202 



BAllOMETERS — KATEr's PEAK. 



April 1829. 



one insect, a species of Oniscus. Nothing, in fact, could be 

 more desolate, and we had only the satisfaction of a good 

 observation for the height, and an excellent bird's-eye view of 

 the surrounding islands and channel, to repay us for the labour 

 of the ascent. On reaching the top, the barometers were sus- 

 pended under the lee of the rock, twelve feet below its summit, 

 and I then proceeded to set up the theodolite, which I found 

 more damaged than I had anticipated ; but not so much as to 

 deprive me of a very extensive round of angles, in which were 

 contained bearings of the Ildefonso Islands. We were thus 

 occupied about an hour and half, which afforded me an oppor- 

 tunity of obtaining two good readings of the barometer. 



The view to the N.W. was very extensive, and bounded by 

 long ranges of snow-clad mountains of great height ; the atmos- 

 phere was remarkably clear, and every object unusually dis- 

 tinct. Bearings of the islands of Diego Ramirez would have 

 been taken, but for the extreme force of the wind, which more 

 than once blew me from the theodolite, and once actually threw 

 me on the ground. The temperature was not below 38° ; but, 

 owing to the wind, the cold was intense, and the rapid evapo- 

 ration produced the most painful sensations, particularly in 

 our feet and legs, which were thoroughly wet when we reached 

 the top. 



Our descent was not effected in less than an hour and twenty 

 minutes, owing to the difficulty of passing through the beech 

 thickets ; but we reached the base without injury to the baro- 

 meters, which was being more fortunate than I expected. They 

 were again set up on the beach, and read; after which we 

 returned on board, amply gratified and rewarded for our 

 fatigue. 



The height of the peak, which, from its vicinity to the sta* 

 tion selected by Captain Foster for the pendulum experiments, 

 could not receive a more appropriate name than Eatery's Peak, 

 was found to be 1,742 feet above the high-watermark.* 



* The changes of pressure, during the intervals of ascent and descent, 

 were obtained by registering the ship's barometer, which was done by 

 signal from the stations on shore, when the readings were taken. During 



the 



