240 HOMEWARD-BOUND— MAGELLAN'S STRAIT. 1826. 



notions, the Creator of the universe, surrounded by a dazzling glory, 

 like the rays of the sun. This idol was held in such great veneration 

 that no human eye except the priests' was suffered to behold it. Even 

 the kings dared not look upon it, but entered the temple with their 

 backs towards the altar, and came out again without daring to turn 

 about. 



Pizarro derived great riches from the Temple of Pachamcamac, to 

 the amount of nine hundred thousand ducats, although four hundred 

 Indians had taken away as much as they could carry, and the Spanish 

 soldiers had pillaged it before he came. The ruins which still remain 

 give a splendid idea of its original magnificence ; and from their appear- 

 ance I should infer that the temple had once been joined to the palace 

 of an inca, and also to a kind of fortress, connected together so as to 

 form one building full half a league in circumference. 



February 6th. — After examining all the islands on this part of the 

 coast, I announced to my faithful crew that we should now steer for 

 home, by the way of Magellan's Strait and the Falkland Islands. This 

 information lighted up a smile of cheerfulness on every countenance. 

 This was on Monday, the 6th of February ; the weather was pleasant, 

 and the wind blew from south-south-east. We shaped our course to 

 the south and west, and continued steering in that direction, with fine 

 breezes from south-south-east, for twelve days, when we found our- 

 selves in latitude 31° 4' S., long. 87° 8' W. ; when we took calms, and 

 light variable winds, which lasted for two days : after which we took 

 strong breezes from south-south-east to west, with occasional foul 

 weather and squalls ; and these attended us until we arrived at the 

 western entrance of the Strait of Magellan, which was on Saturday, 

 March the 4th, 1826. 



March 5th. — On the following day, at 7, P. M., we came to an 

 chor in a small bay, about five miles to the north-east of Cape Froward, 

 in four fathoms of water, clay bottom, about a quarter of a mile off- 

 shore. At this place we lay several days, filling our water-casks, 

 taking on board a supply of wood, making a new foreyard and sending 

 it aloft, and attending to other necessary matters. 



In the mean time, I embraced this opportunity of making another 

 excursion into the interior, for the purpose of exploring that part of the 

 country, and satisfying myself further as to its natural productions. I 

 was accompanied on this occasion by the same intelligent and worthy 

 young men who attended me in my former excursion, as mentioned in 

 the previous voyage, viz. Messrs. Charles and William Cox and John 

 Simons. We proceeded in a north-west course, as nearly as the une- 

 qual face of the country would permit, and penetrated far into the inte- 

 rior, along the base of the Southern Andes. 



I regret that I cannot give the particulars of this excursion in detail, 

 as my minutes were unfortunately lost. Let it suffice, therefore, that 

 we were absent four days, during which period we discovered several 

 animal and vegetable productions which had escaped our observation 

 on the former occasion. We examined several species of timber, the 

 names and qualities of which were unknown to us, but which exhibited 

 a colour, texture, and grain admirably adapted to elegant cabinet-work. 



