March 1830. san andkes of sakmtento. 



339 



bay exposed to a long reach of sea from that quarter, it cannot 

 be accounted a safe harbour ; yet it was very far preferable to 

 many places in which we had been obliged to anchor. 



" This bay (Portland Bay) is on the north side of an open- 

 ing called by Sarmiento ' Canal de Tres Cerros,' and from the 

 broken state of the interior high land, one is led to imagine a 

 channel might be found there. His conclusion, I have no doubt, 

 was drawn from this appearance, since the view down the open- 

 ing is very limited, and, at the distance of three or four miles 

 within the entrance, is interrupted by several small islands. 

 Mr. Kirke passed between those islets, and followed an opening 

 to the S.E., for upwards of eight leagues. On his return, he 

 reported that he had found a fine channel, of which the principal 

 entrance was the opening of Sarmiento's ' Canal San Andres.' 



" On the 12th, in full anticipation of making some inte- 

 resting discovery, we sailed into the 'Canal San Andres," 

 anchoring in the afternoon in Expectation Bay, where we 

 remained until the 15th. During that time, Mr. Kirke was 

 employed examining the different openings, and tracing this 

 supposed channel farther. At his return, he said that he had 

 found a termination to every opening, even to that in which 

 we then were, which he had previously thought to be a channel. 

 Like the rest, it extended only to the base of the snowy Cor- 

 dillera, and then was suddenly closed by immense glaciers. 



" This information caused great disappointment, as all hope 

 of passing through the Cordillera, thus far northward, was 

 now given up ; and I was fearful we should be delayed m.any 

 more days before we could extricate ourselves from this (as we 

 then supposed) false channel. We were many miles within 

 the entrance ; in that distance there were no anchorages, and 

 the wind being generally from the westward, I anticipated much 

 labour before we could effect our return ; but the very next 

 day we were so fortunate as to have a slant of fair wind, by 

 which we cleared this opening, and a second time entered Con- 

 cepcion Strait. Knowing, by our former survey, that there 

 was no anchorage along the coast to the southward of Cape 

 San Andres before reaching Guard Bay, I ran over to Madre 



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