7th February 1834

Conrad Martens' Sketchbooks:
The left foreground contains a sloping contour running from the left-hand edge of the middle of the picture into the centre, coloured darkish purple. Behind this slope a rockier outline in paler purple is visible, behind which Mount Sarmiento itself rises abruptly and jaggedly to two peaks, coloured white, with grey shading indicating the shadowed surfaces to the right. The sun is shining from the left perpendicular to the line of sight. In the background the sky is painted faint purplish-blue, with some indication of cumulo-cirrus cloud from the top left-hand corner to the centre above the white peaks.
Port Famine
The day has been splendidly clear; Sarmiento, appearing like a solid mass of snow, came quite close to us. If Tierra del could boast one such day a week, she would not be so throughily detested, as she is by all who know her. I made the most of it & enjoyed a pleasant stroll with Mr Rowlett & Martens. There is little fear of Indians, we found however a wigwam which was not very old & the marks of a horse. There can be little inducement for the Patagonians to come here, as they cannot leave the beach; it is one of the few spots where the Fuegian & Patagonian can meet. Many of the trees are of a large size. I saw several near the Sedger river, 13 feet in circumference & there is one 18.9 inches. I saw a Winters bark 4'.6" in circumference.

Captain Fitzroy’s Journal:
Approaches to trees were found at this place, which though stunted as to height, much like thorn-trees in exposed situations, were of respectable dimensions. One measured more than three feet round the trunk, but its fellow was not seen.

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