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

came elewlys waiting time is at all times tn
AZ dawn Of day on the 18th the second anchor
soon had the pleasure Of seeing our ship once
mor9 teV from * north ana The WEATHER Wa
| delightful. The barometer stood at 1880. the
temperature q the or s2 ana ne water OF tne
several Patagonian Indians. who were tall and
robust also several horses. Most Of the huts OF
the Gillian colony remained with garden en-
closures. Attn part the submits OF the gran
ite mountains bound ding the straits. covered with
snow and theil inaccessible sides shelving into
the ct ss
the kind ever beheld.
cluded to touch at St. Nicho as Bay. Accordingly
| at half past three O'Clock in the afternoon. We
! anchored our vessel close In shore on tne
north side, in sixteen fathoms Of water stu
ground. We landed in these solitudes, and
| found the narrow river d bpuching / to the bay
to be Of great depth. Pent up between the bases
| OF lofty mountains, 1t must. during the meltlnS
| of the snow and the heavy rains to which TINS
part Of the continent is subject, run with great
rapidity We found the water TO be excellent
and icy cold 1t is an excellent place for water
ing vessel. Greatduantities OF drift logs, prln.
cipally cedar arc strewed along the shores OF
this bay. From it's position. which is a consid-
cradle distance beyond ordinary tide mark, it
may be inferred that the swollen waters Of the
river when entering the straits meet Tn strong
the shores. leaving them in their present POSI-
ton. This river, in all probability has never
been explored. 50 that It is uncertain where IN
the interior OF Patagonia it takes Its source:
probably from the snow and rains falling from
the mountains. 1t mus however. wind through
a well wooded country, as some oil inc cedar
The cedar trees growing on the land bordering
the bay are OF smaller growth Ihere was
end IN ~ e Norhsrn
On many of the shrubs we saw flowers IN bud
0nd in blossom. Tho grass In many parts W
nigh and of sweet flavor; beaut fni MOSES OF
many va -ietes abound. Or these We made large
collections. In a small pond. shaded by shrub
berry, we saw ice; in some shady spots snow was
on the ground We saw plenty OF woodcocK.
owing, however, TO the shrubbery II was dllncult
to shoot them also. quails, snlpes, ducks ana a
variety Of small birds. Our party shot one sim
liar to the golden wren OF Europe; also. two
others of unknown species. In our rambles We
saw on the shore tracks Of the guanacoe and
their fresh SOIL likewise tracks OF some quad
ruped and the footprints OF a bird u great size,
probably the ostrich.
The level land bordering the bay. extending
their TANKS embrace probably about 1900 acres
We discovered in some OF the standing cedars
the names OF two vessels from New ork, q orig
and schooner; likewise the names OF siv-
eral Americans. One statement Was that the
schooner had been from home seventy days:
here they had remained to wood and water
there were two arborS, made OF poles ana COW
cred with brushwood.
The submits and steep slopes OF the granite
mountains covered with snow presented to our
party singular and beautiful sight Viewing
the scene in all directions from our position on
the beach nothing in nature could surpass 1t 10
grandeur: the sky was cloudless. surfou nded
by mountains with an apparent small lake in
our 'front.' for there is no visible opening In
these parts Of the strait: the scene that pre-
scented itself partook of the fascination OF fairy
enchantment. The sun was descending behind
the mountains hear to our right when 1t cast Its
rays upon those to the eastward, imparting 70
the snow a var ETY. Of purple and golden tlnts |
no pyUQS
After cmbarking on the boats, before dusk OF
evening to return to the snip, we saw sSevera
seals emerge from the water ana ascend the
beach.
st. Nicholas Bay as harbor. next to Port |
Famine, is one OF the best in the Straits. There
is an abundance of fire wood. good water is |
easily procured, and. from appearance it would |
seem there is plenty OF game. Shell fish abound |
such as the muscle, Wrinkle and species OF
clam
beautiful starry night, sky purely ethereal. |
in wild solitude remote from civilization, We |
reflected on what n ust have been fierce and /
gigantic mountains and form those deep water |
and we thought OF the brave but |
tyrannical Admiral Drake. who, when he was In /
Queen Elzabeth's ships. bound for the Pacific
over three hundred years ago. had one OF his
Junior commanders tried and beheaded. We
he affectionately embraced his murderer: Per-
mars in this very bay the tragedy occurred.
altitude This day. the 18th September, is as the
18th March in the northern hemisphere. The
,ra g here is high. shrubs are n blossom, and
he buds OF trees are swollen: whereas at thu |
north, on this continent. in the first. spring
month"; arch-and at a distance of severa.
hundred miles from the equator. vegetation
Ices not come forward proving how much
nider the high southern latitu5es are to no til. |
sven in lower ATTITUDES. The perpetual curren
y icy water issuing from the north polar re-
yions, sweeping far south along the northern
shores Of America, chills the air and retards
vegetation.
At daylight in the morning of the 18th Sep
ember we departed from st. Nicholas Bay. The
weather continued delightful. with clear
atmosphere; the wind blew fresh from north,
)ccasi onally flying ali around the compass.
,aused by the mountains. As we steamed WITH
N one hundred and fifty feet OF the mountains
IN the Patagonia side. the rotary gusts OF wind
yhlrled from their submits down upon our
lecks heavy masses Of snow.
At 10 O'Clock in the forenoon we passed Cape
Coventry. The temperature of the air was 46
Ind the water OF the strait ~ degrees. The level,
)ut perceptibly ascending land to the westward
If the cape, seemed inviting; beautiful rivulet
vas seen meanderlng through IT, Here we saw
several PatagOnian Indians, who on the. ap-
)roach of the steamer. concealed themselves. |
After leaving English Reach the woodlands
ease; all beyond wears an aspect Of the widest
lesolatiOn.
Before entering into Crooked Reach, We
passed. at a short distance to the northwest, the
northern branch OF the straits, which, at the dis
auce of 40 miles to the noythWard. opens
passage into the Pacific Ocean. The channels
hough .navigable, are narrow and tortuous.
elevation. These channels form perfect laby-
'inthe. in which a navigator may easily be be-
yildered.
There is in Crooked Reach small rocky slet
which we left on the starboard hand. We saw on
his isle cross which marks the spot OF some
leparted soul; it is secure but lonely resting
place.
AT O'Clock in the afternoon we emerged from
Crooked and entered into Long or Sea Reach.
Ehe temperature Of the air was 48 degrees, and
water Of the straits 4s degrees. Nothing can be
mag ned more desol tie and dreary than
he mountains on both sides Of this mar
ow reach their submits. covered with
now. and in the valleys. where the suns
'ays never penetrate; the snow on the southern
tide of the mountains must be perpetual the
lopes of the mountains shelving almost per-
into the water at depth Of 500 feet.
consist of rugged. twisted granite rock. desti-
ute OF the least yestge of vegetation.
Long Reach is Just fifty mil g in length. 1t is
,ery narrow, and its mountain boundaries are
IS straight as if drawn by line. There are
ew small indentations where tie mountains are
detached from each other. It is between these
small openings that the hills valleys and noun
aims are seen entirely covered with snow.
Heavy westerly gales sweep up. this channel
With terrific violence; the water being very deep.
he sea on such occasions must roll heavily