WARNING JEROME CHANNEL. May 1829. 



must have sunk with all her heavy cargo, to us invaluable. 

 The plug had worked out by her rolhng : — I seldom left her 

 afloat at night after this warning. Having saved the boat, 

 made me think less of all our things being wetted, and of some 

 of the instruments being almost spoiled. 



" At daylight, on the 8th, we pulled along shore, with the 

 wind against us, and reached Point York before the tide made 

 strongly ; but that place we could not pass ; and sooner than 

 give up an inch of ground, let go our grapnels, in the middle of 

 a race of tide, that tumbled in over both gunwales, and ran past 

 us at the rate of five knots. At one p.m. it slackened, and we 

 pulled on into Bachelor River, very glad to get so good a place 

 to dry our clothes, and put the boats to rights. Three deserted 

 wigwams gave us shelter ; and while some made fires, others 

 went to collect shell-fish, or shoot birds. Though the season 

 was so far advanced, some shrubs were in flower, particularly 

 one, which is very like a jessamine, and has a sweet smell. 

 Cranberries and berberis-berries were plentiful : I should have 

 liked to pass some days at this place, it was so very pretty; 

 the whole shore was like a shrubbery. I cannot account for the 

 exaggerated accounts of the Fuegian coasts given by some 

 voyagers : it is true that the peaks of the mountains are 

 covered with snow, and those sides exposed to the prevailing 

 west winds are barren, and rugged ; but every sheltered spot 

 is covered with vegetation, and large trees seem to grow almost 

 upon the bare rock. I was strongly reminded of some of the 

 Greek islands in winter, when they also have a share of snow 

 on their mountains. 



May 9th. The tide carried our boats rapidly up the Jerome 

 Channel, which, though narrow, is quite free from danger. 

 The west shore is very high, and steep, and well covered with 

 wood ; the eastern is lower, and less woody. 



" Having passed this channel, we entered the mysterious 

 Indian Sound, with all that anxiety one feels about a place, of 

 which nothing is known, and much is imagined. I hoped to find a 

 large river ; and the strong tide setting up the channel convinced 

 me that there was a body of water inland, but of what nature 



