The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-06-18

sx CAPT. n. W. rosrEB. or NEW ORLEANS.


4. r.seresss.s nenain,sesnes - 1853.
BY CAPT. n. W. FosTER. or NEW ORLEANS
About O'Clock in the morning OF the 2sd da.
81 September. 1852. the atmosphere was oeauti
fully clear and the moon shone with unusua
hriehtneas. when the bold land Of Patagonia wa
ssen beaxine southwest We then sounded II
thirty-two fsthoms Of water. over bottom Q
mud and gravel We were now drawing near t.
that singular arm Of the two oceans which fol
nearly three hundred years had rarely beer
vhitened by the sails OF vessel navigators pre-
ferring to double Cape Horn rather than incul
the risk OF passing through the Straits OF Ma
gellan-
At break OF day the atmosphere. which had
retained it, clearness, suddenly became OBJ
scured by dense fog, the wind from southwest
changed to southeast. bringing this fog from
sea. circumstance that dampened my exDecta-
tons In being able to enter the straits that day
We steamed slowly on a south course. constantly
casting the deep sea lead. which gave twenty
eight fatboms water over muddy bottom.
At o'clock a. m. the depth OF water in less
than ten minutes decreased from twenty five TO
ten fathoms At the same time the fog. to our
great ioy began to dispense. and we saw break
ore to the southwark and the Cape Virgins,
bearing southeast by south. distant twelve mics.
Avoiding the shoai ground OF the cape o when
ct noon bore north, we entered into the Straits
Ats O'clock in the evening we cast ancher in
Possession Bay. in eighteen fathoms water ana
on q bottom # shiDgle. to await tho morning
light The North direction Hill bore by com
pass s ey West ana Sap we IL
very steep; from fifteen we shoaled suddenly to
nine fathoms. when the ships head was turned
to the southeast. The rise and fall OIL the tides
here is from thirty Height to forty two feet often
forty -six feet; 30 that vessel anchor1ng at full
food tide renders il important to choose great
depth of water, otherwise disaster might be the
rosulk We saw continued hocks OF wild geese
flying to the westward. The submits OF the
Sens sns e sss sp Ps month b snswerns to
March in the Northern hemisphere.
Nature, in her wonderful creation q endless
dom been more bountiful than In mos OF the
seas on our GLOBE. The floating isles Of seaweed.
called KEMP 54s e roes wh q ~ "
1.-The sea. Is seen in these regions N great aoun-
dance. The main trunk in some instances rises
TWO HUNDRED feet The Individual branches.
which spread out their leaves and which give
form to those masses are often over one nun
vessels. or seed. which buoy up the mass,
are several inches in length, and the leaves
seven to ten feet in length In the straits ana
10 well to avoid these patches OF weed, as hidden
dangers may possibly exist. In no other parts
of the various oceans have marine plants been
found attaining to such enormous lengths from
the bottom OF the sea.
The duties pertaining to the various depart
night watch set / paced the deck and reflected
on times changes. Three hundred and thirty
three years have elaps.d since Ferdinand Magei
now at anchor 1t might have been that in his
weather-be shallop OF sixty or seventy tons
burthen-awonderful contrast. the City OF Pitts
burg being over 1000 tons burthen--he had an
chored his vessel on this same ground: that his
provisions, in all probability, consisted Of
H. .tryit rI,tfn
and jerked beef Great have been the changes
On shipboard. Ships are now literally sup
piled with not only good, wholesome food, but
even with Injuries, so that Jack lives like a
d. september 24ti,--At day dawn weighed anchor
vas calm and cloudy. Whilst passing through
the first narrow the rapid tide broke. loaned and
whirled in great agitation. The flood being In
great rapidly. We saw on the verdant hills on
both sides OF the narrow pass several guanacoes
species e eli spparGeaty larger ,ET t than our
attracted by the scent of our bituminous coal
smoke They stood and gazed intently at our
and round in a playful manner. The air was
calm and delightful, the temperature being As |
degrees Fahrenheit. andthe water In the narrow |
80 degrees. A few miles to the northeast OF the |
eastern entrance to the narrow we saw the |
wreck of a sunken ship, q solitary and out Of
way place to be shipwrecked.
As is usual on the Terre del Fuego side when |
a vessel is seen by the natives passing through /
the straits smoke arose in various directions
hence the origin Of the name given to this land
by the early spanish navigators-" Land Of
Fire Wecould not discover even with tn aid |
Of glass either the natives or their habtations
thouSh we steanpd within a few wards of the |
Fuegoian shore. 1t Is said they are stunted /
race. living in caves and in nuts built OF brush
wood and covered with skins. II is singular !
that IL the Fuegoians are stnnted and OF small /
stature that they should differ so physi ally |
from the Patagonians. who are tall, robust |
race, and in some parts of the straits separated |
by few rods of water. The recent melancholy |
fate Of captain Of the English navy and his |
missionary companions massacred by the |
natives has retared their civilization
The Fuegoian side is diversified by numerous |
hills. On the Patagonia side there are ranges of
appearance After passing through the first |
narrow and arriving toward the second mar
row the Fuegoian shore is low but rises to
which from the vessel has pleasing
aspect; the elevated part of this slope ter /
inmates at the base OF mountain range vary
ing from 1000 to 1000 feet in altitude, which is /
termed Land OF Desolation. In steaming from
the first to the second narrow we passed over
Ripplings. This is a narrow line Of powerful i
rippings. caused by the tide falling over shoai |
ntC deeRs ne as Il The wo
TWAS nearly high water, and in crossing this |
ridge we found only 81 feet depth OF water; the |
low tide she would have grounded on this shoal /
At haif-past ten o'clock a. entered the
second narrow. from which at noon we emerged. /
Vincent. the southeast point OF the narrow,
we saw basking on the beach a great collection /
Of seals. The American sealing craft have Of |
late years discontinued the business Of seal I
capture. This respite has probably given the |
animals . chance 20 multiply. 49,
The wind now blew a fresh breeze from the i
north with a partially clouded sky. At half-past
3 O'Clock in the afternoon we saw. about half
league to the southwark OF Sandy Point
tP1nta Arena). what seemed to be a
collection of tents and a flag flying.
Learning from report at Bio that the CHILEAN
Government had established at Port Famine a
penal colony, was led to believe that these I
must be the crew of some wrecked vessel. To /
gain intelligence and rescue the unfortunate i
was induced t. edge the ship towards the point;
in SO doing our steamer unfortunately grounded /
on the extremity OF shoal ground to the south
east Of the point. This shoal is not correctly de-
lineated, as its extent is greater than laid down
on the chart. Luckily the bottom, composed Of
sand and shells. is of a soft nature and the tide /
did not fail over five feet, except towards the |
point; there was n every direction good depth |
of water.
boat came from tho shore, bringing off the |
Governor, who held the rank of captain in the |
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