The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-27 00:00:00

, COAL IN THE STRAITS OF
MAGELLAN.
The following are copies of reports from Captain
Henderson and Commander Poynter, of the Gorgon,
stating the results of their eearch for any coal forma-
tion in the Straits of 1.1.1ag, Ilan.
her Majesty's St, am-vessel Sampson,
Rio Janeiro, Oct. 22, 1848.
Sir—l have the
.honour to tcquaint you, that in com-
pliance with orders from Pear. admiral llornby, to make
further perquisitions respecting the coal said to be found
in the Straits of Magellan, I obtained at Port Famine,
by the kindness of the Governor, a guide to conduct me
to the veins of Punta Arenas (Sandy Bay), and haying
anchored in Sandy Bay on the morning or the Bth inst.,
I landed with Mr. Barrownran, second engineer of the
Sampson, and proceeded to the first vein, about seven
miles distant from the bay, situated on the north bank
of the river Punta Arenas, 40 or 50 feet, above the level
of the river. The vein is 30 cr 40 feet in depth, about
20 feet of which could only be got at for the snow; but
all that was visible appeared to be clean and of good qua-
lity, and may be work, d with great ease.
The road, us far as the commencement of the first
ridge of the hills from the bay, would be about four
miles, over a perfect level; the remainder, about three
miles, is over several ridges of hills, and when it reaches
as high as the first vein descends over a deep brow to tt•
bed of the river, and is only a footpath.
The second vein is a mile inland of the first, and the
third a mile and a halt inland of the second, and were
entirely covered with snow, and cannot be got at until
the summer is more advanced; they are represented to
be quite as good as the first vein, and also close to the
level of the river.
Having assured specimens of the first vein, and find-
ing the principal difficulty that would attend the work-
ing of the mines would be the want of a good road. I
returned to the shore by the bed of the river to ascertain
how far it might be practicable to take advantage of its
level to construct a road to avoid that part of the pre-
sent one which ascends the hill; and, although I found
the river very tortuous, I saw no great difficulty in
forming a road on its banks to join that of the plain,
there being abundance of material, wood, and stone on
the spot, some of the trees measuring three and four
fathoms in girth.

The bed of the river is filled with pieces of good
coal, which must have fallen from the veins on its banks;
and as these deposits are numerous, it may be assumed
there is plenty of coal in the neighbourhood. I ob-
served, also, indications of metallic substances at the
bottom of several tributary rills and rivulets falling into
its course.

The veins have not been worke3, nor are there any ap-
pearances of their being so by the Chili Government,
which has only established Punta Arenas as an outpost,
under the command of a lieutenant and a small detach-
ment, as a matter of occupation.
No reliance can be placed on a supply of coal there
until a road is constructed, and the means of transport
from the mines to the bay secured, as it was only with
great difficulty I reached the first vein by the hill road,
which was deeply covered with snow.
I shall leave specimens of the coal for your inspec-
tion, and herewith inclose you the copy of an extract
from Commander Paynter, of the Gorgon, to Rear-Ad•
miral llornby, on the same subject, containing a state-
ment of his having examined Laredo Bay, together with
Mr. Barrowman's opinion of the coal after experiments
on board.—l have, &c.,_

TFIGMAS HENDERSON, Cap'ain.
Extract from a letter dated at Valparaiso, September 26,
1848, from Commander S. A. Paynter, of her Ma-
jesty's steam-vessel, Gorgon, to Rear-Admiral S.
Hornby, Commander-in•

As I eras directed by Commander Sir Thomas Her-
bert, at Monte Video, to examine the neighbourhood of
Laredo Bay for coal, I, in company with with several
officers, explored for three miles round the bay, and ob-
served no indication of surface coal or any appearance
on the rise of the hill or falls of the valleys to indicate
a coal formation; oa the contrary, those portions of
land we passed through were a continued swamp in one
direction for and the hills were covered with
stunted growth of small winter birch, and a few ever-
greens and shrubs; the streams that run in numerous
directions from the neighbouring hills come untingod
and perfectly clear to the sands; it is therefore my im-
pression that in the immediate vicinity of the bay there
are no veins of coal.