The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-27
THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN.
WATERS ~ UHTCH TT TAXES 4 coon
sEtMiN TO ESCtI'E SIfIIWRECk.
How the Sunbeam Threaded them In Safety
Narrow thnnnei-nnd savage scenery Hug
piur the shore Glaciers aud Volcanic Dust.

bunt m lut. tulr 81 ID :. and longitude % 81
" We saw "A bark standing toward us Under u
rr'ss nj sail. with the Brush ensign reversed.
On r.'ersuif,il Oh signal book thr signal "
hiniod WIS nladu oui To- be-, am on fire., The
ntf Swansea to Valparaiso, with a cargo of
coal for smelling purposes. siNty-eieht days
out The cargo had been on fire already six
DAYS; and the crow w're rn,anp,d on n"
quarter deck. under very impaired shelter, tho
sea hreaking over them n rough w1'h"r.
After dcilcration. the master OF the Mnnes-
hAVon decid "A ON abandoning his vessel. lie
did So with much hesitation; but ! saw no
informative that could No. alopf'h. with
uut imminent peril to tho lives oi the crow
After "A seven days pnsstgc we arrived mt
noon 0u the jtn of Ortobrr on tape Virgins
tho straits Of Magellan. The 'alh"r heing
clear. We directed our attention diligently tu
the task of identifying all the more or less dis
iant landmarks ON the nam land 20 thr h9rth.
The coast II TERRA del fucgO IL low, and not
Visible from the dcck n ihc iairway from
w. had only ul-t finish 'd our reconnaissance
of the consi when we saw the smoke II u largo
steamer steering TO the eastward 3. we hois'ei
the signal wish to communicate, and stood
btnb nr'vad Nv IL, The IlliinAni She stnppri
as w. were seen approaching IN the xix, and We
were most court"ously Received 10y her taptain
He cou-ent"i to take our refugees 10 England
urc-cnt,d Us with his latest newspapers sup.
Icd rs with fresh beef and vegetables. ana
rlye Us some useful advice rs To the navigation
oi the straits. All this was accomplished in less
than nm hour; after which we stood in 10 Pos
session bay, whore We anchored Al about ) L. W..
wlio the lllimani proceeded at full speed ON her
AiiIra 1uict night at anchor. we weighed at
Ga W.. aud procccdcd under steam in the 81
re,tun Of SANDY Point The pllotage to the
FIRST \trrOws. from the eastward. presents
s1nr lin .utics. On each side there are shoals.
win de. - water clos. to the banks. For this
r.sln. soundings will not enable the navigator
g. determine his position So accurately rs IN
paris of the sea whore tho variations of depth
ar. more gradual II il accordingly necessary
r. take hearings Of the various hcadlands and
landmarks in addition 10 the us Of the lead.
when these bearings cannot be- obtained. the
rapiliiy ~ the tides running at from three to
PIX knots an hour. causes serious cnbarrass.
ment In thick weather, therefore, it would
hay" been imprudeni 10 quit the anchorage.
II was misty and rainy when W. weighed an
slor lut We made the buoy ON tn" Nurrows
lauN without difficulty Having steamed three
mills further, We stopped for n few minutes.
took -ouudiugs and bearings " the beacon on
nir-' tt.u Hills and Of the summit ~ Mount Az
n0nl. and, having established accurately our
l.sti ln -trrrcd Tor the northern shore OF tho
First Narrows. In about half an hour W. could
distinguish Cape Orange on the starboard
beam aud Cape DelgHda. on the port bow. The
wealth then cleared up .andwe steamed through
lhr First Narrows, i'll the bright 81 sunshine
and with Hood tide, at the rate OF fourteen
knots an hour.
