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

563 Some Observations relating to the Southern Extremity of South America, Tierra del Fuego, and the Strait of Blagalhaens ; made during the Survey of those Coasts in his Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1830. By Captain Phillip Parker King, F.R.S., Commander of the Ex- pedition. [The original paper, from which the following observations have been extracted, was read before the Geographical Society of London on the 25th of April and 9th of May 1831 ; and was printed in the Journal of that Society for the same year. It is here reprinted, with a few omissions and very slight alterations, in order that this volume may contain all that the Author has yet published respecting South America; excepting particular Sailing Directions.] Considering the vast extent of the sea-coast of the southern extremity of America, it is not a little surprising that it should have been so frequently passed by, during the last century, without having been more explored. Within the last twenty years, how- ever, it has been very much resorted to by English and American vessels in the seal trade, and to the observing portion of their enterprising crews many of its intricacies are well known ; but as the knowledge they have derived from their experience has only in one instance, that of Mr. Weddell's voyage, been published to the world, our charts cannot be said to have been much improved for the last fifty years. The eastern coast of Patagonia, by Avhich name the country between the River Plata and the Strait of Magalhaens* is known, • There has existed much diiFerence of opinion as to the correct mode of spelling the name of this celebrated navigator. The French and English usually write it Magellan, and the Spaniards Magallanes ; but by the Portuguese, (and he was a native of Portugal,) it is universally written Magalhaens. Admiral Burney and Mr. Dalrymple spell it Magal- hanes, which mode I have elsewhere adopted : but I have since convinced inj'self of the propriety of following the Portuguese orthography for a name, which to this day is very common both in Portugal and Brazil.