May 1830. channels — unbroken chain. 



443 



just now, about three thousand. At a distance, the channel 

 appeared to trend to the southward of west, and there the sides 

 of the mountains seemed to be very bare, and weather-beaten, 

 while near nie they were covered with wood. This led me to 

 conclude that farther westward they were open to the sea 

 winds, and that there the channel ended. By the observations, I 

 found that we were* nearly in the longitude of Christmas 

 Sound, and in latitude 54° 54' S., being therefore twenty miles 

 south of the end of Admiralty Sound, but considerably to the 

 westward of it. This position, and the bearings and estimated 

 distances, showed me that the other arm of this long; channel 

 opened near the spot where Mr. Murray laid down (near the 

 head of Christmas Sound) a ' channel, running to the east- 

 ward, beyond eyesight ; ' and that the branch in which I was 

 must lead towards the bay or sound to the N.W. of Christmas 

 Sound, at the base of very high land, which Mr. Murray laid 

 down as ' an unbroken range of snow-covered mountains.'' The 

 time of high water in this channel exactly corresponded with 

 that on the adjacent sea-coast, but did not nearly agree wit 

 that of the Strait of Magalhaens. These facts, and the appear- 

 ance of the land, removed every doubt in my mind of the 

 existence of an unbroken chain of mountains, reaching from the 

 Barbara Channel to the Bell Mountain, and I therefore decided 

 to spend no further time in searching thereabouts for a passage 

 northward, but make all haste to examine the exterior shores. 



" The channel here was about a mile wide, but the moun- 

 tains on each side rising so abruptly, made it appear much 

 narrower. It might be a good passage for a ship to sail 

 through, from the westward, were it not for the trouble and 

 anxiety of getting in with the land at the right place ; and 

 that a ship might sail on her course, in the open sea, by 

 night as well as by day ; but here she could hardly choose to 

 run at night, because there are a few low islets, near mid- 

 channel, in some parts. For a boat, in case of shipwreck, or 

 other urgent reason, it might be convenient : but going through 

 to the westward would be very difficult, because it would be 

 * In longitude 69.20. W. 



