452 



EXAMINE S T R A I T S au AL L S. 



May 1830. 



from the best guanaco country. I was not sure which was the 

 height Mr. Banks ascended ; but the broad road mentioned 

 by Cook is still a good mark for the bay, if the inbend of the 

 land does not show it sufficiently. The weather here was colder 

 than we had yet found it, the wind being so much in the south 

 quarter ; there were very sharp frosts at night, and snow lay 

 deep, even close to the sea water-mark. 



" May 30th. I was in hopes of finding a harbour between 

 Cape San Diego and Cape San Vicente, or a little farther along 

 the coast, where we might be able to fix the position of Cape San 

 Diego and the adjacent land ; for I did not like sending a boat 

 along this coast, the tides being so very strong, and the shore so 

 rocky, without any inlets, where she could be secured at night. 

 (During Mr. Murray's last trip, he was extremely fortunate in 

 having a fine interval ; as the coast he passed would have 

 been impracticable for a boat in blowing weather. Had these 

 last strong southerly gales begun before he came back, his 

 situation would have been extremely criticaL) We therefore 

 stood into the strait, the wind being variable and light with 

 us, though blowing strongly over the tops of the hills, and 

 striking the water nearest them in strong squalls. At half a 

 mile from the land there was little wind; but from that dis- 

 tance to the shore was torn up by williwaws. This strange 

 appearance must have been caused by the cold air rushing 

 from the snow-covered hills and displacing the warmer air near 

 the surface of the water. 



" With the ebb tide and what flaws of wind we could catch 

 we stood to the southward, to get some angles and bearings, 

 and see more of the shore between Cape Good Success and the 

 bay. In the afternoon we had a steady v/iiid from N.N.W. ; 

 and having done what was necessary, to the southward, re- 

 turned, and anchored after dark near the middle of the bay. 



May 31st. At daylight this morning, we weighed and 

 made sail with a fresh northerly breeze. I trusted to the wea- 

 ther improving, as the glasses were rising ; but, indeed, our 

 time was becoming too short to allow of a choice of days. We 

 worked to the northward with the flood-tide, taking the required 



