Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

1828. SUPPOSED SAN SEBASTIAN CHANNEL. 123 hence the channel shows itself, and continues, as far as we could see, of the same breadth. It seemed to be a large sea. The latitude was observed to be 53" 16'." * From the above account, and from the chart that accom- panies it, in which tliis inlet is made to communicate with the Strait of MagaDiaens by the opening round Cape Monmouth, our knowledge of the supposed St. Sebastian Channel was derived. That there is a deep bay, in the latitude of 53° 16', not only appears from the account of the Nodales, who were within the heads, although it seems they did not proceed beyond the stony ground on the south side of the entrance but also from tlie accounts of vessels who have lately seen it and of one ship-master who was deterred from entering, by the formidable notice on our charts of its being " only navic-able for small vessels," whence he conjectured that the tides would be very strong, and the channel occasionally narrow, as well as and shoal. Sarmiento, Narborough, Byron, Wallis, Bougainville, and Cordova, have sevei-ally noticed an opening, which corresponds to this supposed channel, namely, that between Capes Mon- mouth and Valentyn ; but the object of those voyagers having been to make the passage through the known Strait, to explore this opening was, in all probability, considered a v/aste of time ; yet, that such a channel was supposed to exist, we must conclude from the conspicuous figure it makes in the charts of Tierra del Fuego. Had there been a knowledge of its affording any com- munication with the sea, surely Sarmiento and Narborough, as well as the Nodales, who navigated the Strait from west to east, would have been induced to attempt to pass through ; and avoid the dangers, as well as difficulties, of the channels to the northward. Anxious to set the question at rest, I gave Captain Stokes orders to proceed to survey the western coasts, between the Strait of Magalhaens and latitude 47° south, or as much of * Relacion del Viage, &c. que hicieron los Capitanes B. G. de Nodales y Gonzalo de Nodales, p. od.