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- NOTES ON
NATURAL HISTORY OF THE
| STRAIT OF MAGELLAN
_ Printed by R. CLARK
FOR
EDMONSTON & DOUGLAS, EDINBURGH.
LONDON . . . HAMILTON, ADAMS, AND CO.
CAMBRIDGE . . MACMILLAN AND CO.
DUBLIN . . M‘GLASHAN AND GILL.
GLASGOW . JAMES MACLEHOSE.
PS, sateen Ornate ane maapV.
ab}
,2P "Zaxysie, gi
Nereis ON
THE NATURAL HISTORY
OF THE
Bo nAll! OF MAGELLAN
AND WEST COAST OF PATAGONIA
MADE DURING THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. ‘NASSAU’
INV THE VEARS 1866,:67, 68, §& 69
BY
ROBERT O. CUNNINGHAM,
M.D.,. F:L.S., ETc.
NATURALIST TO THE EXPEDITION
O WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS
EDINBURGH
EDMONSTON AND DOUGLAS
ro71
All rights reserved.
TO
JOSEPH DALTON HOOKER,
C.B., M.D., D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S., ETc.
‘DIRECTOR OF THE ROYAL GARDENS, KEW,
THIS VOLUME
IS MOST GRATEFULLY DEDICATED
¢
BY THE AUTHOR.
PREFACH.
pees
In the following pages I have sought to record such of my
Natural History observations, made in the course of a three-
years’ cruise, as I judged most likely to prove of interest
to general readers as well as to professed naturalists. For
fuller details on the Zoology and Botany of the regions
visited by me, I must refer the latter to papers which have
been, or which will shortly be, contributed to various scien-
tific journals and societies. Lists of the Birds obtained in
the Strait of Magellan and on the West Coast of Patagonia,
from the pen of our two highest authorities on South Ameri-
can ornithology, Messrs. Sclater and Salvin, have already
appeared in the volumes of the Jbis for 1868, 1869, and
1870, which likewise contain several letters by myself on the
same subject ; and I am at present engaged in drawing up
some notes on the anatomy of that remarkable bird, the
Steamer-duck (Micropterus cinereus). An article on the
Reptiles, Amphibia, Fishes, Mollusca, and Crustacea, pro-
cured during the expedition, will be found in a forthcoming
part of the Linnean Transactions, and I do not despair, in
course of time, to undertake the remaining Invertebrata. I
hope also, before many months elapse, to institute a careful
examination of my collections of plants now in the Royal
Herbarium, Kew, and to draw up a report on the same.
Vill PREFACE.
It remains for me to make my acknowledgments to the
numerous individuals to whom I have been more or less
indebted in various ways during my sojourn abroad, and
since my return to this country. First of all, I have to
express my heartfelt obligations to Captain Richard Charles
Mayne, C.B., R.N., for his unwearied kindness and considera-
tion towards me throughout the period in which I served
under his command, as well as for the loan of his private
journals, and other generous acts. My obligations are hardly
less due to my late messmates, the officers of the “ Nassau,’ *
in whose company I spent three very happy years, and who
assisted me most materially in the prosecution of my work.
To one and all of them I beg to return my most hearty thanks.
To the artistic skill of two of their number (Mr. F. Le B.
Bedwell, and the Hon. F. C. P. Vereker) I owe the landscape
sketches which adorn this volume; while to the exertions
of a third, Dr. S. Campbell, my companion in nearly all my
rambles, and an invaluable coadjutor, I am indebted for the
greater portion of the ornithological collections obtained.
References to services of other members of our party will be
met with in the course of this narrative.
My best thanks are also due to the Hydrographer to the
Admiralty, Rear-Admiral G. H. Richards, and to Dr. Hooker
(to whose kindness I owe more than I can here express), as
well as to Professors Huxley, Newton, and Flower; Dr. P.
* Lieutenants D. G. Tandy and J. H. Orlebar; Navigating Lieutenants
F. J. Gray and J. T. Hoskyn ; Dr. 8S, Campbell; Messrs. Bedwell and Baver-
stock ; Navigating Sub-Lieutenants E. R. Connor and J. W. Dixon; Mr.
H. J. Ollard ; and the Hon. F. C. P. Vereker.
‘PREFACE. ix
L. Sclater and Mr. Salvin ; Dr. Gray, Dr. Giinther, Dr. Baird,
and other gentlemen connected with the British Museum ;
Mr. E. F. Ffrench of Coquimbo (Chili), and many others at
home and abroad. I have in addition to thank Messrs. Water-
ston & Son of Edinburgh, for the careful manner in which
they have lithographed the sketches which were entrusted to
them, and Messrs. W. & A. K. Johnston for the exactness with
which they have rendered the Natural History illustrations,
which were drawn by myself, and which may, I hope, assist
in giving the reader a clear idea of some of the characteristic
forms of animal and vegetable life in the Strait of Magellan
and elsewhere. The name of Dr. Keith Johnston is a suffi-
cient guarantee for the accuracy of the chart of Patagonia
and the Strait of Magellan.
ROBERT O. CUNNINGHAM.
Tue F, C. MANnsE, PRESTONPANS, N.B.,
February 20, 1871.
70 65
Sam Matias
Chart of )
ee PATAGONIA aa
Enlarged Chart of the
STRAIT OF MACALHAENS € Fairweather
R. Gallgger Fort Gallegos
a :
o The \..
Gaaie STaeN
EAT AG ON TAS
aoe
Aura Bare op
oTway
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Loe
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RS crt np pO SE
Sa pa 2oe ii
Sa, «i % &
ag ra Ch, SYS) 43
trom, Ref a
> | CLARENCE I.
Longitude W._6/5
of Greenwich
W&A XK Johnston, Fdinturgh.
CONTENTS.
—@—_
CHAPTER I.
Departure from England— Porto Santo— Madeira—Funchal—
Hammer-headed Shark— Mollusca— Grand Curral— Phos-
phorescence of Sea—Porto Grande—Botany of St. Vincent
—Marine Zoology, Fish, Mollusca ; : ; 1
PAGE
CHAPTER IL
Voyage to Rio—Towing-net—lanthina—Porpita—Parasite on
flying-fish — Halobates—Swallows—Sharks and _ pilot-fish—
Jaseur Bank—Foraminifera—Arrival at Rio—Passao Publico
—Sensitive plant—Botanic Gardens—Rio Comprido Valley—
Nictheroy—Remarkable insect-nest—Thorny palms—Curious
butterfly—-Marine animals—Gale—Idotea annulata—Pam-
pero—Enter the River Plate—Cobwebs—Monte Video—
Agave— Tall thistles— Verbenas— Teru-Tero — Petunia—
Ants—Poverty of marine zoology—The Mount . , eae
CHAPTER III.
Maldonado— Botany — Ornithology—Ampullaria— V oluta— Peje
Rey—Capture of terrestrial and freshwater beetles in the tow-
ing-net—Sycozoa—Entomostraca—Macrocystis: its growth,
distribution, etc.—Enter the Strait of Magellan—Arrive at
the Chilian settlement of Punta Arenas or Sandy Point—
Climate—Products—Plants growing near the beach—Tame
Guanacos—Centrites niger—Senecio candidans—Serolis—
Lithodes—Parroquets—Cuttle-fish—Antarctic and evergreen
Xi
CONTENTS.
beeches — Winter’s-bark — Woodpeckers — Coleoptera — Myx-
ine—Anemone decapetala— Myzodendron— Cyttaria—Bar-
berries—Tinnunculus sparverius—Snipe—Cystopteris fragilis
——Large owl—Steamer-duck : notices of, by old navigators ;
habits, etc —Large Cyanzea—Peltarion—Halicarcinus
CHAPTER IV.
Commencement of surveying operations—Excursion to Patagonian
coast—Viscid plants—Dwarf Calceolaria—Coleoptera—Chiro-
damus Kingii—Edotia—Guanaco: early notices of ; habits,
ete—Chinche or skunk—Foxes—Boltenia—Brachiopoda of
Strait — Second Excursion— Cape Possession — Condors-—
Voluta Ferussacii—Gale—Samolus spathulatus—lIron wreck
—Inhabitants of North-eastern Fuegia—Catherine Point—
Cape Espiritu Santo— Large Tunicata—Sea-lion— Military
Starling—Sarmiento Bank—Windy weather—Excursion to
Coast of St. Jago Bay—Geese—Gale—Burrowing rodents—
Carranchas—Rhea—Bandurria—Visit the Patagonian camp
at Sandy Point—Patagonians : accounts of the older naviga-
tors ; religious and other ceremonies
CHAPTER Y.
