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sounding in the eoves, but no fit spot was found; therefore
we were forced to stop in an ill-sheltered nook, termed Small
Craft Bight, which just served us (having fair weather) as a
resting-place until morning (5th), when we set out again to
find a better anchorage ; for I still desired to ascertain whether
the opening to the eastward was a sound or a channel. In our
course to the southward we traced both shores in search of a
stopping-place ; but there was neither bight nor cove where it
was possible to anchor, until we arrived at Open Bay, which
lies near the entrance of Wide Channel. Even this was such a
very insecure place, that although I remained the next day, to
examine the neighbouring coast, it was far too exposed an
anchorage for the vessel to continue in while the boats were
away at a distance.
“ Disappointed by not finding a place for the schooner near
the opening I wished to explore, I was yet averse to leaving it
unexamined, having traced every inlet to its extremity for
upwards of two hundred miles along the continent. I wished
to continue so sure a mode of proceeding; and although I felt
certain that this opening terminated like the rest, and Mr.
Kirke held the same opinion, I would gladly have prevented
any doubt by following its course in the boats, could we have
gained a safe anchorage for the vessel. The nearest harbour
that could be found was thirty miles from the opening, and
it would have detained us too long to send the boats such a
distance; so considering that we had yet a great extent of
coast to examine; that my state of health did not permit me
to undertake any very exposed or arduous service; and that
Mr. Kirke was the only person to whom such duty could be
entrusted, I was induced to relinquish our former practice of
exploring every opening to its end.
“ We left Open Bay on the 7th, and soon entered Concepcion
Strait, keeping along the east shore, and sending a boat,
at every opening, to seek a situation for the vessel. In the
afternoon, a tolerably sheltered bay was found, at the south
end of the North Canning Island, open only from S.E. to
S .W .; but those winds being frequent and violent, and the
bay exposed to a long reach of sea from that quarter, it cannot
be accounted a safe harbour ; yet it was very far preferable to
many places in which we had been obliged to anchor.
“ This bay (Portland Bay) is on the north side of an opening
called by Sarmiento ‘ Canal de Tres Cerros,’ and from the
broken state of the interior high land, one is led to im.agine a
channel might be found there. His conclusion, I have no doubt,
was drawn from this appearance, since the view down the opening
is very limited, and, at the distance of three or four miles
within the entrance, is interrupted by several small islands.
Mr. Kirke passed between those islets, and followed an opening
to the S.E., for upwards of eight leagues. On his return, he
reported that he had found a fine channel, of which the principal
entrance was the opening of Sarmiento’s “ Canal San Andres.’
“ On the 12th, in full anticipation of making some interesting
discovery, we sailed into the ‘ Canal San Andres,’
anchoring in the afternoon in Expectation Bay, where we
remained until the ISth. During that time, Mr. Kirke was
employed examining the different openings, and tracing tliis
supposed channel farther. At his return, he said that he had
found a termination to every opening, even to that in which
we then were, which he had previously thought to be a channel.
Like the rest, it extended only to the base of the snowy Cordillera,
and then was suddenly closed by immense glaciers.
“ This information caused great disappointment, as all hope
of passing through the Cordillera, thus far northward, was
now given up ; and I was fearful we should be delayed many
more days before we could extricate ourselves from this (as we
then supposed) false channel. We were many miles within
the entrance; in that distance there were no anchorages, and
the wind being generally from the westward, I anticipated much
labour before we could effect our return ; but the very next
day we were so fortunate as to have a slant of fair wind, by
which we cleared this opening, and a second time entered Concepcion
Strait. Knowing, by our former survey, that there
was no anchorage along the coast to the southward of Cape
San Andres before reaching Guard Bay, I ran over to Madre
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