to the Strait of Magellan, 



33 



the strj^it, we were obliged to take down our masts, for the 

 wind came away right against us from WNW., and put into 

 Langara's Bay, to rest and refresh our boats' company. 



Scarcely had we left that place, when the wind again increased, 

 and the rain, which had not ceased for three hours in all since 

 we began our voyage, poured down in torrents; so that with 

 great difficulty were our rowers able to gain another creek, only 

 a mile to the westward of that we had just left. Next day the 

 weather allowed us to keep sea for only three hours, and at five 

 on the following morning we arrived at Cape Notches, a very 

 remarkable object. It advances a good way into the strait, and 

 is well named ; for the south front is a lofty perpendicular face 

 of smooth rock, having before it a number of detached pinnacles, 

 separated by notches or clefts. From this point we observed 

 Cape Monday, on t|ie south shore of the strait, to bear N. 55^ 

 20' W. Continuing our course for some miles, we passed some 

 inlets, which had formerly been supposed to communicate with 

 the channel of San Geronimo ; a notion which our examination 

 of that branch of the strait proved to be erroneous. In the 

 course of the morning we perceived a fire on the south shore of 

 the strait, the only indication of inhabitants which had been 

 observed since we left our ship : and, indeed, the whole region 

 seemed fit for amphibious animals alone, and not for human 

 beings. At last we arrived in the Bay of Brown Beach (so 

 called by Sarmiento), a beautiful harbour, defended from all 

 w^inds of the SW. and NW. quarters. It is in breadth a mile, 

 and runs in about three miles NNW. The surrounding land is 

 mountainous and well wooded, terminating by gentle slopes at 

 a sandy beach, — a probable indication of good anchor-ground. 

 In front of the west point of the entrance is a remarkable trian- 

 gular island, about one mile and a half in extent, separated from 

 the point by a channel three cables wide. The English charts 

 make no mention of this bay, nor does it seem to have been 

 visited by any former navigators. The breadth of the strait 

 here does not exceed two leagues : both coasts consist of lofty 

 precipitous mountains, less elevated indeed than those inclosing 

 Port St. Joseph, but still completely covered with snow, even 

 in the midst of the summer of that quarter of the globe. Upon 

 tfie whole, so dismal is the general appearance of that portion 

 of the strait, that it seems to be the result of some sudden, 

 powerful, and violent concussion of nature, and not of the gra- 

 dual operation of natural causes for ages together. Towards 

 noon we put into a small cove, half a mile to the westward 

 of the bay just described, where we refreshed ourselves, after 

 a hard morning's work. The air wa^ clear, the wind light 

 from NE., but the heat of the atmosphere was not only unac- 



Voyages and Travels, No, 5, Vol, II- f 



