Aug. 18^9. 



LIEUT. SKYRINg'^S DISCOVERY. 



263 



the mountains, such as to justify this belief, lleturning, they 

 entered the smaller opening to the eastward, and were almost 

 assured of its being a channel ; for when they were between 

 the points, many porpoises and seals were observed, and a tide 

 was found setting westward, at the rate of two knots. At dark, 

 they hauled their boat on the beach of an excellent bay, at the 

 north side of the narrow reach, and secured her for the night. 



On the 9th, shortly after daylight, they set out in a N.E. 

 direction to ascertain the truth of their supposition; and before 

 noon knew, beyond a doubt, that they were correct in their 

 belief, being in the narrows of a channel before unknown, that 

 had eluded Sarmiento''s notice. These narrows, which Lieu- 

 tenant Sky ring felt assured would lead to a large opening, were 

 upwards of three miles in length, and generally about one-third 

 of a mile in breadth. A strong tide took the boat through ; 

 and at the N.E. extremity, where the narrows were reduced to 

 four hundred yards in width, the water, although a neap-tide, 

 rushed at the rate of four knots, forming whirling eddies, which 

 were carefully avoided by Lieutenant Skyring. At spring-tide, 

 the strength of these rapids would probably not be less than 

 seven knots. 



Having passed through them, a clear channel was seen, 

 upwards of two miles wide, running to the N.b. E. for, at least, 

 eight miles, and then turning directly eastward, between mode- 

 rately high land. Another channel, nearly a mile and a half 

 wide, trended to the S.E. for two or three miles, and then 

 also turned to the eastward. Here they stopped. Lieutenant 

 Skyring regretted extremely not being able to prosecute the 

 discovery, and have one more view from the eastern point of 

 the N.E. channel ; but as only one day's provisions remained, 

 it would have been imprudent to delay his return. It was evi- 

 dent, that they had passed through the range of the Cordil- 

 leras,* for to the eastward the country appeared totally differ- 

 ent, the highest hill not being above seven hundred feet. 

 The opening to the N.E. was thought to communicate with the 

 waters' lately discovered by Captain Fitz Roy. The latitude 

 * ' Cordillcici Nevadci ' of iSarmieiito, 



