The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-03-06
From tie Journal Of Commerce
STRAITS OF MAGELLAN

AS these Straits are to he good deal nsviga
ted by oar vessels 10 California, the following ac-
count Of them by Capt MorrelI Of New York, in
his book Of voyages, published in 1892, bv the
Harpers, may interest some persons. He had been
SIX times through this passage
"The Straits are about 375 miles in length
Their course forming an.elbow. or two sizes of
right anglcd triangle. The distance across the
land is about 100 miles-Cape Froward being
the Southermost Point Of the South American
Contiucnt-the Island of Cape Horn eing over
100 miles further South The Straits of the East
ern entranre are between six and seven leagues
wide. and have from Is TO 30 ftthoIhs water The
tide on the Atlantic rises about l6 feet aEd about
feet on the Pacific The passage is safe for YES
els OF any size, and tine navigation plea. ant and
easy. There are many safe and commodious
harhors all the way through Wood al water
can be procured with ease, and an abundance Of
fish, and antiscorbutic vegetables, and birds and
deer at the Eastern entrance. The land Is low
on both sides, like rolling prairie Towards the
! middle and West it becomes hiily and mt rhfain-
ous.--some part of it resembling ths scenery Of
the Hudson River
"The country is well peopled Near I. Fast
ern end Of the Strait. Capt Morren saw about
200 Indians. all on horseback and towards the
Western end he visited on shore lv more
han thousand, who were very pcaceaile- and
friendly.
About | 90 miles from the Eastern enhance il
Fort Famine. so named by the English Naviea-
tor. CavendiSh who, IN 1857 rescacd the only
survivor Of colony of 400 Spauiards. Who had
been settled here in 1881. 10 form n nucleus for
protection to Spanish Commerce, The place was
named Phillipvillc. in homer # the rcisning men
arch of Spain The unfortunate settlers were left
without sufficient attention to shcir crops NLcn
| the place was ris;tcd hy Cavcndish he found on
Y one individual alive whom he carried To Eng
land. All the rest had persisted bv famine but
%, who set out by land far the Rio DE Plata. and
were neve: afterwards heard Of
Had this colony hcca c3ziTc. Il Of such men
as arc daily cmigrating from New England 70 cur
western wilderness, 50 far from suffering famine,
| they would have converted Patagonia into fruit
full country. and Philipville would have. in time.
become large city. 1t has a fine harhor abund-
ance ~ fish, game and wild celery. and the finest
Trees ever saw oaks. beech aud cellars ; 10
feet in diameter Some of them would make The
finest masts for line OF hattle-sl.;ps
| "The valleys are cloiied With luxur,ant yer
dure- The clover fields OF PcnnSvl vania. if suf
fered TO 20 few seasons Uninowetl, would alo,s
furnish parallel"
| Captain Morreli 7isfed the ruins f PhllirviIc
and says the fort erected b., the Spaniarls j, bur
slightly decayed, and with little labor could he
repaired and would command the Strait. The
| Captain made an excursion into the e. 1intrv-of
which he gives an interesting account In the
night they were disturbed bv loud ronrinp " bich
he afterwards found was the South American
| Lion.