' i j -
CH APTER X.
Account of the Beagle’s cruize—Borja Bay—Cape Quod—Stuart Bay
—Cape Notch—Remarks on weather, and errors of Chart—Evangelists—
Santa Lucia—Madre de Dios—Gulf of Trinidad—P o rt Henry
— Puma’s tr a c k— H um m in g -b ird s -V e ry bad weather—Campana
Island — D angers — Gale — AVet — Sick — Santa Barbara —AVager’s
beam—AA'igwams—Guaianeco Islands—Cape Tres M ontes—St. Paul’s
■—P o rt Otway—Hoppner Sound—Cape Raper.
T h e following account of the Beagle’s cruize is drawn up
from Captain Stokes’s unfinished journal, and from detached
memoranda, which were found amongst his papers.
It will be recollected that, on my departure from Port
Famine, in the Adelaide, in the month of March, to survey
portions of the southern side of the Strait, I left instructions
with Captain Stokes to proceed in the execution of his orders
as soon as the Beagle was ready. The details of those orders
it is unnecessary to repeat here, as they were performed to my
entire satisfaction; it will be merely requisite, as briefly as
possible, to follow him through a most arduous and distressing
service. It is the sequel that embitters the record.
“ On the 18th of March, I sailed from Port Famine, and
next day reached Port Gallant.
“ On the 23d, we anchored in the little cove called Borja
Bay, which, though very confined, and rather difficult of
access, suited our purpose extremely well. (See Sailing Directions).
While there we measured the height of one of the principal
hilis in the neighbourhood, and found it 1,800 feet.
“ Bad weather detained us untd the 26th, when we passed
Cape Quod, and reached Stuart Bay. Many places were left
unexamined, because my object was to hasten westward before
the year was farther advanced.
“ (27th.) We left Stuart Bay, and continued our progress
to the westward, with westerly winds, thick weather, and rain.
The shores of the Straits were seldom visible to us, from a
thick mist with which they were clouded : it is, however, a
bold coast on each side, otherwise the Strait would be utterly
unnavigable in such weather. Near Cape Notch the mountains
spire up into peaks of great height, singularly serrated, and
connected by barren ridges. About their bases there are generally
some green patches of jungle; but, upon the whole,
nothing can be more sterile and repulsive' than the view. This
afternoon we passed Playa Parda, and in the evening anchored
in Marian Cove.
“ In the course of the next day the wind freshened to a
strong and squally gale from the W.N.W., with much rain ;
the weather was so thick that we could scarcely make out the
coast. In this kind of weather, the lower parts of the shore
are screened from view by mist, and the upper ones are seen
looming through it in lofty masses, in a manner which would
lead a stranger to believe that the ship was completely environed
with islands.
“ In the evening we anchored in the little cove called Half
Port Bay, and next morning resumed our daily struggle against
wind, tide, and weather.
“ We crossed the mouth of a deep sound on the north shore, *
where no tide or current was remarked : the delineation of the
coast about this point is particularly defective in the old charts;
fortunately, however, for the navigator, he has here to deal
with shores where the omission of a whole island, or even the
addition of a few that do not exist, is of less consequence to
his safety than the exact limit of one sand-bank in other parts
of the world. This night we anchored in Upright Bay, which,
though affording excellent shelter from the prevailing winds, is
bad with a southerly one; as, from the steepness of the bottom
requiring a vessel to anchor close to the shore, sufficient scope
is not left for veering cable.
“ Sheltered by the high land under which we were anchored,
• Afterwards examined by Capt. F itz Roy. I t was called Xaultegua
by Sarmiento, who very correctly describes it.—(Sarmiento’s Voyage,
p. 208.)