard, of New-York, which work 

 contains the only correct chart of these islands that has ever been 

 published ; it being the result of his own actual surveys, made with 

 much care, labour, and accuracy. In my first voyage, the reader will 

 recollect, I made an allusion to this gentleman's sufferings from the 

 treachery of a shipwrecked crew, who left him to perish on a desolate 

 island ; I now mention him again, in order to impress on the minds of 

 all who condescend to peruse these pages a due sense of the worth 

 of this meritorious and enterprising American navigator, who has done 

 much for his country, by promoting its nautical science and commercial 

 prosperity. May he yet be rewarded by the munificence of those whose 

 interests he has been instrumental in advancing. 



Immediately on our arrival at New Island, after properly mooring 

 the vessel, &c, about eight A. M. all hands were set to work in gather- 

 ing the eggs of aquatic birds from the same rookery mentioned in the 

 former voyage, on the west side of the island. The result of our 

 labours in this particular pursuit was twenty-five barrels of fresh eggs, 

 which we carefully salted down. During the period of ten days 

 which we spent here, about two hundred and fifty fat geese and teal 

 were shot ; and several fur-seals were taken. We also repaired the 

 sails, stowed the hold anew, and took in a fresh supply of water. 



October 16th. — On Saturday, at 4 P. M., the schooner Yankee, Cap- 

 tain Thayer, arrived from New- York ; as fine a vessel of her class, and 

 as well fitted out, as any that ever passed Sandy Hook lighthouse on 

 a sealing expedition. On the following day, the Tartar left the Falk- 

 land Islands, and we shaped our course for the Strait of Magellan, 

 with the wind from south-south-west, attended with snow-squalls. 

 Indeed, we had experienced more or less snow every day while lying 

 at New Island. 



October 22d. — It was on Sunday, the 17th, at 2 P. M., that we left 

 New Island, and the wind continued from south-south-west to west- 

 north-west, generally accompanied with snow and hail, until Friday, 

 the 22d ; on which day, at 7 P. M., we saw Queen Catharine's 

 Foreland, bearing west-by-north, distant seven leagues. On the fol- 

 lowing morning, at eight A. M., we were within the eastern entrance 

 of the Strait of Magellan, and the point just mentioned was two leagues 

 behind us, bearing east-by-south. Fair weather. 



soon began to give himself airs, and insult the captains of sealing vessels from the United States, 

 forbidding them to pursue the business among those islands. In 1831 he even presumed to capture 

 several of them, one of which, belonging to Stonington, Ct., was taken under circumstances which 

 rendered the act substantially piratical. On receiving intelligence of this unwarranted aggression, 

 the President of the United States despatched the national corvette Lexington, Captain Duncan, to 

 protect our sealing ships in those seas, and to chastise every piratical spoliation that might have 

 been committed. Captain Duncan arrived at the Falkland Islands on the 28th of December, and 

 in a summary manner destroyed the establishment of Vernet, and took away the American property 

 found in his possession ; at the same time making a prisoner of " his little excellency." On the 

 arrival of this news at Buenos Ayres, an extraordinary excitement prevailed ; and that government, 

 at one time, seriously contemplated making reprisals on American citizens and their property. 

 This affair is now under a train of adjustmen' and the result, of course, not yet known. 



