to the Strait of Magdlan, 



41 



having the appearance of a hill sloping down to the north, and 

 as if detached from the land by some violent concussion ; 

 aronnd it are seen enormous masses, of the same nature, 

 probably separated by the same cause. A distinguishing fea- 

 ture of this head-land, is a large black spot on the north face, 

 which appears, when nearer, to be a vast deep cavern, within 

 which the sea breaks with tremendous noise. On the west of 

 this cavern are others on the level of the sea, but smaller; on 

 which account, we called the head Cape Caves. It is situated 

 S. by W. from the island on the north side of the strait, called, 

 from its general appearance, Westminster Hall, and 30f miles 

 westward from Cape Upright : Cape Tamar bears N. 86° 30' E, 

 About one league N. 43° 20' W. from Cape Caves, is another, 

 much more projecting; but of that cape, and the intermediate 

 bays or harbours, we shall speak more fully afterwards : for 

 we had, at this time, a singular combination of circumstances 

 favourable to our pushing on to the end of our voyage. The 

 air was perfectly calm, the heavens bright, and the water 

 smooth ; such at least it might be called : for, although the 

 great swell from the Pacific still rolled into the strait, it gave us 

 no extraordinary trouble. So favourable a state of the weather 

 is not, perhaps, to be found in that region in the course of many 

 months ; we hastened therefore to avail ourselves of it, to ter- 

 minate our series of triangles for laying down our chart of the 

 strait, and, if possible, to take a meridian altitude of the sun at 

 Cape Pillar. The cape already mentioned, one league to the 

 NW. of Cape Caves, is noticeable by its elevation and pro- 

 jection, and by its north face, which appears as if cut down 

 perpendicularly with an instrument: from this circumstance we 

 called it Cape Cut-down. About \ \ league westward from that 

 cape, is the bay or harbour of Misericordia, (Mercj^,) so called 

 by Sarmiento, being the first place he entered after he came 

 into the strait from the ocean : but more of this harbour 

 afterwards. 



On the west side of Cape Tamar the strait suddenly widens 

 considerably, by the falling-off of the north coast, which dis- 

 appears from the eye on the water. That cape forms the east 

 side of a spacious mouth of a channel, running NE. into the 

 continent; and, on the west side of that mouth, the strait is 

 somewhat more than five leagues in breadth, which gradually 

 increases, until, opposite to Cape Pillar, it is upwards of six 

 leagues. All along the north coast appear a succession of 

 openings, or channels ; but, in the interior of these openings, 

 w^e thought we could perceive land. In that case, tlie spaces 

 which seemed to divide the openings are probably islands, 



Voyages izy^fZ Travels, A'o. 5, Voi. II, c 



