SM SAN aUINTIN— TADEO— OFQUl RAFAEL. DeC. 1829. 



of which, some articles left by the Beagle, in a conspicuous 

 place, were found by us untouched During the Adelaide's 

 stay at Port Otway, the openings on the east side of Hoppner 

 Sound were explored, yet they proved to be only small inlets. 

 Mr. Kirke examined some, which appeared to communicate 

 with San Quintin Sound ; but found them to be merely chan- 

 nels dividing the group of the Marine Islands,* excepting the 

 most southern, which is the entrance of Newman Inlet, a deep 

 bight, without anchorage, but abounding with hair-seal. 



From Byron's Narrative it would appear, that there is a 

 channel somewhere hereabouts communicating with the Gulf 

 of San Rafael, to the east of the Peninsula of Tres Montes ; 

 for the Indian guide wanted to conduct the Wager's barge 

 through it, but was prevented by the strength of the current. 



The Adelaide sailed from Port Otway on the 18th, and the 

 same evening reached San Quintin Sound, anchoring opposite 

 an opening northward of Dead-tree Island, that proved to be 

 the mouth of the Biver San Tadeo, by which Byron and his 

 unfortunate companions effected their escape to Chiloe. 



The sufferings of this party, which are so affectingly described 

 in Byron's narrative of the loss of the Wager, made so deep an 

 impression on our minds, that I thought it not irrelevant to the 

 object of this voyage to endeavour to trace their steps. Among 

 the numerous incidents that occurred to them, the passage 

 of the ' Desecho,' or carrying-place over the Isthmus of Ofqui, 

 is, from all the circumstances connected with it, one of the most 

 interesting. It may be remembered, that, upon the departure 

 of Captain Cheap, and his shipwrecked crew, from the place of 

 the wreck (Byron's Narrative, p. 69), they proceeded round the 

 shores of the Gulf of Peiias, with an intention of tracing the 

 Coast of Chiloe. They first attempted to steer for Cape Tres 

 Montes, which headland they had seen, in one of the intervals 

 of fair weather, from the summit of Mount Misery, and which 

 appeared to be twenty or thirty leagues distant. The wind, 



• The Marine Islands were so called, in remembrance of the four 

 marines who were put on shore from the Wager's boats, and left behind. 

 See Byron's Nar., p. 85. 



