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of Stone, and roofed with slate ; but afterwards found they were
of wood, from their foundations, to the tops of their roofs.
Except a few cleared spaces, the island is entirely covered with
trees, even on the highest hills. The Captain of the Port
(an Englishman) boarded us as we neared the anchorage, and
was very obliging in his offers. From him I learnt that the
Adventure had not yet arrived, nor even been heard of on the
coast. We anchored under the lee of Barcacura Heights, in a
good berth, and moored ship. I went on shore immediately, and
paid my respects to the Governor, Don José Santiago Aldunate,
a brigadier-general in the Chilian Service, whose kind manner,
and friendly offers of every assistance he could render us, were
very gratifying. From the master of a merchant ship, lately
arrived, I was surprised and concerned to learn, that the Adventure
had not reached Valparaiso before the time of his sailing
thence (20th of June).*
“ B,efitting the Beagle, repairing and building boats, occupied
most of the officers, and all the crew, while Mr. Stokes and
I were engaged in the work of the survey, during our stay in
the Port of San Carlos. Our ship required caulking, which,
in so rainy a climate, was difficult to accomplish. So continually
wet was the weather, that had we not dried our sails, and unbent
them, during three fine days which we had(r) on our
arrival, they would not have been dry during our stay.”
* Th e Adventure arrived on the 2 Is t.—P . P . K.
CrJ P o r milagro (miraculously); as the inhabitants told me.—R. F .
C H A P T E R XV.
Extracts from the Journals of Lieutenants Skyring and Graves—Magdalen
Channel — Keats Sound — Mount Sarmiento — Barrow Head
— Coekburn Channel — Prevalence of south-west winds — Melville
Sound — Ascent of Mount Skyring — Memorial — C oekburn and
B arbara Channels — Mass of Islets and Rocks — Hewett Bay —
Cypress trees useful—Adelaide rejoins Beagle in P o rt Gallant—Captain
King’s narrative resumed — P lan of future proceedings — Adelaide
arrives at Childe—Abstract of Lieutenant Skyring’s account of her
proceedings—Smyth Channel—Mount Burney—‘Ancon sin Salida’—
Natives—Kirke Narrows—Guia N arrows—Peculiar tides—Indians in
plank canoes—Passage to Childe.
T h e extracts from Captain Fitz Roy’s first journal being
ended, I shall now give some passages from the journals of
Lieutenants Skyring and Graves, while employed in the Adelaide,
exploring and surveying the Magdalen and Barbara
Channels.
The reader will remember, that the Adelaide parted company
with the Beagle, at the entrance of the Magdalen Channel, on
the 19th of April; and steered to the southward under the
direction of Lieutenant Skyring.
Lieutenant Graves says :—
“ The east and west shores of the Magdalen Channel run
nearly parallel to each other: but the east side is broken by
a large opening, named Keats Sound, which runs into the land
for eight miles, and appears very like a channel, (s)
“ At the S.W. angle of the Magdalen Channel stands Mount
Sarmiento : the most conspicuous, and the most splendid object
in these regions. Rising abruptly from the sea, to a height of
about 7,000 feet, it terminates in two sharp peaks, which seem
absolutely in the sky : so lofty does the mountain appear, when
you are close to its base.
r s j I do not think th a t there is any opening at the bottom of Keats
Sound; which lies a t the base of a chain of snow-covered mountains, whose
southern side I have closely traced.-—R. F.
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