to the Strait of Magellan, ^1 



outer bay, considering the state of our anchors and cables, we 

 resolved to enter the inner harbour, called Port Galan or S. Jo- 

 seph, which promised entire protection, being completely- 

 land-locked on all sides, with ocellent bottom and convenient 

 depth of water, from four to five fathoms mud. That of the 

 bay is in general coral, with some spots of sand, of very small 

 extent, as we discov^ered after minute investigation ; conse- 

 quently, very improper for cables such as ours, which had already 

 been so severely treated. 



The weather continued cloudy and foul all the remainder of 

 this month, (February,) the sun being visible only for some short 

 moments, and the wind constantly from WSW. to WNW. 

 but not always equally strong. 



From our entering the inner harbour until the 12th, the boat 

 was employed in examining the neighbouring shores of the con- 

 tinent, in order to carry on our chart of the strait, when we 

 had an opportunity of surveying to our satisfaction the Port 

 of St. Miguel and Bay of Gaston. 



From the earliest discovery of the Strait of Magellan, it has 

 always been an object of research, to find out some communi- 

 cation with the South or Pacific Ocean ; which, being free 

 from such dangers and difficulties as those which abound in the 

 western part of the strait, might still permit navigators to enjoy 

 the benefit of the ports and refreshments furnished by its eastern 

 part. M. Froger, upon the informations of M. Marcand, and 

 since him, M. de Bougainville, have much recommended such 

 a channel of communication ; stating with great earnestness the 

 information they had collected, which might be assisting in the 

 enquiry. That we might co-operate in this business, we 

 ascended a high mountain in the neighbourhood of Port S, Jo- 

 seph, from whence we could discern a number of channels in- 

 tersecting the Tierra del Fuego j and, being provided with all 

 the notices handed down in the accounts of former travellers, 

 we set out with the boat on this voyage of discovery, leaving 

 directions with the officers, who remained behind, to take 

 charge of the frigate : that if the wind should become favour- 

 able, they should leave Port S. Joseph, and remove to Fort 

 Candelaria or Tuesday Bay. Our want of arschors and cables 

 w^as a very sufficient reason for not exposing that vessel, in such 

 intricate and unknown passages as those we were about to exa- 

 mine ; where either the opposition or the want of wind, joined 

 to great depth of water, and multitudes of dangerous eddies, 

 might bring her into such difficulties as we might never be able 

 to overcome. 



. We set off, then, in the boat on the 13th February, and coast- 

 ing along part of Tierra del Fuego, opposite to Port S. Joieph, 



E 2 



