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

wel-known New York pilot boat, VIM. G. Hack
staff which sailed day before us At Swallow
liarbor lay the Nelasco, of Groton, and Iowa, of
Sag-harbor Thus our fleet increased to six
schooners.
Both harbors are most secure and picturesque,
locked in, as they are, by lofty mountains. Right
at the bottom OF each, magnificent cascade rustes
down the sides OF broad, brown mountain,
With the foamy sheaf of fountains, falling through
the painted air."
Few things can be more lovely than these harbors,
incoscd by bare cliffs, like gems set in granite
The weary sailor who looks for no beauty, can never
deny their comfort. The only objection to them is
from the terrible woolicwaws that rush from the
surrounding heights without seconds warning, and
p,unce upon the waters, gathering them into a
row but boiling circle of foam, then siurry around,
tah-shapcd in every direction, and with resistless
Jury. g These woolies queer thingsn' exclaimed
our skipper. " See how they tie the water all up
III little heap, and then throw it every which-wayu
Even at anchor, the whole fleet rolls down in abjcct
submission before them. Once, the Anonyma's
cllner boat was torn from her stern, whirlcd over
in the air, and sunk in single second 1t is ortu-
nate that they last little longer
1t was only by very painful beating that we pass
ed English Reach, Crooked Reach, Long Reach,
and Sea Reach The gale was diversified only with
wooliewaws, the rain with snow and hail. Some
times we are sailing along in rare sunshine, when
wooilewaw whirls a storm of sharp diamond hail
into our face, column of spray-beads to the very
truck forces little craft down into the water
till rustling flood swashes along her decks, then
moves leeward in a brown and distinct whirlwind,
till it hides end OF a lustrous rainbow, whose
other extremity is spendidly defined against some
rough mountain Meanwhile the glorious sunlight
is over all. From Fort Famine to the harbor of
Mercy, Cape Pillar, they continually increased
in fury The day before we left this latter harbor,
there was grand display of their mpotent rage
Our passage consumed twenty days, thirteen of
which found us closely shut up in harbors. We
overlook and passed square-rigged vessels which had
been weeks in the Straits, unwilling TO return and
unable to proceed. Few square-riggers can hope for
short passage; the difficulties in managing them in
channel, barely mile wide in some places are too
great.
The passage from the Atlantic is thus mostly con-
fined to small vessels. From the Pacific, passages
are often made by ships in two or three DAYS, and
the only wonder is why more do not save the dis
lance around Cape Horn. There are scarcely any
dangers which are not visible so bold is the coast
and deep the soundings throughout the Strait.
Few portions of the earth can surpass this so
wonderful in the grandeur of its scenery. Here let
the painter come, the poet too,-all who love nature
in her widest moods, and can discern mystic love-
illness behind her frowns. Only the monomaniac
gOld-hunter views it with an indifferent eve.
We have left the Straits of Magalhaen. Cape
Pillar grows DIM Westminster Hall towers family
aiar; the seabcaten Evangelists begin to loom in the
evening sky, and Cape Victory, like grim old war
der, watches departure in silence. On one side
OF us is the mighty group of TERRA del Fuego; on
the other begins immense continent, whose other
extremity is near the North Pole. Before us lies
the great Pacific.