i'i:
: ii
o f M ag alhaens.* T h is ch an n e l is also n o tic e d in one o f th e tw o
mi.ssionary v o y ag es above m e n tio n e d ; b u t th e o b je c t o f th e se
e x p ed itio n s b e in g for th e p u rp o s e o f c o n v e rtin g th e In d ia n s to
C h r is tia n ity ,/ a n d n o t fo r th e ex te n sio n o f g e o g ra p h ic a l k n ow led
g e , little in fo rm a tio n o f th a t n a tu r e c o u ld b e o b ta in e d from
th e ir jo u r n a l : th e e n tra n c e o f th e M esier, h ow e v er, is d e sc rib e d
b y th em ; a n d on one occasion th e y w e re o b lig e d to ta k e re fu g e
in i t fo r fifteen d a y s .J W ith th is ex cep tio n I c an n o t find th a t it
h a d e v e r b e e n e n te re d b e fo re o u r visit.
T h e le n g th o f th e ch an n e l is one h u n d r e d a n d six ty miles, a n d
i t jo in s th e C o ncepc ion S tr a it b e h in d th e M a d r e d e Dios a rc h ip e lago,
a t th e B ra zo A n ch o o f Sa rm ien to . L ie u te n a n t S k y rin g ,
w h o su p e rin te n d e d th is p a r tic u la r p a r t o f th e su rv ey , called th e
la n d w h ic h it in su la tes , W e llin g to n I s la n d ; th e s e aw a rd co ast o f
w h ic h is fro n te d b y s ev e ra l islands. Fa llos C h an n e l, w h ic h s ep a ra
te s th e C am p an a a n d W e llin g to n Islan d s, was ex am in ed , from its
n o rth e rn e n tra n c e , fo r th ir ty - th r e e miles, a n d w a s co n je c tu red ,
a fte r com m u n ic atin g with th e sea a t D y n e ly S o u n d , to ex te n d to
th e so u thw a rd , a n d fall in to th e G u lf o f T r in id a d b y one o f th e
d e e p sounds w h ich we re n o tic ed on th e n o rth shore.
A b o u t th ir ty miles w ith in th e M esie r C h an n e l, from th e n o rth e rn
e x trem ity , th e w e st side ap p ea rs to be fo rm ed b y a succession o f
la rg e is lan d s, m a n y o f w h ic h a re sep a ra te d b y w id e chan n e ls le a d in
g to th e so u th -w e st, a n d p ro b a b ly com m u n ic a tin g w ith th e Fa llo s
C h an n e l. O n th e e a ste rn sh o re th e o p e n in g s w e re fo u n d to be
e ith e r n a rrow in le ts or a b ru p tly te rm in a tin g sounds.
O n b o th sides o f th e ch an n e l th e coast is h illy , b u t n o t v e ry h ig h ,
an d in m a n y p la c es th e re is m u ch low a n d g e n e ra lly th ic k ly w ooded
la n d . T h is c h a ra c te r d is tin g u ish e s th e M esier from o th e r ch an n e ls
in th e s e regions.
T h e tre e s h e re a re n e a rly o f th e same d e sc rip tio n as th o se w h ich
a re fo u n d in a ll p a rts b e tw e e n C ap e T r e s M o n tes a n d th e S tr a it
o f M ag alhaens. O f th e se th e m o s t common a re an e v e rg re en
b e ec h {Fagus betuloides), a b ir c h - lik e b e ec h {Fagus antárctica), th e
W in te r’s b a rk {Winterana a rom a tica f), a n d a tre e w ith a ll th e
ap p ea ran c e a n d h a b it o f a cy p re ss, o f w h ic h th e In d ia n s m a k e th e ir
* Agüeros, p. 205, et seq. / Ibid. p. 181, et seq. J Ibid. p. 237.
