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C H A P T E R IV .
Deer seen — Hope sails again—Eagle Bay—Gabriel Channel—‘ IVilli-
waws ’ — P o rt Waterfall — Natives — Admiralty Sound — Gabriel
Channel—Magdalen Channel—Hope returns to P o rt Famine—San
Antonio—Lomas Bay—Loss o f boat—Master and ttvo seamen drowned.
F rom Mr. Graves’s report of the appearance of the channel
to the S.F. of Dawson Island, I decided to proceed there as
soon as the Hope was ready, for she required some alteration,
and repairs.
A deer having been seen on Point St. Anna, Mr. Tarn
landed, very early in the morning, eager for the prize, but
could only get an ineffectual shot. At another time a few deer
were seen by our party, near the river; but instead of returning
with the information, they fired their guns, loaded VAith
small shot only, which served but to scare them away. As the
animal was new to us, and we had evidence of its being equally
neAv to Science, I was anxious to procure a specimen, but
never afterwards had an opportunity. Here Sarmiento saAV the
only deer which he mentions in his journal.
The morning of the 16th seeming more favourable, I set
out in the Hope. The heights were covered with snow which
had fallen the preceding night, the thermometer had been at
freezing point, and much ice had formed; but the appearance
of the weather deceived us: we had scarcely left the ship, when
it began to rain, and by the time we reached Cape San Isidro
the wind had freshened to a gale, which obliged me to anchor
in Eagle Bay.
Having landed, a tent was pitched, and a blazing fire made
to dry our clothes. In the evening the gale blew Avith great
Feb. 1827. GA B R IE L CH A N N E L . 49
violence from S.W., and the Hope, at her anchor, sheered about
by the squalls, Avas occasionally laid over so as to dip her gun-
Avale under Avater.
The foIloAving day (17th), although the rain had ceased, the
wind Avas still strong. ToAvards evening it fell, and early on
the 18th Ave left Eagle Bay with a fresh breeze from E.N.E.,
and passed close to Port San Antonio ; but Avere then delayed
by calms and squalls. At noon a westerly wind sprung up,
and we proceeded down the Gabriel Channel, with the wind aft,
and the tide in our favour. Port Waterfall sheltered us for the
night.
The apparently artificial formation of this channel is very
striking. It seems to have been formerly a valley betAveen tAVO
ridges of the range, in the direction of the strata (of whicli
there are frequent instances, such as the valley in the Lomas
Range, opposite Cape San Isidro, the valley of Valdez Bay,
and one immediately to the north of the channel itself, besides
many others), and that at some remote period the sea had
forced its way through, effecting a communication between the
Strait and the waters behind Dawson Island: as if one of those
great ‘ northern waves,’ of Avhich Ave once heard so much, had
rolled doAvn the wide reach of the Strait (the parallelism of
Avhose shores is also remarkable) from the north-Avest, towards
Cape Froward ; and finding itself opposed by the Lomas
Range, had forced a passage through the vaUey until stopped
by the mountains at Fitton Bay. Having imagined such a
Avave in motion, the reader may fancy it uniting Avith another
northern roller from Cape San Valentyn, attacking the hills
and carrying all before it, until Mount Hope, at the bottom
of Admiralty Sound, arrested its course. I have already noticed
the remarkably straight direction in which this curious channel
trends. At both extremities the width may be from two to
three miles ; but the shores gradually approach each other midway,
and the coast on each side rises abruptly to the height of
fifteen hundred feet. The south sliore, sheltered from the prevailing
and strongest winds, is thickly covered Avith trees and
luxuriant underAvood, which, being chiefly evergreen, improA'e
! ) t