Aitcr passing through the first narrow chan
mel some fifteen miles in length, the navi gator
rmprses into a broad strait fifteen miles in
width. T. the south the land is low: on the
north the Gregory Range. the home of the gu.
nnaro AMI the ostrich. Is the most prominent
feature. This chain Of hills terminates abrupt
IL toward tn west. in steep slope, called the
through the III Isl when other objects cannot be
seen. Here | may remark that. though the
Chilian Government has Of late made an effort
g. facilitate the navigation Of the straits. by lay
INK down buoys on the most dangerous shoals.
and 1v erecting bearons the more prominent
hrnilanl-. there stun remains muc III To be done.
The second Narrows ara seventeen miles
long. and from four - six miles broad. We
ssersd or the ou"ep chahus On an" our ' Inri
board side we passed Elizabeth Island. SO
named 10y Sir Francis Drqke, Iii covered at
NIf T. o.
hrlng here during the period Of breeding. t.
ape the numerous foxes on the mainland.
On our port side we passed Santa Magdalcna
An land mile long by half mile broad Ii
Is "A iavorite haunt Of cormOrants, penguns
und IA lions; and the birds could today oe
J. lAprth Island, We skirted the shores of Pata.
r,,nip. winch at this point become hilly and
w wooded. In short time the lofty spar-
Nth" men-of war ut anchor Of Sandy Point
came int }Hi,,y and We brought NJ in The roat-
We had steamed ninety-hNe miles IN nm
h'ar- from possessi3n Bay, and during I'M
r,trd ayi.ation, dtlincAted on two large
rlifts. every detail Of which must be mastere'
WNirh ILLS thirty pages OF the Admiralty Direc
hry.
weighed anchor at A. NJ. and proceede,
uhicr steam on our passage through th'
straits; OF Cape Virgins. topmasts had beer
down on deck in order that our top hamper
night offer the least poss bic resistance, in TIN
The course from Sandy Point is almost du'
san Isdro is rounded. The scenery present.
trance To the straits. There the shores are low
and the landscape tame; here. mountains coy
from the water. The ill-omened names o
Famine Reach through which we stsameC
deserted ruins Of Port Famine. seem to len,
4plr9rrlatG ideas to these rugged scenes. Por
| Drae" mud other English dscoverers Of his ad
seninrpus age from, passing through thes'
sira = utD the south seas.
Advancing to the southwark II was nearl'
hDlA when We rounded Cape frOward. IN
southern extremity d South ,Ameriea. Thu
.Iii- Directions describe the pr'vailin.
.i'irr IA tho, straits IN the most gloomy terms
squalls were cXpcrlcnced OF Cap
Hrl ~ Cordova and the first explorers
ii'4r accounts are confirmed 10y later au
l ..'.- =. who suggest that lull may onl
I :" so fHd whom suns approaches. Our
much more agreeable eXperien.re
ao weather was lovely and We stopped 70
4 ltI No. .iIIr IN Nrl"r tlut ihr h"dutllul s"ener
ID '.h' he sh'tched In the afternoon W
r n 20 English Reach steering W. y W
'r-. on our way W" met canoe contain
Il .nl tho miserable natives Of Terra de
to. 'w9 mon aud one woman. They wor
garments than seal-skin 'loak whicl
y Nl' ll~losei Of In "N 'hanEe igr SOM
r...-, ..ui tnhaco At T. NJ we ar
l !. VT j. 'rHt Bay, an ini'ni0u"u IN III
90 1t@i ur Cordoya peqineula' wher
.,m sandy Hook WIS lo5 miles
/ VI "t Nn'" NOR. Weigh Il anchor. m.
lli r. -'ean iirlugh Long h'aeh,
| ~'ra GIT NWpN. dividing III" CordoN
| iroi. Oh, -. luurs'- Island Of Sarui
| u'h is hTty -iNmil "s l9ngana iron
l m '.- wide. I'm" .hanusi runs bee
.If IUtN~ mountains, deep Gleus, h0l'
= ;Hhl '.p-rlnS pima les ~ 70 x
'uil. iut %. iiiiDr nii-fs nor rain 90,
n s'rlnirg features Of the stern an.
n.r 4 s ribbed 10y tn" old yoynSers