Excursion to seam of coal in neighbourhood of Sandy Point—
Oxyurus—Peckett Harbour—Common duck of Strait—Meet a
party of Patagonians, and trade with them—Leave the Strait
for the Falkland Islands—Jason Cays—Reach Stanley Har-
bour—Climate and productions of the Falkland Islands—
Streams of stones—Diddle-dee berry—Balsam-bog plaut—
Falkland Island tea-plant—Almond-flower—Lessonia—Tame-
ness of sea-birds—Falkland Island sorrel—Marine animals—
Leave the Falkland Islands for the Strait—Grimothea—
Reach the Strait, and pilot H.M.S. “ Zealous” westward—
Teenioptera—Port Famine ; establishment of a colony there
by Sarmiento, and fate of the colonists—First meeting with
Western Fuegian or Canoe Indians—Fish—Port Gallant—
Fuchsias— Scenery — Philesia — Libocedrus — Ferns — King-
PAGE
51
+O
CONTENTS. | xlll
PAGE
fisher—Humble-bee—Playa Parda Cove—Desfontainea—Part
with H.MS. “ Zealous,” and return to Sandy Point—Animals
observed on the route—Peckett Harbour—Thinocorus and
Attagis—Chloephaga poliocephala—Oazy Harbour—Hippuris
—Botrychium—Buteo erythronotus . ; : é . eee
CHAPTER. VI.
Excursion to Quartermaster Island—Cormorant rookery —Bur-
rowing owl——-Gregory Bay—Discovery of Patagonian cranium
—Excursions to Fuegian coast—Lizards—Night alarm—
Lithodes—Serolis—Mass of fresh water near the coast of
Philip Bay—Aczna, etc.—Discovery of Fuegian cranium—
Short-eared owl—Excursion to St. Jago Bay—Joined by a
party of Patagonians, and accompany them on a guanaco-
hunt — Flamingoes — Phrygilus Aldunatii— Fungi in the
woods at Sandy Point—Arrival of H.MS. “ Spiteful”—AInter-
view with Patagonians—Small owl—New species of ray—
Querquedula cyanoptera — Visit burned Patagonian — Cape
Negro—Animals cast up on the beach at Sandy Point after a
gale : ; : : : ; : ; .. ESS
CHAPTER VIL.
Voyage to Rio—Remarkable stomachs of petrels—Flight of alba-
tross—Arrival at Rio—Flowers in the gardens—Manatee—
Market—Tank-road— Twining ferns—Tree-frog— Excursion
to Rodeio—Dom Pedro Railway—Serra do Mar—Remarkable
creepers and epiphytes — Opossums— Coral-snake — Gigantic
tree—Bulimus Taunaisii—Excursion to Tijuca—Cascades—
Enormous boulders—Barrachutas—Discovery of fresh-water
crab with live young—Excursion to Paqueta—Pitanga bushes
— Animals found on screw of “ Nassau”—Swift-running crabs
—Gallinazos—Saiiba ants : ; . 223
CHAPTER VIII.
Leave Rio for the Strait—Arrive at Monte Video—Excursion te
Buenos Ayres—Museum—Roman Catholic procession—Leave
XIV
_ Gregory Bay—Mareca Chiloensis
CONTENTS.
Monte Video—Violent pampero—Animals taken in towing-
net—Flight of moths—Enter the Strait—Sea-lions—Chionis
alba — Reach Sandy Point — Magellanic primrose — Cape
Porpesse— Black-necked and white swans—Cape Negro—
Embothrium coccineum—Eagle—Visit to Santa Magdalena—
Penguins — Remarkable cormorant-rookery — Sir Richard
Hawkins’ description of the island—Ramble on the coast of
CHAPTER IX.
Excursion to Gallegos River—Plants observed—Lost in the wilds
—Remarkable parasitic Crustacea on fish—Constant gales—
Second visit to Falkland Islands— Bog-plants— Penguin-
rookeries—Mount William—Falkland Sound—Tyssen Islands
—Tussac grove—Tameness of the birds—Fox Bay—Return to
the Strait—Excursion in neighbourhood of Mount Dinero—
Condors—Second visit to Quartermaster Island— Fuegian
dogs
CHAPTER X.
Leave Sandy Point for the westward—Botany of Playa Parda
Cove—Sholl Bay—Channel Indians—Wet weather—Otter
Islands—Grammitis australis—Glaciers—lIce at the entrance
of Eyre Sound—Eden Harbour—Small frog—Podocarpus—
Lepidothamnus—Mitraria—Halt Bay—Weinmannia—Loma-
tia—Enter the Gulf of Peias—Bad weather—Capture of alba-
trosses—Reach San Carlos—Vegetation ; Citharexylon ;
Fuchsias ; Escallonias ; Myrtles—Humming-birds—Oysters—
Ferns — Lizards— Birds — Loranthus— Foxglove— Visit the
town of Ancud—Chilian nettle—Scissor-bill—Concholepas—
Porcellana—Bad weather—Marine animals—Egg of Callo-
rhynchus .
CHAPTER XI.
Leave San Carlos—Oscuro Cove—Tricuspidaria—Mussels and
huge barnacles—Port San Pedro—Port Otway—Columnea
PAGE
. 250
: 279
. 308
CONTENTS. XV
PAGE
and other plants—Chiasognathus—Otter—White Egret—
Fish -— Molluscs — Echinoderms—Cross the Gulf of Penas
and enter the Messier Channel—TIsland Harbour — Large
Helix—Halt Bay—Barking bird—Pinguicula antarctica—
Eden Harbour—Channel Indians-—Coleoptera-—-Rainy weather
—Hoskyn Cove—Tall ferns—Turkey-buzzard—Return to
Island Harbour—Ascend a mountain—Campsidium Chilense
—Gale—Reach Chiloe—Tenoun—Huite—Small opossum
—Frog — Fungus — Cinclodes Patagonicus — Scissor - bill—
Rara—Narrow escape from being wrecked—Lota—Lapageria
— Euxenia — Boldu— Marine animals — Coal-mine — Tal-
cahuano—Excursion to Concepcion. , d : . 341
CHAPTER XII.
Valparaiso—Walks in the neighbourhood—Excursion to Santa
Rosa—Bad state of the roads—Cactus-clad hills— Adobé
walls—View of the Cordillera—Botany of Quebradas near
Valparaiso—Proceed to Coquimbo—Sterile aspect of the coun-
try—Plants—Shell-beds—Dredging—Terrestrial and Marine
animals—Earthquake shock—New Tubularia—Excursion in-
land—Samo— Ovalle—Torre— Tamaya—Panulcillo— Indian
graves—Giant humming-bird—Camarons—Return to Val-
paraiso —— Diez-y-Ocho — Plants — Excursion to Santiago —
Museum—Valdivia’s house, etc. . : Oe
CHAPTER XIII.
Leave Valparaiso—Arrive at Lota—Long ride—Luco Bay—Roblé
—Buddlea—Trachypterus—Torpedos—Plants—Marine ani-
mals—Quéls—Piure—Reach San Carlos de Ancud—Cormo-
rants and Petrels—Edwardsia microphylla—Quehuy—Calceo-
laria—Luzuriaga—Rhinoderma—Indian inhabitants of Que-
huy—CGuaytecas Islands—Port Melinka—Cave with bones of
Chonos Indians—Port Laguna— Plants—Myopotamus—Dar-
win Channel—Enter the Messier Channel—Lebetanthus—
Gray Harbour—Chilina—Port Grappler—Fish— Curious
plant—Cranium of deer—Puerto Bueno—Amphibia—Oxalis
Magellanica—Fortune Bay—Indians—Fish—Meet a whaling
XV1
CONTENTS.
schooner—Otter Islands—Williwaws—Sholl Bay—Cross the
Strait to the Island of Desolation—-Tuesday Bay—-Port
Churruca—Port Angosto—Swallow Bay—Meet our provision
brig
CHAPTER XIV.
