Feb, 1830. 



HALT BAY- 



ENGLISH NARROW. 



335 



in these regions, the wind, if there is any, is almost always 

 southerly, and light. 



" At every anchorage we had found Indian wigwams, but 

 as yet had not met with any natives. Here we took a great 

 number of fish ; and, among them, one like the ling, found on 

 the east coast of Patagonia, off Cape Fairweather, but of 

 smaller size, for the largest did not weigh more than two pounds. 

 Very few water-fowl were seen ; steamers and shags were the 

 only ones shot; but in the woods we noticed king-fishers, wood- 

 peckers, barking-birds, parroquets, and humming-birds. 



" (21st.) With a light northerly wind we left this cove, 

 and about ten miles to the southward the appearance of the 

 channel changed greatly. Instead of sailing through uncon- 

 nected land, of moderate height, we were confined between two 

 mountainous ridges.* At noon we were obliged to anchor in 

 Halt Bay, no opening appearing to the right or left, and being 

 apparently embayed. On the west side, the high land was 

 skirted by several low islands, among which our only way 

 of proceeding seemed to lie. This day and the next Mr,. 

 Kirke was away, seeking a passage ; and having found one, 

 and noticed the tides, we sailed through on the 23d, and gave 

 it the name of the English Narrow. It is long and intri- 

 cate, chiefly formed by islands ; and in three places, where the 

 shores approach each other, the distance across is less than four 

 hundred yards, yet with a fair wind and slack tide, there is no 

 hazard in passing. In the afternoon, we moored in ten or 

 twelve fathoms in Level Bay, a spacious anchorage near the 

 southern entrance of the Narrow ; the bottom mud and sand, 

 and the depth of water equal throughout. Mr. Kirke, who 

 was among the islands opposite this bay, saw numerous shoals 



* On the west shore Mr. Kirke noticed what appeared to be a channel, 

 about twelve miles N.W. of Halt Bay, in the mouth of which was a con- 

 siderable tide-ripple ; an almost certain indication of such an opening-. 

 " I thought the inlet about twelve miles north-west of Halt Bay much 

 like a channel. I also noticed a distinct tide ripple, which I did not 

 remark near any other opening-. To me this appeared the southernmost 

 inlet, of any depth ; or at all likely to be a channel."— Kirke MS. 



