l i
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O f th e a rc h ip e lag o o f M ad re de Dios w e k n ow v e ry little . I t
has p ro b a b ly m a n y d e ep open in g s on its s e aw a rd face, a n d is
fro n ted b y Islands a n d ro ck s . Its ch a ra c te r is ro c k y a n d m o u n ta
in o u s , a n d b y n o means a g re eab le . T h e w id e a n d safe ch an n e l
o f C o ncepc ion S tr a it sep a ra te s it from th e m a in la n d , w h ic h in th is
p a r t is m u c h in te rs e c te d b y d e ep so u n d s, th e p rin c ip a l o f w h ich ,
th e C an a l o f San Andres, e x te n d s to th e b ase o f th e sn ow y ra n g e
o f th e C ordille ra , a n d th e re L ie u te n a n t S k y r in g d e sc rib e s i t to be
su d d e n ly closed b y im m en se g la c iers.
B e h in d H a n o v e r Is la n d , w h ich is s e p a ra te d from M a d r e de
D io s b y th e C o ncepc ion S tr a it, th e m a in -la n d is v e ry m u c h in te r sec
ted b y so u n d s lik e th e S a n A n d re s C h an n e l, e x te n d in g to th e
b a se o f th e A n d e s.
S o u th o f H a n o v e r Is la n d is Q u e en A d e la id e A rc h ip e la g o , th ro u g h
w h ic h a re s ev e ra l ch an n e ls th a t c om m u n ic ate w ith th e S tr a it o f
M a g a lh a e n s ; o f w h ic h th e p rin c ip a l, Sm y th C h an n e l, falls in to
th e S tr a it a t C ap e T am a r.
I n th e w in te r o f 1829, C ap ta in R o b e r t F itz -R o y , th e n c om m an d in
g th e B eag le , in e x am in in g th e J e rom e C h an n e l, w h ic h comm
u n ic a te s w ith th e S tr a it in th a t p a r t called C ro o k ed B e a c h ,
disco v e red ‘ O tw a y W a te r ,’ a n in la n d sea fifty m ile s lo n g , tre n d in g
to th e N .E ., a n d s ep a ra te d from th e e a s te rn e n tran c e o f th e S tr a it
b y a n a rrow i s th m u s ; th e a c tu a l w id th o f w h ic h was n o t a sc e rta
in e d , fo r in th e a ttem p t th e b o a ts w e re n e a r ly lo st. T h e so u th e
a s te rn sh o re is h ig h an d ro c k y , a n d g e n e ra lly p re c ip ito u s , b u t th e
n o r th e rn is fo rm e d b y low u n d u la tin g g ra s sy p la in s , fr e e from
tre e s , a n d p re c ise ly lik e th e c o u n try a b o u t th e e a s te rn e n tra n c e o f
th e S tr a it. A t th e n o rth -w e s t c o rn e r o f th e w a te r a p a ss ag e was
fo u n d le a d in g in a n o rth -w e s t d ire c tio n fo r tw e lv e miles, w h e n it
o p en ed in to a n o th e r e x te n t o f w a te r, a b o u t th ir ty - fo u r miles lo n g
a n d tw e n ty w id e . T h is h e called th e S k y r in g W a te r . I ts so u th e rn
a n d w e s te rn sid es a re b o u n d e d b y m o u n ta in o u s la n d , b u t th e
n o r th e rn shore is low, a p p a r e n tly fo rm ed o f u n d u la tin g dow n s a n d
g ra s sy pla in s , a n d in some places w a te r e d b y riv u le ts . A t th e
w e ste rn e x trem ity o f th e w a te r tw o o p en in g s w e re observed,
s ep a ra te d b y a rem a rk a b le c a s te lla te d m o u n ta in w h ic h was called
D y n e v o r Castle. B ey o n d th e so u th e rnm o st o p e n in g th e r e was n o
la n d visible , n o t ev en a d is ta n t m o u n ta in , w h ic h in d u c e d C ap ta in
F itz -R o y to suppose th a t i tw a s a ch an n e l com m u n ic a tin g w ith th e