Borja Bay—Tilly Bay—Fortescue Bay—HEleginus—Port Famine
Rio
—Sandy Point—Gentiana prostrata—Arrival of a party of
Patagonians—Wait for mail-steamer from Valparaiso, which
does not appear— Return to the westward, and meet a
schooner with shipwrecked passengers of “ Santiago” —
Receive them on board, and convey them to Monte Video
—FExcursions at Monte Video—Leave Monte Video to return
to the Strait—Revisit the Gallegos River, and find some
fossil bones—Reach the Strait—Ride to Freshwater Bay—
Puma cub—Port Churruca—Port Tamar—Mayne Harbour—
Curious habit of Humble-bee—Isthmus Bay— Otter Islands
—Remarkable sponges—An otter-hunt—Mount Burney
Good’s Bay—Sholl Bay—Fortescue Bay—Gunnera lobata—
Wood’s Bay—Return to Sandy Point, and receive news of our
recall to England
CHAPTER XV.
de Janeiro—Excursion to Petropolis and St. Juiz da Fora—
Ascent of Tijuca Peak—Variety of ferns, ete.—Leave Rio—
Sargasso Sea—The Azores—Fayal—Ride to Caldera—Ferns—
Leave Fayal and arrive at Spithead
PAGE
. 424
. 456
. 487
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE
1. Mount BurNEY—FRom THE OTTER IsLANDS. Frontispiece.
bo
yea
Cuart oF Pataconta, ETC. (After Preface.)
SaNnDy Point . ; 70
SEROLIS ORBIGNIANA, BoLTENIA, CASSIDINA EMAR-
GINATA, ETC. ; 75
FoniaGe oF ANTARCTIC AND EVERGREEN BEECHES ; 78
HEAD OF STEAMER-DUCK . : ; : ; 93
WINTER’S-BARK—CALCEOLARIA NANA : ; 103
CRANIUM OF GuUANACO (reduced) , 12206
CRANIUM OF Puma (reduced) . ue ike
. Mytitus MaGELLANicus AND M, CHILENSIS jo eee
. NARROWEST PART OF THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN ie fii
VoLuTA MAGELLANICA ‘ ; : : 221
. CoRMORANT RookERY—STA. MAGDALENA . ‘ : 271
FuRCULA OF ConDOR » eee
. FuEGIAN INDIANS—WESTERN CHANNELS . ' erate se:
. PHILESIA BUXIFOLIA—GRAMMITIS AUSTRALIS 2 ee
Ecce of CALLORHYNCHUS ANTARCTICUS . — SG
SPECIES OF HYMENOPHYLLUM FROM WESTERN PATA-
GONTA , 344
BULIMUS OVATUS AND B. TAUNAISII . ee
VARIATIONS IN PINNULES OF TREE-FERN , . £399
Pops oF GUILANDINA BONDUCELLA . <-~ BOD
ASPLENIUM HEMIONITIS . ‘ . i : 504
CHAPTER L
DEPARTURE FROM ENGLAND— PORTO SANTO—MADEIRA—FUNCHAL
—HAMMER-HEADED SHARK——MOLLUSCA—-GRAND CURRAL— PHOS-
PHORESCENCE OF SEA——PORTO GRANDE—BOTANY OF ST. VINCENT
——MARINE ZOOLOGY, FISH, MOLLUSCA.
In the month of June 1866 I had the good fortune to receive
the appointment of naturalist to H.M.S. “ Nassau,” a small
steamer of between six and seven hundred tons, then about to
leave England, under the command of Captain R. C. Mayne,
for the purpose of surveying the Strait of Magellan and the
adjacent channels on the west coast of Patagonia ; and, about
two months later, I joined the above-mentioned ship, which was
fitted out at Woolwich Dockyard. On the 24th of August,
all preparations being completed, we set forth, leaving the
Woolwich Arsenal, off which we had been lying for some days,
and proceeded down the river as far as Greenhithe, where we
remained for the night. Next morning we started for Spit-
head, which we reached about 5 o’clock A.M. on the 26th, a
beautiful bright Sunday, which displayed the wooded slopes
of the Isle of Wight to full advantage. On the following
afternoon we left our anchorage, but did not proceed far, in
consequence of a strong head-wind, which compelled us to
come to a halt in Yarmouth Roads, where we spent the night,
leaving early on the 28th for Plymouth. Soon after we got
under way I gained a fine view of the Needles, which I had
never had an opportunity of seeing previously ; and, in the
afternoon, I spent some time on deck, gazing with interest on
B
2 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the high and rugged cliffs of the coast of Devonshire. We had
a fair wind, though there was rather more motion than was
entirely agreeable to a landsman on his first cruise ; and late in
the evening we arrived in Plymouth Sound, moving up the fol-
lowing day into Hamoaze, where we lay for about twodays. This
time I occupied, not unprofitably, in making myself acquainted
with the pretty country in the neighbourhood, and also in
stowing my books and scientific apparatus as advantageously
as the limited space at my disposal permitted. Owing to the
comparatively small size of the vessel, and the large amount
of room occupied by her necessary stores and equipments,
there was but little accommodation for specimens, the greater
number of which I was in consequence obliged to pack away,
as I best could, in my cabin. This, my destined study, mu-
seum, and bedroom, for the next three years, though not of
large size (6 feet long and broad by 7 high), was wonderfully
comfortable, possessing the inestimable advantage of being on
deck, and thus providing me with an abundant supply of light
and fresh air—important items at any time, and particularly
so in connection with the special nature of my work.
Shortly before noon on the 8th of September, a fine day,
but with a rather low barometer, we left the harbour on our
outward- bound voyage. Towards evening, however, it began
to blow, and the wind freshening steadily during the night, by
the morning of the 9th we encountered a violent south-westerly
gale, accompanied with a very heavy sea, which caused the
vessel to pitch prodigiously, initiating a series of tortuous
evolutions for which she afterwards became famous. It being
impossible to struggle on our way against such formidable
obstacles, we attempted to make Brest in the course of the
forenoon; but, frustrated in this by the fogginess of the
atmosphere, we altered course and ran for Plymouth. As may
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. >
be readily conceived, the circumstances were not favourable
for beginning a course of observations on Natural History
(with, no doubt, the exception of the phenomena attendant on
sea-sickness). I find it, however, recorded in my Journal,
that through a mist of “mal de mer” I had my first sight of
stormy petrels (Thalassidroma pelagica) ; that two small land
birds (apparently buntings) made their appearance on board ;
and that in the afternoon a fine school of porpoises (Phocena
communis) were seen close to the vessel, first showing their
dorsal fins and then rolling over so as to exhibit nearly the
whole of one side, as they rioted through the stormy water,
which for them had no terrors. As I lay awake that night,
and listened to the tumult of the elements around, while
floods of sea-water poured under the door of my cabin, trans-
forming the deck thereof into a pond, in which a variety of
books, insufficiently secured in their shelves, were swimming
about, I could not help thinking that this was a rather
rough beginning of life at sea; and speculating as to how
much more of it we were likely to be called upon to endure
before the completion of our work.
Late on the evening of the 10th we reached Plymouth
Sound, and there lay at anchor for the greater part of a week,
the weather being, for some time, of a too unsettled nature to
render a fresh start advisable, there being a prevalence of
wind and rain every day. Those who have had a like expe-
rience will realise the irksomeness and weariness of detention
on the coast of England after all farewells had been said, and
sympathise with us in our feelings of satisfaction when, on
the afternoon of the 17th, a day of mingled showers and sun-
shine, but with the wind down and the aspect of things in
general promising, orders were received to prepare to go to
sea. Accordingly, after sunset the same day, on one of the
4 NATURAL HISTORY OF
most lovely evenings I have seen, the anchor was weighed,
and we steamed out of the Sound, obtaining our last view,
for some time to come, of the reaches of purple undulating
moorland stretching to the horizon beyond Plymouth, and the
tree-covered slopes of Mount Edgecumbe. It was a night of
serene beauty, and I lingered on deck fora time, taking a last
look at the land. The stars were bright and clear, and the ~
moon cast a track of splendour on the heaving bosom of the
water. At length the Eddystone light died out of sight, and
I retired to rest, realising that what had been a long-cherished
dream was in process of being accomplished—the opportunity
of seeing for myself, in their natural condition, the animals
and plants of other climes.
