to the Strait of Magellan. 4^ 



spot only by supposing them to have been carried thither by 

 tne Si'a-fowi. Leaving the island, we rowed into Port Miserj- 

 cordia, which we found to consist of a bay and two small creeks. 

 The points of the entrance lie ESE. and WNW. two-thirds of a 

 mile asunder, and the port runs in SW. one-third of a mile ; it 

 then contracts, and forms a small harbour Q,^ cables long to the 

 W. and about as broad in the middle, wdiich terminates in an- 

 other, resembling a wet-dock, one cable long, and three-quarters 

 of a cable in its greatest breadth. In the outer bay is good an- 

 chorage towards the west shore, in from nine to eighteen fathoms 

 sand, excepting where sea-weed is seen, which always indicates 

 rock and stone, and generally shallow water. In the inner parts 

 the ground is the same, but the depth of water is 18 fathoms, 

 close to the shore. The port is excellent in its situation, for it 

 is sheltered from all prevailing winds and the heavy sea from 

 the W. : a number of vessels i^iay be acommodated in it, and 

 the holding-ground is good. Being onl}' three miles within 

 Cape Pillar, .it may be of great service to ships driven into the 

 strait by the winds and currents from tlie Pacific, as it furnishes 

 fresh water in abundance, plenty of shell-fish, and fire-wood suf- 

 ficient for a long voyage. The entrance is clean and easy, there 

 being no danger but what is above water ; and tiie bay is easily 

 known by its distance from Cape Pillar, and by the islands be- 

 - fore its west point. By the time we had finished our remarks 

 on the harbour, we were overtaken by ihe night, vvhich we passed 

 on-board, as we found no spot to pitch our tents. It rained the 

 whole night, and in the morning the NW. wind set in, when we 

 ran to the L. to survey the harbour on the east side of Cape 

 Cut-down, or Tuesday, of Captain Carteret. We found it to 

 afford an excellent station in westerly winds, for its points lie 

 KNW. and SSE, and it is enclosed on all sirles by high land. 

 The opening is half a mile wide, and the harbour runs in W. to 

 a narrow pass, two cables over, when it turns WNW. widening 

 and lengthening for one mile and three-quarters. In the outer 

 harbour the north shore affords both shelter and good ground, 

 there, as well as in the middle, consisting of fine sand, and, in 

 parts, gravel : the depth of water from 12 to 22 fathoms. Farther 

 in are several rocky shoals, but they are always known by the 

 sea- weed on them. In the middle of the great inner harbour the 

 ground is generally rocky, and the depth very unequal, from 22 

 to 42 fathoms : it will therefore be most advisable to come-to 

 in the outer harbour, under the north shore, for the wind is apt 

 to change there from WNW. and W. to NxNW. and N. proba- 

 bly from the reflection from the north coast of the strait. The 

 most dangerous wind is that from the E. which is indeed not 



