336 



LEVEL BAY INDIANS BEAZO ANCHO. Feb. 1830. 



of fish in many of the bights ; with a seine, therefore, an 

 abundant supply might be obtained. 



" The woodland eastward of our anchorage had very recently 

 been on fire, and the conflagration must have been extensive, 

 and very destructive ; for throughout a space of ten or twelve 

 miles along shore, all the trees had been consumed, the dead 

 trunks of the larger ones alone remaining. We left Level Bay 

 on the morning of the 25th, and passed a canoe full of In- 

 dians ; but they pulled to the shore, and ran into the woods; 

 therefore, since they avoided us, and we had a fair wind, I 

 did not seek their acquaintance. We had noticed traces of them 

 in the neighbourhood of the Narrow, on each side of which 

 many wigwams, that had been recently occupied, were seen. 



" For the next ten or twelve miles we went through a fine 

 reach, whose shores were low, and whose channel was interspersed 

 with several islands, affording probably excellent anchorages ; 

 but to the southward the hills became more steep, and, except 

 in the ravines, were destitute of vegetation. At four or five 

 leagues to the E.S.E., beyond the English Narrow, an opening, 

 apparently a channel, presented itself, and the reach in which 

 we were sailing seemed to end. Doubtful which course to fol- 

 low, we anchored the vessel in Rocky Bight, and despatched 

 the boats to examine both passages. That to the E.S.E. 

 was found to run direct nearly ten miles, and to communicate 

 with a fine clear channel, trending to the S.S.W., which proved 

 after wards tobe the Wide Channel (Brazo Ancho) of Sarmiento. 

 At the junction, a considerable arm extended to the N.N.E., 

 apparently a continuation of the Wide Channel. 



" On Mr. Kirke's return from examining the passage in 

 which we were sailing, I learnt that the same width continued 

 about five miles southward of our present anchorage, and that 

 there the shores approached closely, forming the intricate 

 passage called Rowlett Narrow ; which, after a S.E. course of 

 many miles, also joins Wide Channel. The island formed by 

 the two channels was named Saumarez Island, in honour of the 

 gallant admiral. 



"It rained hard and blew strongly the whole day, which 