On the following day much rain fell. The wind was right
ahead, and we steamed on against it, rolling very heavily at
times. In the forenoon, several porpoises were seen gambol-
ing about after their peculiar fashion, and a solitary tern was
observed flying over the water. Towards the close of the after-
noon the weather cleared up, and the sun appeared for a short
time before setting. There was a fine yellow, rainy-looking
sunset, accompanied by a faint rainbow. On the 19th, we were
well into the celebrated Bay of Biscay. It was a bright sunny
day, and after a time, the wind shifted into a rather more
favourable direction, which permitted of fore-and-aft sails
being employed, so that, in addition to being kept more
steady, we were materially assisted on our way.
34 NATURAL HISTORY OF
other fireworks during the day, Sunday is evidently practically
ignored at Rio, the shops being kept open just as on week
days, and business going on as usual. There did not even
appear to be any of that holiday-keeping for which Sundays
in Roman Catholic countries are so famous. In the evening
there was a splendid display of phosphorescence on the water,
an oar’s blade dipped into it emerging every time gleaming
with light.*
On the 5th I accompanied three of the officers on a walk to
the Botanic Gardens beyond the suburb of Botafogo. On the
way out we encountered a good deal of drizzling rain, which,
however, was felt to be rather a relief as lessening the extreme
heat of the weather. I was greatly delighted with the beauty
of the flowers cultivated in the gardens on the outskirts of the
town, and I remember being especially fascinated by the
splendour of the oleanders and various handsome creepers.
Many of the suburban houses have a most inviting
appearance, with their walls covered with glazed Dutch tiles
to reflect the solar heat, their brilliantly coloured cornices
(often bright blue or chocolate colour, with a raised white
pattern), and their brown-tiled roofs with projecting eaves ;
and as a rule the little gardens surrounding them are very
judiciously and tastefully laid out, many of them boasting one
or two palms or other large trees, under the shade of which
their owners may sit and enjoy the “dolce far niente” so
much appreciated in tropical countries. Some of the way-
side plants were very pretty. Among the most plentiful were
a scarlet and yellow Asclepias, a little creeper with flowers
* In an interesting and valuable paper on the Phosphorescence of the Sea
by Dr. E. Giglioli of Florence, late naturalist on board the Italian Frigate
*‘ Magenta,” to whose kindness I am indebted for a copy of the article in
question, the phosphorescence at Rio Janeiro is referred to the well-known
Noctiluca miliaris.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 35
varying in colour from white or pale lilac to primrose and
deep yellow or orange, with a marone heart (Thunbergia), and
a highly sensitive Mimosa with little rounded heads of purple
flowers, and short semi-prostrate stems covered with minutely-
pinnated leaves. The irritable nature of the last plant revealed
itself to one on stooping to pluck a specimen, by the pinnez
of its leaflets immediately folding up on the midribs, and the
leaves as a whole becoming rapidly deflexed on the stem.
I afterwards found that by stamping smartly on the ground
the same effect could be produced, the whole plant collapsing
in the most curious way. In some places the ground was
covered with this species to the exclusion of any other, and
by drawing a stick over a space covered by it, what at first
appeared as a green and flourishing patch of vegetation
assumed the semblance of a blighted and dying one.
A large and handsome blue butterfly, the first specimen of
a species with which we became very familiar in the course
of a subsequent visit to Rio, was observed flying along the
road, and pursued and captured by two of the party, who after-
wards became zealous butterfly-hunters, but was obtained in
a too injured condition to be worth preserving. We reached
the gardens early in the afternoon, and spent some hours
wandering about in them. Though not in that state of good
order which one is accustomed to see in European gardens of
the same class, they are well worth visiting, possessing much
interest for the naturalist, from the wealth of tropical vegeta-
tion contained in them. They have been for long justly cele-
brated for their fine avenue of cabbage-palms (Oreodoxa
oleracea), which certainly furnishes a remarkable object,
although hardly in my opinion a very attractive one, from the
stiff nature of the growth of its constituent members, the
stems of which appeared to me like tall and slender stone
36 NATURAL HISTORY OF
pillars formed of a number of tiers of masonry, the scars left
by the old leaves adding to the effect. In addition to the
cabbage-palm, many other species of the order alike from the
New and Old World, as well as numerous fine specimens of
Pandawi, the breadfruit, and the jack (Artocarpus incisa and
A, integrifolia), and representatives of many other types, are
cultivated. We saw some enormous specimens of the fruit of
the jack, two or three times the size of the human head ; and
the occasional growth from the trunk of a solitary large fruit
unassociated with leaves or branches, had a very peculiar
aspect. The milky juice exuding from the young twigs was
remarkably adhesive, a property frequently met with in plants
belonging to the same order. A large wasp was noticed
building on several of the trees, from the branches of which
the Spanish moss (Zdlandsia usneoides) depended in festoons.
Several insects were captured, among which was a large black
bee and a round flattened beetle (Cyrtonota) with dark green
iridescent elytra spotted with crimson ; and a land-shell with
a peculiarly shaped mouth (Bulimus auwris-muris) was met with
at the entrance of the gardens.
We returned to the city at the close of the afternoon, on
the top of a Gondola Fluminense, a sort of ’bus drawn by
mules, numbers of which are constantly running between Rio
and places in the neighbourhood. The following year we be-
came very familiar with them, finding them a great benefit
when we were returning fatigued to the city after long walks
in the heat, and we often admired the excellent driving dis-
played by the cocheiros in the narrow and roughly-paved streets
of the city. As we drove along we enjoyed a series of fine
views of the Corcovado and Sugar Loaf, the form of both of
which eminences varies very remarkably according to the
point from which they are regarded ; and our attention was
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 37
attracted by numerous clumps of hoary foliage, contrasting
remarkably with the greenness of the other trees on the hills,
and which I afterwards found were due to the presence of a
species of Cecropia.
Next day several of us landed after breakfast, and made
a short excursion into the Rio Comprido valley, where a num-
ber of beautiful though well-known Lepidoptera were cap-
tured, as also specimens of a small Mantis, one of the curious
walking-stick insects (Phasma), a Julus of considerable size,
and a large spider, with a hard horny pale yellow body,
marked with rounded black spots, and furnished on the dorsal
surface of the abdomen with two horns. Like all those who
have visited Brazil, I was greatly struck with the profusion
of beautiful insects, with the forms of many of which I had
long possessed an acquaintance from the illustrations in
various works of natural history. In the valley and neigh-
bourhood I collected a number of species of plants, including
a fine passion-flower (Passiflora), an Oxalis with purplish
rose-coloured flowers, a cucurbitaceous plant with small
yellow fruits, ripe specimens of which, on being handled,
burst open, disclosing the red seeds ; some Leguminose, and
a variety of ferns, some of which, from their peculiarity of
habit, would hardly be recognised as members of the group
by those persons who merely possess an acquaintance with
our British forms.
I may here remark, that although on this and later visits
to Brazil I met with many beautiful flowers, my experience
on the whole coincides with that of the distinguished traveller
and naturalist, Mr. Wallace, who remarks that he is con-
vinced, from his own observations,* “that in the most luxu-
riant parts of the tropics, flowers are less abundant, on the
* Malayan Archipelago, vol. ii. p. 295.
— 38 NATURAL HISTORY OF
average less showy, and are far less effective in adding colour
to the landscape than in temperate climates,” and that he has
never seen in the tropics “ such brilliant masses of colour as
even England can show in her furze-clad commons, her
heathery mountain-sides, her glades of wild hyacinths, her
fields of poppies, her meadows of buttercups and orchises—
carpets of yellow, azure-blue, and fiery crimson, which the
tropics can rarely exhibit.” This, I think, may be partially
accounted for, if we take into consideration the fact, that but
few of our most brilliantly-coloured flowers occur in the shade
of woods, but in comparatively open situations, which, in the
tropics, are too much burnt up by the direct rays of the sun
to permit of much development of vegetable life, with the
exception of certain bulbous and succulent plants (such as
Amaryllidacee, Cactacew, and Mesembryacee), which, from
their structure, are capable of thriving on very poor soil.
