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662 CO P IE S OP O RO E E S .
w h ich , a n d in th e chan n e ls m o re to th e so u thw a rd , y o u w ill e x p lo re
a ll o p en in g s le a d in g in to th e in te rio r, an d , i f possible, n o t lose s ig h t
o f th e m a in -la n d u n til y o u re a ch th e S tr a it o f M a g e lla n ; b y d o in g
w h ic h it is e x p ec te d , from th e re su lts o f y o u r la s t su rv e y , th a t y o u
w ill pass th ro u g h th e S k y r in g a n d O tw a y W aters, a n d e n te r th e
S tr a it b y th e Je rom e Ch an n e l. T h e above b e in g th e p rin c ip a l
o b je c t o f y o u r o p e ra tio n s, y o u will ta k e e v e ry o p p o rtu n ity o f
e x am in in g a ll o th e r in te re s tin g p a rts o f th e c o a jt, in th e v ic in ity o f
y o u r an ch o rag e s, am o n g w h ic h th e fo llowing seem to b e o f m ost
in te re s t :—
T h e G ua iane co Islan d s, a n d th e p ro b a b le p la c e o f th e W a g e r’s
w re c k , w h ich w o u ld seem to b e to th e so u thw a rd of, a n d n o t fa r
from th e D u n d e e R o c k o f y o u r fo rm e r su rv e y .
I f tim e afforded, i t w o u ld b e in te re s tin g to la y d ow n th e shores
o f C o ncepc ion S tr a it ; also to exam ine th e d e ep o p en in g on th e
w e st sid e o f S t. E s te v a n C h an n e l, in th e la titu d e o f 51° 8'.
Lord N e lson S tr a it is also o f m u c h in te re s t, a n d a n y extension
o f o u r k n ow le d g e o f th e la n d th a t b o u n d s th e w e ste rn side o f
Sm y th C hannel.
B u t in th e se y o u w ill b e g u id e d b y y o u r ow n d iscretio n , k e e p in
g in m in d th e p rin c ip a l o b je c t o f th e p re s e n t su rv ey , th a t o f
tra c in g th e shores o f th e m a in -lan d .
T h e A d v e n tu re w ill b e a t P o r t F am in e h y th e 1st o f A p ril, i f
n o th in g o c cu rs to p re v e n t i t ; a n d a t R io de J a n e iro b y th e 1st o f
J u n e , w h e re y ou w ill re jo in m e ; b u t y o u a re a t lib e rty to call a t
M o n te V id eo , on y o u r w a y , fo r a n y su p p lie s w h ic h y o u m a y
re q u ire .
(S ig n ed ) P h i l l i p P . K in g .
7 th D ec. 1829. San Carlos d e Chilóe.
T o L ie u te n a n t W . G. S k y rin g ,
c ommanding H .M . schooner Adelaide,
T e n d e r to H .M .S , A d v e n tu re .
563
S om e O b se rv a tio n s r e la tin g to th e S o u th e rn E x tr em ity o f S o u th
Am e ric a , T ie rra d e l F u e g o , a n d th e S tr a it o f B lag alh a en s ;
mad e d u r in g th e S u rv ey o f th o se C oasts in h is M aje s ty ’s ships
A d v e n tu r e a n d B eagle , b e tw e e n th e y e a rs 1826 a n d 1830. B y
C ap ta in P h illip P a r k e r K in g , F .R .S ., C om m a n d e r o f th e E x p
e d itio n .
[ T h e o r i g i n a l p a p e r , f r o m w h i c h t h e f o l l o w i n g o b s e r v a t i o n s h a v e b e e n
e x t r a c t e d , w a s r e a d b e f o r e t h e G e o g r a p h i c a l S o c i e t y o f L o n d o n o n
t h e 2 5 t h o f A p r i l a n d 9t h o f M a y 1831 ; a n d w a s p r i n t e d i n t h e J o u r n a l
o f t h a t S o c i e t y f o r t h e s a m e y e a r .
I t i s h e r e r e p r i n t e d , w i t h a f e w o m i s s i o n s a n d v e r y s l i g h t a l t e r a t i o n s ,
i n o r d e r t h a t t h i s v o l u m e m a y c o n t a i n a l l t h a t t h e A u t h o r h a s y e t
p u b l i s h e d r e s p e c t i n g S o u t h A m e r i c a ; e x c e p t i n g p a r t i c u l a r S a i l i n g
D i r e c t i o n s . ]
C o n s i d e r i n g th e v a st e x te n t o f th e sea -coa st o f th e so u th e rn
e x trem ity o f A m e ric a , i t is n o t a little su rp ris in g th a t it s h o u ld
h a v e b e en so fre q u e n tly p a ss e d b y , d u r in g th e la s t c en tu ry , w ith o u t
h a v in g b e e n m o re e x p lo re d . W ith in th e la s t tw e n ty y e a rs, h ow ev
er, i t h a s b e en v e ry m u c h re so rte d to b y E n g lish a n d A m e ric an
vessels in th e seal tra d e , a n d to th e o b s e rv in g p o rtio n o f th e ir
e n te rp ris in g c rew s m a n y o f its in trica c ie s a re well k n o w n ; b u t as
th e k n ow le d g e th e y h a v e d e riv e d from th e ir e x p e rien c e h a s o n ly
in one in s tan c e , th a t o f M r. W ed d e ll’s v o y a g e, b e e n p u b lis h e d to
th e w o rld , o u r c h a rts c an n o t b e said to h a v e b e en m u ch im p ro v ed
fo r th e la s t fifty ye ars.
T h e e a s te rn coast o f P a ta g o n ia , b y w h ich n am e th e c o u n try
b e tw e e n th e R iv e r P la ta a n d th e S tr a it o f M ag a lh a en s* is k n ow n ,
• T h e r e h a s e x i s t e d m u c h d i f f e r e n c e o f o p i n i o n a s t o t h e c o r r e c t m o d e
o f s p e l l i n g t h e n a m e o f t h i s c e l e b r a t e d n a v i g a t o r . T h e F r e n c h a n d
E n g l i s h u s u a l l y w r i t e i t M a g e l l a n , a n d t h e S p a n i a r d s M a g a l l a n e s ; h u t
h y t h e P o r t u g u e s e , ( a n d h e w a s a n a t i v e o f P o r t u g a l , ) i t i s u n i v e r s a l l y
w r i t t e n M a g a l h a e n s . A d m i r a l B u r n e y a n d M r . D a l r y m p l e s p e l l i t M a g a l h
a n e s , w h i c h m o d e I h a v e e l s e w h e r e a d o p t e d ; b u t I h a v e s i n c e c o n v i n c e d
m y s e l f o f t h e p r o p r i e t y o f f o l l o w i n g t h e P o r t u g u e s e o r t h o g r a p h y f o r a
n a m e , w h i c h t o t h i s d a y i s v e r y c o m m o n b o t h i n P o r t u g a l a n d B r a z i l .
T t
II