w e s te rn c o a s t; b u t from w h a t w e n ow k n ow , it is n o t p ro b ab le
th a t it can le ad to a n y th in g o f co nsequence. I t is, p e rh a p s , b a c k e d
b y low m a rsh y la n d re a c h in g to th e h ills a t th e b o ttom o f G la cier
B ay , w h ic h , from th e d is ta n c e b e in g s ev en ty miles, w e re n o t
v isib le a b o v e tb e h o riz o n . T h e n o r th e rn o p e n in g p ro b a b ly passes
D y n e v o r Castle, an d , p e rh a p s , n e a r ly re a ch e s th e b o ttom o f
O b s tru c tio n S o u n d . T h e S k y r in g W a te r w a s n o t f u r th e r e x p
lo re d ; p a r tly from w a n t o f a sufficient q u a n tity o f p ro v is io n s to
u n d e rta k e i t w ith a n y p ro s p e c t o f succ e ed in g , a n d p a r tly from a
s tro n g so u th -w e s te rly ga le , from w h ich th e r e wa s n o s h e lte r fo r
th e o p e n bo a ts in w h ic h th is e x am in atio n was p e rfo rm ed . T h e
rem a in d e r, th e re fo re , o f C ap ta in F it z -R o y ’s tim e wa s s p e n t in comp
le tin g w h a t h e h a d c om m e n c e d ; a n d , a fte r a n ab sence o f th ir ty -
tw o days, h e r e jo in e d h is sh ip a t P o r t G a lla n t.
A t th e w e ste rn e n d o f th e p a ss a g e , w h ic h u n ite s th e w a te rs, th e
sh o re is w e ll c lo th ed on th e n o r th sid e w ith lu x u r ia n t g ra s s a n d
tre fo il, w ith h e re a n d th e re a s p rin k lin g o f b ru shw o o d , b u t is
e n tire ly d e s titu te o f tre e s . T h e soil, a lth o u g h d ry , is lig h t, a n d
to le ra b ly g o o d ; b u t th e g ro u n d is p e rfo r a te d e v e ryw h e re b y some
b u r row in g anim a l, p ro b a b ly sk u n k s , o r cavias. T h e tr a c k s o f
h o rs e s w e re n o tic e d in m a n y p la c es, a n d th e b o n e s o f g u anacoes
w e re s c a tte re d a b o u t. W a te r was n o t v e ry p le n tifu l, b u t seve ra l
sm all b ro o k s a n d sp rin g s in th e sides o f th e hills w e re o b s erved,
sufficient fo r all u s e fu l p u rp o s e s.
O n th e so u th side o f th e p a ss a g e th e la n d is low, b u t w o o d e d :
tb e b an k s a re from five to fo r ty fe e t h ig h , s loping to th e w a te r ,
a n d co v ered w ith grass. I n th e e n tra n c e th e tid e ra n five o r six
k n o ts a t th e ne ap s, b u t in s id e w ith o n ly h a lf th a t ra p id ity . O n th e
n o r th side, a t th e d is tan c e o f a m ile a n d a -h a lf, th e re is a r id g e o f
hills , to th e sum m it o f w liich C ap ta in F itz -R o y m ad e a n e x cu rsio n ,
w h ic h is d e s c rib e d in th e N a rra tiv e .
I n consequence o f th e su p p o se d com m u n ic atio n o f th e S k y r in g
W a te r w ith some p a r t o f th e w e s te rn coast, a c a re fu l ex am in atio n
w a s m a d e o f ev e ry o p en in g tr e n d in g in to th e in te rio r b e liin d th e
is la n d s a n d a rch ip e lag o e s th a t lin e th e w e s te rn c o a s t; th e r e s u lt o f
w h ic h h a s p ro v e d th a t th e h y p o th e sis so n a tu r a lly fo rm ed w a s n o t
confirmed b y fact. A re fe ren c e to th e c h a r t w ill sh ow how c are fu
lly th e sea rc h was c a rrie d on, a n d w ith w h a t w a n t o f success i t
w a s co n clu d ed . T h e d e ep o p e n in g d isco v e red b y Sa rm ien to , a n d
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