The case is, however, entirely different, it is almost needless
to observe, as regards animals—the birds, reptiles, and insects
on the land; and the fish, molluscs, crustacea, and other
invertebrates of the seas of the tropics, being, with few excep-
tions, much more brilliantly attired than their representatives
in temperate climates.
The 7th was a day of heavy rain, in consequence of which
I did not leave the ship. The warm steamy atmosphere
produced was very unpleasant, and caused a most extensive
development of mould on articles made of leather, and speci-
mens of all kinds. A few porpoises were observed swimming
about the harbour, and in the evening there was a splendid
sunset ; the summit of the Corcovado and other peaks
forming a sharp contrast with the deep rosy sky behind
them.
On the 8th, accompanied by the surgeon and paymaster
_ THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 39
(Dr. Campbell and Mr. Bedwell, my associates on most of my
excursions), I landed in the morning, and crossed from the
city of Rio to the opposite side of the harbour in one of the
odd-looking steamers, like Noah’s arks, which are constantly
plying to and fro. Landing at Nictheroy, we struck into a
path leading up a wooded hill, from the summit of which we
gained beautiful views of the harbour with its islands. We
obtained a number of species of butterflies, some large bees,
ants, and spiders, as well as a curious nest of a lepidopterous
insect (Ovketicus) hanging from a twig. This was about three
inches long, of an elongated form, tapering to the free and
attached extremities, and was constructed of small pieces of
stick, covered with a thin gray papyraceous substance similar
to that of which wasps’ nests are made, and lined with a very
tough woolly material. I ascended a neighbouring hill, the
summit of which was crowned with palms, by myself, and
was greatly impressed by the luxuriance of the vegetation,
noticing, among other objects, a great aloe-plant (Agave)
growing high up in the fork of a tree. On the way down,
there being no path, I lost my way, and not till after a severe
struggle through the intricacies of a thicket, where half the
plants appeared to be endowed with thorns or prickles, and a
species of palm (Bacéris), the entire stem of which was clothed
with black needle-like spines, nearly two inches long, specially
abounded, succeeded in emerging from the wood near the
edge of the harbour, at a distance of some miles from where
I had left my companions.
The two following days were spent in excursions in the
same neighbourhood, and a variety of zoological specimens col-
lected, including a batrachian (Cystignathus ocellatus), taken
in a pool of water; several specimens of a small Bulinws (B.
papyraceus) found in a torpid state on walls ; some curious
40 NATURAL HISTORY OF
heteropterous insects, with leaf-like expansions on their legs
(Anzsoscelis) ; and a large species of spider, which formed geo-
metric webs between the great leaves of an Agave, and is
probably the same with that obtained in similar situations by
Mr. Darwin on his visit to Rio.* On the morning of the 12th,
a day of great heat, we moved up from our anchorage to Coal
Island to take in a supply of fuel, and a large party took ad-
vantage of the opportunity to land on a portion of the main-
land in the neighbourhood, which we had not yet visited, and
spend the day roaming about the wooded hills. Near the
beach many large mango-trees (Mangifera Indica) were grow-
ing, and cast a delightful deep shade, and the cashew-nut
(Anacardium occidentale) abounded—its curious fruit in
various stages of growth. Many lizards were seen on this as
well as on other excursions, but they generally succeeded
in eluding capture owing to the extreme rapidity of their
motions; and I also caught a momentary glimpse of two
snakes in the woods. It was such a perfectly still day that,
while resting under the shade of the trees on the side of a
hill, the noise made by a wasp scrambling up and down the
leaves of an Agave close to me was most distinctly audible.
Mosquitoes were rather troublesome, but one afforded me
some amusement by its persistent efforts to pierce my coat-
sleeve—trying first one spot and then another unsuccessfully.
I also saw for the first time a butterfly, which on the follow-
ing year I met with abundantly, the Ageronia feronia, which
has the curious property of making a crackling sound with its
wings as it flies. It is very fond of lighting on the trunks of
the trees with its head downwards and wings expanded in a
horizontal plane, a habit possessed also by an allied species
which appeared to us to have a special predilection for the
* Naturalist’s Voyage, p. 36.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. AJ
smooth stems of the cabbage-palm. Not far from the beach
was a huge mass of detached rock, on the top of which many
cacti and aloes were growing, and on the overhanging sides
some wasps were busily engaged building their mud cells. From
the roof of a neighbouring well I procured two curious Arach-
nida with hard spiny bodies, the Phalangiwm acanthopus, of
Quoy and Gaimard. As the tide fell, towards the close of
the afternoon, a few rocks were left partially uncovered, and I
waded out to those in search of marine animals, obtaining fine
specimens of Purpura hemastoma, Inttorina flava, and a
species of Ostraa, as well as a couple of sponges, one of which
was pale violet in colour, and the other deep orange. Many
specimens of a species of Isopod, allied to Ligia oceanica (pro-
bably ZL. baudiniana) were found under the stones in shallow
water, and several examples of a crab of the genus Grapsus were
seen but none taken, as they escaped into clefts of the rock,
from whence they could not be dislodged. Among the few
Algee observed, was the widely-distributed Codiwm tomen-
tosum, which I afterwards met with in the Strait of Magellan.
Next morning several of the officers landed on a small
island in the vicinity, and one of them brought me from
thence a very fine specimen of a swimming-crab (Lupa spint-
mana), which must be tolerably common, as the following year
I noticed the species in the Rio market. On the afternoon of
the same day we steamed out of the harbour, passing not far
from the precipitous island of Redonda, and thereby gaining
a good view of the general aspect of its vegetation, which ap-
pears to consist principally of palms. The following morning,
there being a good north-easterly wind, the screw was got up,
and we proceeded under sail. In the afternoon a large whale
made its appearance in our immediate vicinity, displaying its
dorsal fin and purplish-brown back. The wind continued
) NATURAL HISTORY OF
favourable until the evening, when between 9 and 10 PM.
it suddenly shifted to N.W., dying away to northward
on the morning of the 15th, and soon after springing up
from the 8.W. Sail was accordingly shortened, and the screw
again brought into requisition, the breeze meanwhile freshen-
ing with such rapidity, that by the afternoon it was blowing
hard, with heavy squalls and a heavy sea from the southward,
so that we laboured on under steam, the vessel rolling and
pitching violently. The gale continued during the next two
days, accompanied with thick, gloomy, drizzling weather, and
afew large albatrosses and many stormy petrels were seen ;
but by the morning of the 18th it ceased, and was succeeded
by a favourable wind, which permitted us to proceed under
sail alone. We took advantage of this circumstance to em-
ploy the towing-net, by which we procured some specimens
of a bright blue Isopodous crustacean, the Jdotea annulata of
Dana. Mr. Spence Bate, to whose kindness I am indebted
for information regarding this and other species of crustacea
submitted to him, remarks that the blue colour appears to be
a peculiarity of pelagic species,* and mentions that he has
received specimens of the same animal “from Dr. Wallich,”
who says, “it is a parasite on Physalia, almost invariably at-
tached to the float,’ and that Dr. Wallich’s specimens were
taken between the Bay of Bengal and the Cape of Good Hope,
while those on which Dana founded the species were taken in
the Antarctic seas, south of New Holland. The Jdotea annu-
lata, therefore, enjoys a wide geographical range. I took it
again the next season to the south of the river Plate ; and I
may remark, that I never found it associated with Physalia, -
or any other oceanic hydrozoon.
