S8 Cordovans Voyage of Discovery 



out seeming to expect any thing in return. The construction 

 of their canoes displays a superiority over the workmanship of 

 the natives of the eastern parts of the strait. They are not 

 made of frail bark, and badly put together, like the others, but 

 of planks joined together by a strong cord half an inch thick, 

 and the seams covered with a compound of leaves of some 

 plant and a very adhesive clay, which prevents the entrance 

 of the water. Each side of the canoe consists of two planks, 

 cut away so as to diminish regularly at stem and stern. The 

 bottom is a strong plank, broad in the middle, but sloped off 

 to each end, and joined to the side planks in the same way 

 as themselves. The sides are kept asunder by thwarts for 

 rowing. These canoes are not well adapted for swiftness, but 

 they are strong and steady, and not apt to sink by the ad- 

 mission of the water. The natives row as we do in Europe, 

 and their oars are of a proper size ; showing the natives to know 

 the advantage of a long oar over the short paddles of the other 

 Indians. They however employ a paddle to steer with, par- 

 ticularly when the sea is rough. All these improvements in 

 their canoes show with what skill men, in all situations, adapt 

 their contrivances to their needs; for, in the heavy seas and 

 gales of the western parts of the Strait of Magellan, the feeble 

 barks of the eastern and narrow parts would be wholly useless. 



Having proceeded with one of our boats to survey the neigh- 

 bourhood of our station, we discovered, in the bottom of the 

 bay, the entrance of a harbour, nearly two cables in width. 

 We sounded over it, but found the ground, in general, rock, 

 •with a little loose mud, and the depth to vary from 41 to 17 

 fathoms. On each side of the harbour the mountams spring 

 up very high and steep from the water's edge, near which are 

 a few stunted shrubs: its greatest extent is about half a mile. 

 The entrance lies S. 42° 30' W. from Cape Providence. 

 Within the harbour is abundance of fresh water, from the 

 melting snows on the mountains, and a little fire-wood may be 

 procured: but we would not advise any vessel to enter it, on 

 account of the bad nature of the ground . We nevertheless made 

 a plan of the harbour, which the commander named, after one 

 of our officers. Port Uriarte. In the evening, the wind abated, 

 and, proceeding to a low spot on theE. of Point Echenique, we 

 then took the bearing of several objects, in particular of Cape 

 Tamar, on the north coast, distant four leagues. That cape is 

 a broad promontory of lofty rocks, advancing into the strait 

 farther thfin Cape Providence, and having on the summit two 

 slender peaks. The width of the strait, right across from Gape 

 Providence, is 3| leagues : the north coast forms several spa- 

 cious bays ; but the south coast is a continued succession of 



