Baltimore commercial journal, and Lyford's price-current. [volume] (Baltimore, Md) 1840-1849, 1849-09-15
STRAITS OF MAGELLAN.

Sixty days of pleasant sailing, the last three
weeks of fighting, with pampcros and heavy gales
excepted found in sight Of the castelated height
OF Cape Virgins, the eastern entrance to the far
famed Straits of Magalhaen.
These classic waters. Through this narrow
cut in the land, scarcely three hundred miles in all
its tortuous course, bold Fernando de Magalhaen
steered, and despite of unfitness of vessels and
treachery of officers, accomplished that wherein
Columbus failed, and opened a highway to the
Indies. For many years afterwards, this was sup
posed to be the only channel for ships, and many
were the rich argosies that passed here with the
fruits of SUMMER climes: many too,
{" Which struck where the white and feecy waves
Looked soft carded wool,
But the cruel rocks, they gored their sides,
Like the horns of hungry bull"
Then Cape Horn was found to terminate the Ameri-
Continent, and few vessels except those of sim
plest rig and smallest SIZE have since dared to at
tempt a passage from east to west through Ma
galhaens Straits.
You will best understand the peculiar nature of
this corner of the earth by following us from Cape
Virgins to Cape Pillar
The first day was spent in painfully beating up
to the first anchorage in Possession Bay, against
violent gusts of wind, which lifted the tops from
those deep green furrows and drenched us with
showers of ineXpressibe saltness. We anchored
with our consort, the Sea Witch OF Mystic, the
pilot-boat Anonyma, seventy-two days from Boston,
and the clipper Eclipse eighty days from Baltimore
Though thousands of miles from home, at dis
lance where the distinction between States should
be lost, and all viewed as a single nation, | was
more iorcbly struck with sectional peculiari
ties, than when contrasting the slow drawing
ply of the Baltimorean, with the hearty shout of
the Bostonan, and the bluff, Independent hail of
the Yankee smackman. The little fleet which had
thus gathered in a single day, determined to sail in
company, through the Straits, and it may safely he
said that four switer vessels yet seen to-
gcther in these waters
At the second trial we succeeded in passing the
first and second Narrows. These are each about
ten miles in length, and nearly two in width, the
tide running through them full ten twelve
miles an hour BY Selling it at the favorable time,
danger need be apprehended except from the
heavy ripplngs in which many vessels have been
lost In three days we had passed the first of the
three great divisions which nature has marked in
the Straits.-The region of sand hills and granite
cliffs yields to one which appears almost delightful
in comparison with what precedes and follows it.
Here the coast suddenly tends southwark and the
Strait expands into broad sheet of water thirty
miles in width and three hundred tathoms in depth.
The hills thicky clothed with trees to the waters
edge, and were it not for the humid climate and
DOGGY soil, could gain his livelihood from the
earth As it is the Gillian colonies of convicts at
Sandy Point and Port Famine, are supported from
home. Rain fell every day while there,
and in a continual flood for full third of the time
III InlS kllu Oh we lulIN equal even
our brother hunters for gold who trudged to
Panama.
Port Famine, the capital of standardization in
this quarter of the globe, consists of few houses,
inclosng wooden fort, in which lie unmounted two
honey-combed twelve-pounders and a brass field
piece, tightly spiked! Buenos Ayres also claims
this country, and Chill thus arms herself against
her rival in imbecility There is rickety apology
for a fence-a stout cat might paw it down-running
around thirty forty cells in four large styes, be-
tween which cutters for streets, little stone
islands for a sidewalk and eighteen inches of mud
for pavement. | thought of New York! In each
of these siX-by-eght boxes, windowless and CHM
neyless exists family of convicts. About seventy
from the fleet went ashore one evening, and saw
a fandango. In Spain the dance may be graceful
Here, no wonder that wrctches pay one dollar
pound for soap, and make good bargain at that!
Most vessels stop here needlessly for wood and
water. Both can be procured well, if not better,
in most harbors farther on, and time spent here is
lost; for there is always fair wind in this portion
of the Straits, and many days must be spent at
Choir before the Pacific is reached. Yet the water
at Port Famine cannot be surpassed. Men Of ex-
pcrence say that months at do not alter its
taste.
At San Nicholas Bay fair specimen of
the Patagonians. This is that singular race of men
which have nexpicaby lost half their stature in
the last two hundred years. Magalhaen affirmed
them to be nearly twelve feet high, Cordoya and
own school geography, full seven. In truth, they
about six feet, and very strongly built
Whether time tears down talmess from men or from
fables, is point for conjecture. These Horse In
dians, they commonly called, from their
equestrian life, are friendly and very stupid.-The
TERRA del Fucgian, Canoe Indians are of the
binary height, magpes in tongue, balloons in coun-
tenance, and imps in treachery. Many conflicts
have taken place between them and sealing vessels.
They best seen at distance.
At Cape Howard the main channel turns sharply
to the northwest. Here end the first two sections
of the Straits, and all plain sailing. The whole
body of water is here divided into thousand little
channels to the Pacific, of which the best known
the Cockburn, Barbara, Gabriel and Main Chan
nes.-The labyrinth of islands and sounds is so
perfect, that good chart is indispensable. unfor-
tunate indeed is the vessel in Crooked Reach, which
has saved unlucly sixpence in not providing seve-
raj stout anchors and the best of cables, at home
at the hali-supped depot in Port Famine.
Here the navigation assumes new character
Nine days in ten, gales of westerly wind prevail,
and beat ercely upon the adventurous vessel which
dares to struggle with their power Rain falls
several times each day, and when that fails, showers
OF thick singing hail supply its place.
There is certain singular gust of wind very preva-
lent here, which the sailors have termed "woolie-
waws." When vessel is caught at night out of
the harbor by rain, snow hail. gales, thick darkness
and wooliewaws, there will be little sleep on board.
We were twice trapped in this manner, and always
afterwards saved time and labor by seeking harbor
at three O'Clock in the afternoon.
Strangely enough, the temperature Of these high
ATTITUDES is equable, and not very'cod The Their
mometer ranges from 40 to 50 degrees Fair, through
out the year. Decreased strength of winds alone
marks the winter season.
In one day we sailed from San Nicholas Bay to
Borja Bay; leaving the region OF thick verdure pass
ing grim Mount Sarmiento, seven thousand feet
above us, and struggling through narrow island
spotted ribbon of water, with gigantic walls of
granite overshadowing from their immoveable
resting places. Cordova said that the mountain
west of Cape Quod gave this portion of the Straits
&c most horrible appearance" They do indeed seem
very desoate and unnviting almost all terminating
in sharply serrated peaks, slightly rounding knobs
of bare granite, but there is a savage grandeur,