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

April 1830. obstruction sound. 351 east side, near Cape Thomas, I proceeded, in hopes that beyond the next point some better prospect would be gained : on arriving there, however, my expectations were instantly checked by a bold rising shore, continuing uninterruptedly as far as the Oliver Islands, which we passed soon afterwards. " The width of the channel between the Oliver Islands and the northern shore is not more than a mile, but it afterwards increases, and turns sharply first to the west, and then S.S.W. In the west reach there are many small islands, and the high ranges on both sides being detached from each other, gave me yet some hopes of finding a passage between them. Proceeding in the afternoon, a bight appeared to the S.S E., about two miles to the westward of Cape Up-anVlown, which was exa- mined, although there was no prospect of meeting with success by tracing it, and in it were found two small passages leading to the S.E., suitable only for boats. We ran down the largest, and a mile within the entrance were embayed. At the bottom of this bight the land was low, and I tried to get on some eminence, that I might command a view to the S.E., but was always im- peded by an impervious wood. I observed, however, distant high land in that direction, and could see a sheet of water, about six miles from me : but whether it was a lagoon, or a part of the Skyring Water, was doubtful. I could not, at this prospect, rejoice as Magalhaens did, when he first saw the Pacific, for my situation, I began to think, resembled that of Sterne''s starling. " Keeping along the south shore, until late in the evening^ we gained the west end of this reach, and finding no shelter for the boat, crossed to the broken land on the west side, and passed that night in Hewitt Harbour. " On the following morning, we pursued our course to the S.S.W. , and at eleven o"'clock reached the extremity of this extensive sovmd. All our suspense was then removed, and all our hopes destroyed ; for the closing shores formed but .a small bay in the S.W., and high land encircled every part without leaving an opening. " Throughout the examination of this sound, we did not