The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-10-24

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the Pacific Iof which the best known are
the Cockbnrn. Barbara, Gabriel, and Main
Channels. The labyrinth Of islands and
sounds is so perfect, that a good chart is
indispensable. Unfortunate indeed is the
vessel in Crooked Reach. which has saved
an unlucky sixpencc in not providing several
stout anchors and The best of cables. at home
or at The half-suppied depot at Port Fa-
mine.
Here The navigation assumes new char
acter Nine days IN ten, gales Of westerly
wind prevail, and beat ficrceIy upon the ad.
venturons vessel which dares to struggle
with their power. Rain falls several times
each day, and when that tails, showers of
thick snow or singing hail supply it place.
There is very singular gust OF wind very
prevalent here which The sailors have termed
"wooliewaws." When vessel is caught at
night out Of the harbor by rain. snow, hail,
gales. thick darkness and wooIiewaws, there
will he 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.
Strange enough, the thermometer inthese
high attitudes is equable. and not very cold.
The thermometer ranges from 40 to so de-
grces Fahr. throughout the year. Decreas-
ed strength of winds alone marks the Win.
ter season
In one day we sailed from San Nicholas
Bay TO orjy Bay; leaving the thick region
of thick vcrdurc. passing grim Mount Sar
miento, seven thousand feet above US, and
struggling through narrow lsland-spotted
rlbon Of water, with gigantic walls of granite
overshadowing usl from their immovable rest.
ing place. Cordova said that the mountain
west Of Cape Qnod gave this portion of the
Straits "mnst horrible appearance. They
do indeed seem very desoate and uninviting,
almost all terminating in sharply serrated
peaks, or slightly rounding knobs of bare
granite, but there is savage grandeur, a
wild glory, upon their lofty summs, which
far cxceIs the smiles Of the so(tcst land
scapes.
AT Bnrja Bay we found the brig Salilln,
which had sailed from Boston some time last
year. and had already spcn, five Sundays in
the Straits. We also received New York
papers to February the l7lh, from the
steamer Panama. She reported several
vessels at the entrance of the Straits, and
among them the we'll known New York pi-
lot boat VIM. G. Ilacks,af, which sailed one
day before us. AT Swallow HaIbor lay the
VcIasco. of Groton. and Iowa, of Sag.har.
bnr. Thus our fleet was increased to six
schnoncrs.
Both harbors are mnst secure and PIC
| turesque, locked in, as they arc, by lofty
mountains. Right al the bottom of each,
magnificent cascade rlls,lCS down tho side ct
broad brown mountain.
"Wh tic foamy shcnf Of fountains, falling through
tho painted air."
Few things can be more lovely than these
harl,nrs. mcnSrh hv hare cliffs. like gems sci
in granite. The weary sailor who looks for
~, bcaulv, eau never deny that comfort
The nllr objection t" them is from the ter
rifle wnn!iewaws that rush from the sur.
rounding hts without seconds warning,
and p0unce upon the waters. gathering them
into a narrow but boiling circle Of foam,
then skurry around, fan shaped IN every dl.
rcclipn, and with rcsstss Inry. "Thcsc
| wnucs are queer things exclaimed our
skipper. See how they tic The water all up
in a little heap. and then throw 1t every
which-wayr' Even AT anchor. the whole
fleet rolls down in ahjcr submission hefnre
them. Once, the Annnvma's clInkcr boat
torn from the s'ern. wh'rled over IN The air,
and sunk in single second. Ii is fortunate
that they last Ile longer.
I, ,,,,l,. I,,, yo,,. ,,o,,Ev1 ka that
we passed English Reach. Crooked Reach.
Long Reach, and Sea Reach. The gale
was only diversified with wn"lIcwaw, tho
rain with hail and snow. Sometimes we
are sailing along in rare sunshine, when a
wooIicwaw whirlS storm of sharp diamond
hail into our faces, or column of spray.
beads TO the very truck; forces our little craft
down into the water. till a rushing ford
washes along her decks, then moves leeward
in brown and distinct whirlwind, I'LL II
hides one end of Iilstrnus rainbow, whose
other extremity is spendidlv defined against
some rough mountain. Meanwhile the
glorious sunlight is over all. From Fort
Famine to the Harbor of Mercy, near Cape
Pillar, they continually increased in fury
The day before VIC left this latter harbor,
lhc:c was grand display Of their inp"tent
rage.
Our passage consumed twenty days. thlr-
teen of which found us closely shut up in
harbors. We overlook and passed square
rugged vessels, which had been weeks in the
Straits, unwilling to return and not able 10
proceed. Few squarc.riggers can hope for
short passage: the difficulties in managing
them in a channel, barely mile wide in
some places, ire too great.
The passage from The Atlantic is thus
mostly confined to small vessels. From tho
Pacific, passages arc often made by ships in
two or three DAYS. and the only wonder is