* Our commonest British species, which is to be met with plentifully on
stones and among fuci at low water, is of a dull greenish hue.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 43
We kept a fair wind during the 19th, but the barometer
fell rapidly and steadily, which, together with a gloomy,
murky state of the atmosphere, excited apprehensions, only
too soon to be justified, that a second gale was brewing. In
the course of the evening the wind freshened considerably,
and some hours later it shifted to the north and westward,
and rain fell in torrents. By 7 A.M. on the 20th it was west,
and steadily increased in force, accompanied by a falling
barometer. It soon became clear that we were in for one of
the Pamperos for which the Plate and its vicinity have been
so long celebrated, and which owe their name to the circum-
stance of their blowing from off the Pampas or plains. All
due preparations in the way of shortening and reefing sail
were therefore made for the enemy ; but these I do not feel
myself competent to describe, and shall therefore not enter
into. The wind increased with great rapidity, the force in
the forenoon averaging 6-9 and in the afternoon 8-10, the
vessel meanwhile rolling beyond the extent (30°) registered
by the indicator, and causing serious apprehensions to be
entertained for the safety of the steam-cutter, which, despite
the very considerable elevation at which she was suspended,
was several times dipped beneath the waves. I retain a
lively remembrance of the pursuit of dinner under difficulties
that day, for, it being impossible to sit at table, the greater
number of us were established on the floor of the wardroom,
jammed up into corners as well as we could manage, with
our plates on our knees. It continued to blow furiously
throughout the evening ; and about 9 P.M. steam was got up,
and the screw lowered for the purpose of easing the ship.
At 10 pm. the barometer had sunk to 29°10'69', but soon
after began to rise, rising as rapidly as it fell) There was,
however, no perceptible decrease, but rather the contrary, in
44 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the force of the wind, which raged with violence throughout
the night, at one time blowing 11, while the ship rolled
30° in each direction. By the afternoon of next day,
however, it appeared to have expended itself, and gradually
fell, being succeeded by a beautiful calm night ; and on the
morning of the 22d it was calm, so that the sails were taken
in, and we went on under steam alone.* On that day, which
was very fine, a number of albatrosses, which had been our com-
panions during the gale, were no longer to be seen; and the
influence of the muddy waters of the Rio dela Plata was
indicated by the transition in the colour of the sea from deep
blue to dull green.
On the 23d land was reported soon after sunrise. As
we steamed up the estuary of the Plate, the low land on the
northern shore, between Maldonado and Monte Video, brought
to my remembrance my first sight of the Dutch coast, to
which it bears a considerable resemblance in respect of its
sand-dunes, with the low-lying, mostly treeless country
beyond them, dotted here and there with windmills.
76 NATURAL HISTORY OF
however, are more than twice as numerous in young as in
old individuals. The species appears to inhabit rocky ground
in rather shallow water, and its movements are very sluggish.* .
The last joints of the limbs (especially the anterior ones) are
provided with numerous fasciculi of short yellowish-brown
hairs, and the inner surface of the pincers is partially invested
with a blackish horny substance.
Many gulls were feeding on the beach, and here and there
a dull brown-coloured hawk was to be seen diligently investi-
gating some of the débris left by the waves. It was a bold
bird, not taking alarm till approached very closely, when,
uttering a querulous scream, it would fly off and perch again
at a short distance. This was the Chimango (Milvago Chim-
ango), very common in the eastern part of the Strait, and
throughout Chili I may here remark that I never observed
it feed on living prey, and almost invariably noticed it on the
beach or its immediate vicinity.
A few birds were shot on this occasion by the other mem-
bers of the party, including a specimen of a thrush (T7urdus
Falklandicus), on the throat of which I found the examples of
a large tick (probably a species of Dermanyssus), attached, and
two long-tailed green parroquets (Conurus cyanolysius). The
occurrence of a member of the parrot family so far south
strikes the traveller at first sight as very remarkable, and it
is not surprising that it should have attracted the attention of
several of the earlier navigators who braved the dangers of
the Strait. Thus, in the voyage of Oliver van Noort in 1599,
and in that of Spilbergen undertaken fifteen years later,
* As a curious fact in the history of our northern Lithodes arctica, I may
mention that some years ago, in removing the carapace of a female, I found
five live specimens of a bivalve mollusc, a species of Saxicava, lying in the
branchial chamber under the gills.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. RT
reference is made to fair woods in the Strait of Magellan
full of parrots ; and Captain Wood, in his interesting narra-
tive of this “Voyage through the Streights of Magellan in
1699-70,” mentions that in a wood at Port Famine he “saw
five birds, among which was a small parrot or parakite.”
The species appears to be tolerably common throughout the
wooded country on the shores of the Strait, and the
channels on the west coast of Patagonia, and is also abun-
dant at Chiloe. It generally flies in small flocks, which
herald their approach by a series of short screams, lighting
on the topmost branches of the trees, where they scramble
about with their bodies lying close to the boughs, a habit
which, together with their green colour, which closely ap-
proximates to that of the foliage, renders them difficult to
perceive, and thus screens them from danger. According to
Captain King (and an examination of the contents of the
stomachs of various individuals has enabled me to verify
this observation), they feed chiefly on the seeds of the Win-
ter’s-bark tree, to be afterwards mentioned.
Our delightful ramble this day was brought toa close about
8 P.M., when we returned to the ship, and the only circumstance
worthy of record that occurred during the evening was the cap-
ture on a fishing-line of a cuttle-fish of the genus Octopus, which
was exceedingly agile, and exhibited most decided objections
to being made a martyr to science. This, almost the only
species of Cephalopod which I met with in the Strait, is, I be-
lieve, the O. megalocyathus, characterised by the large size of
the sucking cups on the arms, and seems to be far from rare,
as I dredged specimens in many localities ; and on two or three
occasions numerous large individuals were found lying on
the beach at Sandy Point after the prevalence of severe gales.
The 23d was a pleasant bright day. A surveying party,
78 NATURAL HISTORY OF
who went on shore in the morning to take sights, brought off
with them, on their return to the ship, a nest with eggs, which
they found in a hollow ina sandy bank. In the afternoon a
small party of us landed, and had an agreeable walk through
the forest at the back of the settlement. Its general aspect re-
minded us in many respects of our own familiar English woods,
with the exception that there was a greater preponderance
of prostrate trunks and erect whitened skeletons. The prevail-
ing tree was the antarctic beech (Fagus antarctica), but an ever-
ereen species of the same genus (f" betuloides), which occurs much
more plentifully farther west in the Strait, and the Winter’s-
bark tree, were also present. The accompanying sketch may
assist In giving the reader some idea of the foliage of the
three trees, which I shall here briefly notice. The first, or an-
tarctic beech, which forms the mass of the woods from where
the wooded country begins for some distance to the westward
of Port Famine, is a very beautiful tree, frequently attaining
very large dimensions, both as regards height and girth.
Its method of branching is considerably different from that of
our native beech, and its bark likewise differs in having a
rough instead of a smooth surface. Young trees growing by
themselves on the outskirts of the woods present frequently a
most graceful appearance when lit up by the sun’s rays, and
often reminded me in their habit of growth of a cedar.
The leaves are rather small, being seldom more than an
inch in length, of an oblong-ovate form, with rounded
teeth at the margin, and their surface is rougher than that
of the British beech. The tint of the foliage, though not
of that delicate tender green shade which is the glory of our
beeches in spring, is very beautiful, and the autumnal
tints on the fading leaves are fine, varying from golden
yellow to a rich reddish brown. The beech-nuts are very
£
Os
Antarctic Beech
Foliage of
Ever green Beech
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 79
small—not a sixth of the size of those with which we are fami-
liar. I was interested by observing that, in the western part of
the Strait, where the following species prevails at the level of
the sea and for a considerable distance up the mountain sides,
almost to the exclusion of the deciduous beech, a well-marked
zone of the latter is often to be met with above the evergreen
woods, and small stunted bushes also frequently occur on the
summits of the mountains, at a height of 1500 to 2000 feet.
In autumn, this deciduous zone becomes peculiarly well marked,
in consequence of its light reddish-brown colour, which con-
trasts remarkably with the dark green hues of the woods below.
