those dangerous and exposed shores as he could examine, with
the means at his disposal, and sailed myself, in the Adelaide,
to explore the supposed St. Sebastian Channel. Every discretionary
power was given to Captain Stokes to act as he pleased,
for the benefit of the service; but he had strict orders to return
to Port Famine by the 24th of July, when I hoped to move the
Adventure to some other part of the Strait, and to recommence
operations with the earliest days of spring, if the ivinter should
be unfit for our work.
Having crossed over to the southward of Point Boquerón,
we proceeded, on the 13th of March, to the N.E. (in ivhich
direction the opening trended), at no great distance from the
northern shore; behind which the country seemed to rise gradually
to the summit of a long ridge of tahle-land, terminating
near the First Narrow, and appearing like that in the neighbourhood
of Cape Gregory. It was inhabited; for here and
there we observed the smoke of fires, perhaps intended as invitations
for us to land.
The south side of the opening seemed (after forming a
small bay under Nose Peak) to extend in a direction parallel
to the northern coast of the bay, for three or four leagues,
when it dipped beneath the horizon. Neither shore had any
opening or indenture in its coast line, of sufficient size to
shelter even a boat; so that a vessel caught here, with a southwesterly
gale, would have little chance of escape; unless a channel
should exist, of which, from the stillness of the water and
the total absence of tide, we had very little hope. The soundings
were variable between tw’enty and thirty fathoms, and the
bottom seemed to be of shells, probably covering a substratum
of clay or sand. As we stood on, a small rocky lump came in
sight, which appeared to be the termination of the northern
shore, and again we flattered ourselves with the expectation of
finding a passage; but in less than half an hour afterwai'ds,
the bay was distinctly seen to be closed by low land, and the
rocky lump proved to be an isolated mass of rock, about two
miles inland. As every person on board was then satisfied of
the non-existence of any channel, we put about to return, and
by bearings of Mount Tarn, crossed by angles from Mount
Graves, Nose Peak, and Point Boquerón, our position, and
the extent of this bay, ivere determined. As it affords neither
anchorage nor shelter, nor any other advantage for the navigator,
we have named it Useless Bay. It was too much exposed
to the prevailing winds to allow of our landing to examine the
country, and its productions, or to communicate with the
Indians; and as there was not much likelihood of finding anything
of novel character, we lost no time in retreating from”so exposed
a place. Abreast of Point Boquerón the patent log gave
for our run tw’enty-six mfles, precisely the same distancelvhich
it had given in the morning; so that from five o’clock in the
morning until ten, and from ten o’clock until four in the afternoon,
we had not experienced the least tide, which of itself is
a fact confirmatory of the non-existence of a channel.
From the fires of the natives in this part having been noticed
at a distance from the beach, it would seem that they derive
their subsistence from hunting rather than fishing; and as
there are guanacoes on the south shore of the First Narrow, it
is probable the people’s habits resemble those of the Patago.
nians, rather than the Fuegians ; but as they have no horses!
the chase of so shy and swift an animal as the guanaco must
be fatiguing and very precai'ious.*
Sarmiento is the only person on record who has communicated
with the natives in the neighbourhood of Cape Monmouth. He
calls them m Ins narrative a large race (Gente grande). There
It was that he was attacked by the Indians, whom he repulsed,
and one of whom he made prisoner.
We remained a night in Port Famine, and again set out in
the Adelaide to survey some of the western parts of the Strait.
• F a lk n e r describes the Indians who inhabit the eastern islands of
T ie r ra del Fuego, to be ‘ Yacana-cunnees,’ and as he designates those
who inhabit the Patagonian shore of the S trait by the same name, it m ight
be inferred that they are of the same race ; but however closely connected
they may have been formerly, they certainly are not so now, for Maria
(the Patagonian) spoke very contemptuously o f them, and disclaimed their
alliance; calling them ‘ zapallios,’ which means slaves.