Aik tmr in Orttigg Jlnrltour, 



Hi- was told that he could not be received an 

 board, nml m boat landed liim again. 



i in iht; 3rd of February we gut under way, ani] 

 w< re clad to have an exposed and unpleasant 

 anchorage. 



On the 4i h ami 5th we experienced a heavy set 

 from the southward, with much wind. 



On the Oth the weather began to Dioflotito, and 

 ill** wind i<i haul to the westward. Shortly after- 

 wards we had strong winds accompanied with rain, 



<in the Bill wv had a Hiidden fall of the baro- 

 meter t<i 2!Ki(M in., hut without nny change in ihe 

 weather except fog and mint. Uu the 1 Ith the 

 wind hauled to the south- went, when the barometer 

 began to rise, and the weather to clear off. On 

 the 1 2th the barometer again felt, and in a few 

 hours we had heavy squalls*, with hail mid rain, 

 the weather becoming sensibly collier. The next 

 morning we made Staten Land, and Soon after- 

 wards Capo St. Hicgo, Terra del Kuego, Tie- land 

 was broken, high, and desolate. The Straits of [*e 

 Maire were before us : we were just in time to 

 take the tide, and with a fair wind we sailed 

 rapidly through the strait, passing its whirls and 

 eddies, now quite smooth, but in a short time to 

 become vexed and fretted by the returning tide. 

 The squadron glided along with all its canvas 

 spread to the breeze, scarcely making a ripple 

 under the bows. The day was a remarkably fine 

 one for this climate, and the sight beautiful, 

 notwithstanding the desolate appearance of the 

 shores. 



I cannot see why there should he any objection 

 to the pnssago through the Straits of Le Maire, as 

 it gives a vessel a much better chance of making 

 the passage round the Cape quickly. No danger 

 exists here that I know of. A vessel with the tide 

 will paw* through in a few hour*. As J'..r the " nice 

 and dangerous sea," I have fully experienced it iu 

 the Porpoise on the siilc of Stateii Land; and am 

 v*i ll satisfied that any vessel may pass safety 

 through it, at all times and in alt weathers, or if 

 not so disposed, may wait a few hours until I he 

 sea subsides and the tide changes. We were only 

 three hours in passing through. We entered the 

 Srrait.- with studding-sails set, and left them under 

 close-reefed topsails. 



The coast of Terra del Fnego presents the same 

 general character throughout, of high, broken, ami 

 nigged laud, which appears of a uniform elevation 

 of about one thousand or fifteen hundred feet, with 

 here and there a peak or mountain covered with 

 snow, rising to some four or five thousand feet. 

 The whole wears a sombre anil desolate aspect. 

 It may be said to be iron-bound, with many high 

 and isolated rocks, that have become detached 

 from the land apparently by the wear of ages. 

 Numerous unexpected indentations occur all along 

 the coast, many of them funning harbours for 

 small vessels, and stum- of them very safe ones. 



On Captain King's report of Orange Harbour, I 

 hail determined to make that our place of rendez- 

 vous previous to our first antarctic trip, and ac- 

 cordingly all the vessels were ordered to proceed 

 thither. We had his directions, although w. »nv 

 without the chart. I fell confident 1 micht re- 

 pose full reliance in them, from his well-known 

 ability ; and I now offer an acknowledgment of 

 their value' and general accuracy. 



The channels formed by the islands are deep, 



with no anchorage except in the coves near the 

 rocks; but a vessel is generally safe iu passing 

 through, as there are no dangers but (hose which 

 "how themselves, and wherever fork* . ki dp 

 will be found growing upon them. To pass through 

 the kelp without previous examination is not safe, 

 it borders all the shores of the hays and harbours, 

 and effectually points out the shoal water. 



It was my intention to pass within or to the 

 north of the Hermit Islands into Nassau Hay, but 

 the wind did not permit our doing bo. This bay 

 forms a large indenture in the southern cinisi of 

 Term del Fuego, a few miles to the northward of 

 Cape Horn; it is about thirty mites cast and west, 

 by eight miles north am] south, and is somewhat 

 protected from the heavy seas by the Hermit 

 Islands. Around the bay are found some har- 

 bours sheltered by small islands, and surrounded 

 by precipitous rocky shores, with occasionally a 

 small ravine forming a cove, into which streams of 

 pure water discharge ihomselves, affording a safe 

 and convenient landing-place for bears. 



In passing the Cape, Ihe weather was detighlful. 

 We sailed w ithin two miles of this dreaded promon- 

 tory, and could not but admire its worn and wea- 

 ther-beaten Bides, that have so long been invested 

 wild all the terrors that can beset sailors. Here 

 we first encountered the lung swell of the Pacific, 

 but there was scarcely a ripple on its Burfacc. 

 Although the landscape was covered with snow, 

 the low. st temperature we hail yet experienced 

 was 40" Fahrenheit. 



The Porpoise, just before night, made signal 

 thnt she wished to speak us, and sent on board a 

 tub filled with a large medusa, for examination by 

 the naturalists. Its dimensions were nine feet in 

 circumference; the brachiie seven feet long. It 

 proved to be the acaloplia medusa pelagia of 

 Cuvier. 



We continued beating into the passage between 

 the Hennit Islands ond False Cnpe Horn, and 

 found great difficulty in passing Point Lort, from 

 the very strong outward set of the tide, which we 

 found to nm with a velority of five miles an hour. 

 We were not able to make way against it, though 

 the log gave that rate of sailing. After beating 

 about in this channel a long ami dark night, with 

 all hands up, we made sail a! daylight, and on the 

 17th of Febmary, IH3JJ, at half-past C a.m. an- 

 chored in Orange Harbour, Hero we fuuud the 

 Relief and tenders, all well. 



The Relief had on opportunity nf proving the 

 positions and sailing directions of Captain King,ILN., 

 and it alfords me great pleasure to say that all bis 

 observations tend to show the accuracy of the posi- 

 tions, and the care with which that officer has 

 compiled his sailing directions. 



No navigator frequenting this coast or passing 

 round Cape Horn should be without the sailing 

 directions for Fast and West Patng. nia,nnd howill 

 prize them as highly valuable after he has once 

 used them. The admirable surveys and exertions 

 of this officer and those under him on this coast 

 entitle htm to the rewards of his country, as Well 

 as the thanks of the civilized world. 



The day Ihe crew of the Relief landed, no natives 

 were seen, but many marts of a recent visit were 

 evident on the beach and in tte> deserted buts. 

 On the morning of the 22ml, at daylight, the natis es 

 appeared on the Iwach, shouting "to them to bind. 