§ Living plants of the above trees, and other vegetable productions
from the Strait of Magalhaens, were introduced into England upon the
return of the expedition, and have since thriven exceedingly well.
spears. Among o th e rs th e re is one, th e wood o f w h ich b e in g extrem
e ly h a rd a n d w e ig h ty , an sw e rs b e tte r th a n th e re s t for fuel :
th e sealers call i t ‘ th e r e d wood,* from its c o lo u r. F rom th e
g re a t q u a n tity o f tim b e r w h ich g row s h e re it w o u ld b e n a tu ra lly
su p p o sed p ro b a b ly th a t spars fo r masts c o u ld b e e asily o b ta in ed ,
or a t le a st wood u s e fu l for less im p o r ta n t p u rp o s e s ; b u t a lth o u g h
m an y tre e s were fo u n d th a t w e re sufficiently la rg e a t th e base, th e y
g rew to no g r e a t h e i g h t ; an d , in consequence o f th e m o is tu re o f
th e c limate, a n d th e c row d e d s tate o f th e fo re s ts p r e v e n tin g th e
admission o f th e su n ’s ra y s , th e wood g e n e r a lly p ro v e d to be
d e cay ed in th e h e a r t ; besides b e in g v e ry a p t, ev en a fte r a lo n g
seasoning, to w a rp a n d s p lit w h e n exposed to a d ry air.
T e n miles b e y o n d W'h ite -k e lp Cove, w h ich is fifty m ile s w ith in
th e en tra n c e, th e c h a ra c te r o f th e M e s ie r C h an n e l ch an g e s e n tir e ly ;
th e sh o re o n e ith e r side b e in g fo rm ed o f m o u n ta in o u s a n d p re c ip
ito u s rid g e s r is in g a b ru p tly from th e w a te r. A fte r th is , a t H a lt
B ay , tw e n ty -th r e e miles b e y o n d W h ite -k e lp Cove, th e ch an n e l
n a rrow s fo r a co n sid e rab le d is tan ce , a n d in th re e p a r tic u la r pla c es
is n o t m o re th a n fo u r h u n d re d y a rd s w id e . T h is p a r t o f th e
ch an n e l is called in th e c h a r t th e E n g lish N a rrow . I t is lo n g
a n d in tr ic a te , w ith m an y islan d s s trew ed th ro u g h o u t; a n d p re s e rv e s
its to rtu o u s a n d freq u e n tly n a rrow co u rse to its ju n c tio n w ith th e
W id e C h an n e l, in w h ich th e b re a d th increases to tw o miles a n d
a h a l f ; a n d th e n , ru n n in g th ir ty -fo u r miles w ith a d ire c t an d u n im p
e d e d course, falls in to th e C oncepcion S tr a it as above sta ted .
A t th e p o in t w h e re th e Mesier a n d th e W id e C h an n e ls u n ite , a
d e ep so u n d extends to th e N .N .E . fo r fo rty -s ix miles. I tw a s
n am e d S ir G eo rg e E y r e S o u n d . An e x ten siv e g la c ie r s loping
in to th e sea from th e sum m it o f a r a n g e o f h ig h snowy m o u n ta in s ,
th a t a re visible from m an y p a rts o f th e M esie r C h an n e l, te rm in a te s
th is so u n d ; a n d n e a r th e h e ad o f it s ev e ra l la rg e ic eb erg s, c o n ta in in
g n o in co n sid erab le b lo c k s o f g ra n ite , w e re fo u n d a g ro u n d .*
* N e ar Falcon Inlet, seven miles up the eastern side of Sir George
Eyre Sound, are some large ‘ rookeries,’ or breeding-haunts, of fur-
seal. Many thousands of these animals were congregated together,
which probably had been driven from the sea-coast hy the activity o f the
seal-fishers ; and perhaps, for many years, if not ages, have been breeding
undisturbed in this hitherto unknown, and therefore safe and quiet recess.
Two seals th a t were killed appeared to be of the same description as the
species which frequents the sea-eoasts.
■G Ml