356 
CRUISE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
western side, in Isthmus Bay, finding it an excellent 
and well-sheltered port. 
ISTHMUS BAY TO PORT CHURRUCA. 
Jan . 11 th . — Weighing early this morning, we 
sighted the high mountain of King William IY. 
Land, and passed through Mayne Channel, which led 
us into Smyth’s Channel. It rained heavily and fre- 
quently throughout the day, but in intervals of clear 
weather it was a fine sight to contemplate the mag- 
nificent scenery on the Patagonian and Fuegian shores, 
the mountains towering up steeply from the water’s 
edge, with their summits in most instances covered 
with snow. Keeping along the Patagonian side, we 
passed some striking cliffs, with deep chasms and 
gorges, down which cascades ran from their snowy 
heights. We had now reached the east coast of 
Queen Adelaide’s Land. On passing, a splendid view 
was had of rugged grey mountains and snowy peaks,* 
with glaciers of many miles in length. At noon we 
stopped off Sholl Bay, the south point of Queen 
Adelaide’s Archipelago ; here we trawled, obtaining 
several interesting specimens. We had now really 
entered the Straits of Magellan, and some few miles 
in the distance could be seen Cape Pillar, its western 
entrance. We ‘steamed across, passing Beaufort 
Bay and Tamar Island, and at 2.45 p.m. we entered 
by a narrow passage a very remarkable port — Chur- 
ruca, surrounded on all sides by high and rugged hills, 
