between twenty-eight and thirty-tliree fathoms, sandy bottom.
The weather was clear and fine, and we were enabled to make
observations, and take the hearings and angles, necessai’y for
laying down the coast satisfactorily.
“ At noon we were in latitude 50° 12' south, and in the
meridian of Cape Tres Puntas, between which and a_ cape
bearing from us N. 13° E. (magnetic), distant eight miles,
there was evidently an inlet: this cape is marked on the chart
as Cape William. The character of the land is the same with
that which we had hitherto passed, bai'e, rugged, rocky mountains,
with peaks, and sharply serrated ridges. From daylight
to noon we had run twenty-one miles along tlie coast; in that
interval only one inlet was seen, which was in the latitude of
50° 27' south, agreeing well with the ‘ West Channel’ of the
Spanish chart. It was four miles wide at its mouth, and
appeared to follow a winding course to the eastward. The land
of Cape Tres Puntas curved in to the eastward, until it closed
with Cape William ; at dusk we were abreast of Cape William,
and two leagues off shore, where we lay-to till daylight, as I
wished to examine the inlet between it and Cape Tres Puntas,
which subsequently proved to be Sarmiento’s Gulf of Trinidad.
The old navigator thus describes its discovery :
“ ‘ At daylight, 17th of March, 1579, in the name of the
most holy Trinity, we saw land, bearing E.S.E., ten leagues
distant, towards which we steered to explore it. At mid-day,
being near the land, we observed the latitude 49)°, but Hernando
Alonzo made it 49° 9'. In approaching the shore we saw
a great bay and gulf, which trended deeply into the land
towards some snowy mountains. To the south there was a high
mountain, with three peaks, wherefore Pedro Sarmiento named
the hay ‘ Golfo de la Sanctisima Trenidad.’ The highest land
of the three peaks was named ‘ Cabo de Tres Puntas 6 montes.’
This island is bare of vegetation, and at the water-side is low
and rugged, and lined with breakers ; on the summit are many
white, grey, and black-coloured portions of ground, or rock.
Six leagues to the north of Cape Tres Puntas is the opposite
side of the gulf, where it forms a large high mountain, backed
to the north by low land, and fronted by many islands. This
liigh mountain, which appears to be an island from the offing,
was called ‘ Cabo Primero.’ ’*
“ The following night was clear, and the wind moderate
from S.E., but in the course of next morning it shifted to N.E.,
with squalls, rain, and thick weather ; we worked into the inlet
notwithstanding, and by noon had reached three miles within
its S.W. head-land, Cape William, and were abreast of a bay,
into which I sent a boat to look for anchorage. On her return
we stood into it, and anchored in the excellent harbour, afterwards
named Port Henry, where we remained from the 2d to
the 5th of April, employed in making a correct survey of the
harbour and its adjacencies, and determining the latitude and
longitude.")-
“ The inner harbour, distinguished in the plan by the name
of ‘ Aid Basin,’ is perfectly land-locked, and sufficiently spacious
to contain a numerous squadron of the largest ships in
twenty fathoms water, over a mud bottom, and as completely
sheltered from the effects of wind and sea as in wet-docks. At
the south-west side of the basin is a fresh-water lake, whicli discharges
itself by a small stream, whence casks might be conveniently
filled by means of canvas hoses, and the shores
around have wood for fuel in abundance; but, from the lofty
surrounding mountains, some rising almost perpendicularly to
an elevation of two thousand feet, the thick clouds with which
this basin was generally overhung, and the dense exhalations
that arose from it during the rare intervals of sunshine, together
with the exceeding prevalence of heavy rain on this coast, this
place must be disagreeable and unhealthy. Such objections do
not apply to the outer harbour, for while its shores afford
shelter, they do not obstruct a free circulation of air. It is
sufficiently large to afford convenient and secure anchorage for
five or six frigates.
“We hauled the seine with very poor success, as a few smelt
only were taken ; we had no better luck with our fishing-lines;
• (Sarmiento, p. 65.)
t Th e description of Port Henry is given in our Sailing Directions.