The evergreen beech (Fagus betuloides) which, from its
peculiar characters, was not recognised to be a species of this
genus by the earlier voyagers, some of whom seem to have
regarded it as a species of myrtle, is, upon the whole, the
commonest tree from the westward of Port Famine, throughout
the Strait, and along the west coast of Patagonia, as far as the
Chonos Archipelago, where the character of the vegetation is
rather more diversified. It sometimes attains a considerable
size where the individual tree has space to develop itself, but I
do not think ever equals the antarctic species in either height
or bulk, and, as a rule, the trees of it grow so close together,
that they seldom exceed 15 or 20 feet in height. The bark is
smooth and of a gray colour, a good deal resembling that of the
common beech, and the leaves are oval, crenulated, or serrated
at the edges, and of a dark shining green colour. They vary
much in size in different situations : those most exposed to the
winds being, in general, much smaller than those that grow
in more sheltered localities. They never exhibit those folds
which the young leaves of the antarctic species do, in com-
mon with these of our native beech. The wood of both the
antarctic and the evergreen species is, I believe, of rather good
80 NATURAL HISTORY OF
quality ; but the value of the larger trunks is considerably de-
preciated by the tendency to decay to which the heart-wood
is liable.
The third tree, or Winter’s-bark (Drimys Winter?) is very
different in almost ail its characters from the other two. It
belongs to the same order as the magnolia, and forms a noble
tree, with smooth gray bark, leaves from three to four inches
long, shaped somewhat like those of a laurel, green on the upper
and silver-gray on the under surface, and masses of rather
large white flowers at the end of the branches. It extends
throughout the wooded country of the Strait and western Pata-
gonia, and is abundant in the wooded parts of Chili, where,
however, it becomes somewhat modified in form, and has been
regarded as a distinct species, under the name of D. Chilensis.
It was noticed by nearly all the older voyagers through the
Strait, and derives its popular name of Winter’s-bark from Cap-
tain Winter, who accompanied Sir Francis Drake in his cir-
cumnavigation of the globe, during the years 1577-80, and
employed its bark as a medicine, and also in the way of condi-
ment for his crew, finding it a useful anti-scorbutic. It is
thus noticed by Sir Richard Hawkins, who visited the Strait
later in the same century :—“ Some of our idle time we spent
in gathering the barke and fruit of a certaine Tree which we
found in all places of the Straits, where we found Trees. This
Tree carrieth his fruit in clusters like a Haw-thorne, but that it
is greene, each being of the bignesse of a Pepper-corne, and
euery of them contayning within four or five granes, twice as
bigge as a Musterd-seed, which broken are white within, as
the good Pepper, and bite much like it, but hotter. The
barke of this Tree hath savour of all kinde of Spices together,
most comfortable to the Stomack, and held to be better than
any Spice what-soeuer. And for that, a learned Countriman of
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 81
ours, Doctor Zwurner, hath written of it by the name of
Winter's Barke, what I have said may suffice. The leaf of this
Tree is of a whitish greene, and is not vnlike to the Aspen
leafe.” A very good description, if we except the remark on
the form of the leaf, which inclines one to believe that the
worthy knight’s conceptions of an aspen leaf must have been
somewhat vague.
Two of the party gained a momentary glimpse of a fox in
the gorge through which the river, already referred to, flows ;
and we saw a pair of large woodpeckers—the plumage of the
female of which was black, while the male was provided with a
scarlet crest—run spirally up the stem of a tree, tapping the
bark as they went. This species, the Campephilus Magellan-
acus, first, I believe, described by Captain King, was only met
with at Sandy Point, and that but during our first season ; for
as the colony extended, and a considerable amount of timber
was in consequence felled, several species of birds became
very scarce, probably retiring into the fastnesses of the forest.
Two circumstances specially arrested my attention in the sub-
sequent examination of several specimens of this woodpecker—
viz. the enormous quantities of parasitic Anoplura occurring on
the feathers, greatly exceeding in number those found on any
other birds, with the exception of some of the carrion-feeding
hawks ; and the extreme tenacity with which the skin adhered
to the muscles of the body, neck, and head,—requiring to be
carefully dissected off, and adhering to the crown of the skull
almost as intimately as periosteum.
A few species of Coleoptera were picked up, including a
pretty Carabus (C. sutwralis) and one of the Rhyncophora, with
a blunt projecting spine on each elytron; but insect-life, in
general, appeared to be at a discount, and a more intimate
G
82 _ NATURAL HISTORY OF
acquaintance with the entomology of the Strait did not cause
me to alter my opinion in this respect.
In the evening several of the men were amusing them-
selves in fishing from the ship, and some specimens of a
curious worm-like fish, the Myxine Australis, discovered by
Mr. Darwin, were taken. A dead valve of a bivalve
molluse was also obtained, with a curious flattened disc-like
horny case, about an inch and a half in diameter, attached
to the inner surface, which, on being opened, was found to
contain three shells of a young Gasteropod, apparently a
species of Fusus. The shells were about one-fourth of an
inch long, of a delicate pink colour, with a thickened and dis-
torted spire.
On the following day I landed with three of the officers
who were bent on parrot-shooting, and remained in the woods
with them till late in the afternoon botanising and zoologising.
On the outskirts of the trees I found several plants that I had
not observed in my former walks, and among these were a
buttercup growing about a foot high (Ranunculus peduncularis)
and a white-flowered Anemone (A. decapetala), which, accord-
ing to Dr. Hooker, possesses “a very extended range through-
out the American continent,’—in North America abounding
“from the Arctic Circle to the Columbia river on the west
coast, and New York on the east; while, in South America, it
reappears in Peru and Chili on the west side, and in South
Brazil in the east, extending from each as far south as the Strait
of Magellan.” It was a bright sunny day, and numerous butter-
flies belonging to two species—one apparently a Pieris, and the
other a small copper-coloured Lycena—were fluttering about
the flowers. These, with two other species subsequently
taken, constitute the only diurnal Lepidoptera observed by me
in these regions.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 83
On penetrating into the woods, my interest was speedily
excited by a variety of plants, among which the following
were the most striking:—On the branches of many of the
beech-trees were numerous rounded nest-like masses, about
the size of the human head, and of a yellowish colour. These
_ proved to be formed of a curious leafless parasitic plant, allied
to mistletoe, a species of the genus Myzodendron, the M.
punctulatum. The Myzodendra are, I believe, limited to
southern South America, occurring in the forests from Cape
Horn as far as Valdiviva. Four or five species have been
described from Fuegia, and their structure and method of growth
have been fully elucidated by Dr. Hooker in the Mora Antarctica,
to which I must refer the reader for full details concerning
them. The most striking peculiarity of the genus consists in the
possession by the fruit of a plumose pappus, composed of
three downy-looking setz, formed of very delicate elongated
viscid cells, filled with a glutinous matter like that of the fruit
of the mistletoe, and which serve to attach the fruit to the
tree, till the seed germinates and takes root in the bark. On
a subsequent occasion I met with a second species (J. brachy-
stachywm) also occurring on the beeches, but differing from the
M. punctulatum in the possession of leaves, and the much
greater thickness of the twigs.
Another parasitic plant, of a very different order, of
which I obtained many specimens in all stages of growth,
was the remarkable Cyttaria Darwini, an ascomycetous
fungus, which, like the Myzodendra, occurs on the stems and
branches of the deciduous and evergreen beeches. It is of a
nearly spherical form, varying in size, according to its age,
from the dimensions of a pea to those of a moderate-sized
apple. When young it is of a pale yellowish-white colour,
and has a uniform smooth surface; but, as it advances in age,
84 . NATURAL HISTORY OF
it assumes a bright yellow tint, verging on orange, and the
surface becomes perforated with numerous pits, which are
lined with the hymenium. It constitutes one of the articles
of food of the Fuegian Indians; but, as Mr. Darwin has
remarked, it has little to recommend it, being very tasteless
and of a tough consistence.
Growing in plenty under the shade of the trees were two
species of orchids—one, an Asarca (A. Kingit), with a
peduncle sometimes as much as eighteen inches high, and
a spike of yellow flowers; and the other, the beautiful
Codonorchis Lesson. The latter elegant species bears a
slender stem, about a foot high, with two or three verticillate
leaves, and a terminal, solitary, rather large, triangular-shaped
white flower, delicately marked with purple, particularly on
the labellum, the upper surface of which is covered with
peculiar raised glands. The plant appears to possess but a
limited range in the Strait of Magellan, as I never met with
it to the westward of Port Famine; and it is, therefore,
limited (in so far as my observations extend) in the Strait to
woods characterised by a prevalence of the Antarctic beech.
Two years later I found many specimens of it in woods in
the north of Chiloe, and probably it does not extend north-
wards far beyond this point. Another pretty plant obtained
on this occasion was the Cardamine geraniifolia, the flowers
of which are of a delicate white tint, and the leaves of a
tender green and very elegantly divided ; and two species of
barberry were also met with—one, the handsome Berberis
alicifolia, now out of bloom; and the other, the B. dulcis,
which still presented a few lingering flowers. The former of
these is always met with either in woods or their outskirts,
sometimes forming dense thickets, and the plants attain a
very large size, being sometimes as much as upwards of ten
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 85
feet in height, with the main stem three inches in diameter.
The branches are in general much overgrown with mosses
and lichens ; the leaves resemble those of the holly ; and the
flowers, sometimes nearly as large as cherry-blossoms, are of
a splendid orange-yellow hue, verging on flame-colour, and
are arranged in corymbs. The month of November seems to
be the principal flowering time; but a second flowering,
much more sparse in its character, frequently takes place in
the autumnal months of April and May. ‘The berries are of
the bluish-purple colour so common in species of the genus,
and of an elongated form. They contain large seeds, and
are insipid to the taste. The latter species (B. dulcis s.
buxifolia), though often met in the outskirts of woods, is
equally characteristic of open situations, occurring very
plentifully on the plains of Eastern Patagonia, where it is
frequently the only shrub to be seen. It forms thick bushes,
from three to eight feet high, which often exist in clumps
together, affording a good shelter in camping out, and fur-
nishing a comfortable lair for the puma and other wild
animals, The leaves are much smaller than those of B.
ilicifolia, and are generally about the size of, or a little larger
than, those of a Box, hence one of the specific names. The
young leaves are frequently attacked by a parasitic fungus of
a bright orange colour, the Mcidium Magellanicum ; and
those in this condition are generally of much larger size than
the healthy ones, as well as distorted in form. The flowers are
much smaller than those of the holly-leaved species, of a paler
yellow tint, and arranged in a more scattered manner. The
berries, which are bluish-purple, with a bloom on the surface,
and about the size of black currants, possess a flattened
spherical form, and a very agreeable sweet taste, with a dash
of acid in it. They are justly mentioned with approval by
86 NATURAL HISTORY OF
several of the older voyagers,—Spilbergen speaking of “store
of shrubs with sweet blackberries ;” and Wood remarking
of the country in the eastern part of the Strait between
Elizabeth’s Island and the Second Narrows, that “it produces
also small Berries, which are excellent good Fruit, and to
which we gave the Name of Magellan Grapes. They are of a
purple Colour, seeded, and taste like our Huropean Grapes :
they grow singly on small Bushes, like Berries.” And again,
in his description of Port Famine, observing that, betwixt
the wood and the water-side, “there grew Abundance of
Magellan Grapes, Hearts, and other small Berries, which are
all good Fruit, and grow all the Streights over.” The species
occurs throughout the Strait and along the west coast of
South America. I met with it in abundance as far north as
Chiloe, the B. icifolia being, so far as my observations go,
confined to the wooded portion of the Strait and western
channels, and not extending north of the Gulf of Penas.
The wood of both species is of a bright yellow colour, and
the branches of B. dulcis burn with a vivid flame. I may
conclude what I have to say on the barberries of the Strait
by remarking, that the only other species of the genus which
occurs in this region is the little B. empetrifolia, which grows
on sandy ground between the woods and the sea-beach,
never occurring under the shade of trees. Like the other two
species, it blooms early in the season. The flowers are of a
pale yellow colour, and deliciously fragrant ; and the fruits,
though small, are sweet and pleasant to the taste.
Many parroquets were shot by the sportsmen on this
occasion, as well as a specimen of a pretty little hawk
(Tinnunculus sparverius) with bluish ash-coloured and
rufous plumage, which we afterwards found to be common in
the Strait. It is abundant in Chili, where I was told it
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 87
bears the name of “anicla,” and is, I believe, widely distri-
buted over the American continent. It is a bold little bird,
as the following incident, which occurred the same day, will
show. While walking in an open space near the entrance of
the woods, I suddenly heard a rustle of wings, and, on
turning round to ascertain the cause, an individual of this
species flew right at me, coming within a foot of my head.
It then perched on the dead branch of a tree, about a couple
of yards off, and scolded at me. As I was without firearms
wherewith to secure the prize, I threw some pieces of
stick at it, when it made a second swoop at me, again
alighting on a neighbouring tree and scolding fiercely. This
manceuvre was repeated several times until I was fairly clear
of the wood.
The 25th, Christmas Day, was celebrated by a large party
of the officers (for the most part armed with guns) landing in
the morning and spending the day on shore; the greater num-
ber of us wending our way along the shore, and the open flat
country, dotted with shrubs of barberry and Chilabothrium,
which stretches for some miles to the north-east of the settle-
ment, between the woods and the shore, and which afterwards
received the appellation of the “ Bandurria plains,” in con-
sequence of being much frequented by the bird of that
name. On the beach I found many dead specimens of two
bivalve molluscs, the Chione exalbida and Darina Solenoides,
as well as fragments of the shells of the’ Fusus Geversianus
and Voluta Magellanica ; and on the plains I obtained several
species of plants which I had not previously seen. Among
those which specially attracted my attention, I may mention
a small papilionaceous yellow-flowered plant, presenting a
considerable resemblance to our own Lotus corniculatus, so
commonly met with on sandy downs—(the Adesmia lotoides,
88 NATURAL HISTORY OF
one of the three Magellanic representatives of a genus chiefly
characteristic of Chili and Patagonia) ; an orchid with large
greenish flowers, marked with black veins (the Chloraea
Magellanica) ; a Composite plant with yellowish orange rayless
flowers, possessed of a sweet honey-like odour; a plant of the
same order, with stiff, narrow leaves, armed with minute spines,
and pretty fragrant blue flowers (the Homotanthus echinulatus),
and a large fungus of the genus Lycoperdon, forming masses
about the size of a child’s head, and with the outer coat, in
general, cracked into polygonal fragments.
Swallows were sweeping rapidly over the plains, and
several small flocks of ibises were seen, but no specimens
shot, owing to their extreme wariness when on the ground,
and the height at which they flew in the air when they sus-
pected danger. A single specimen of a snipe was, however,
procured, as well as an example of that marvellous bird, the
Logger-head or steamer-duck, which was suddenly disturbed
while it was reposing on the beach, and with great rapidity
took to the water, where it was shot, before it had paddled
out any great distance, by two of the officers, one of whom after-
wards evinced a most commendable zeal for the advancement
of science by undressing and swimming out for it. This, our
first sight of a bird of which we had heard or read so much,
caused great excitement at the time, as we were not then
aware that it was one of the most common birds in the Strait.
Deferring my observations upon the steamer-duck for a few
pages farther, I may here remark that the snipe, which,
along with the other specimens of birds collected during the
voyage, was submitted to Messrs. Sclater and Salvin for
determination, proved to be the Gallinago Paraguic, which, I
believe, is also common in the countries bordering on the river
Plate. Later in the season (in the month of April), we met
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 89
with it in considerable numbers on a comparatively limited
tract of country covered with low bushes of Chilabothriwm.
As a rule, it lay very close to the ground, and would not take
wing till the sportsman was within two or three yards of
it, when it flew off, lighting again at about thirty or forty
yards distant. A few specimens were seen on the open
ground, nearer the eastern entrance of the Strait, and one
or two were also shot in the damp wooded region of the
west ; but we nowhere met with the bird in plenty save in
the neighbourhood of Sandy Point.
A fine female specimen of the large woodpecker, already
mentioned, was this day shot by Captain Mayne, and one or
two small birds obtained, but nothing else deserving of
special record in this place. We returned on board to a late
dinner, when the wardroom was decorated with Myzodendron
and holly-leaved barberry, in lieu of mistletoe and holly, and
a large party sat down to the feast, which, in addition to
orthodox viands in the shape of roast goose and sucking-pig,
was distinguished by the introduction of a parrot-pie, which .
was voted excellent by all who partook of it.
Next day I was busily occupied throughout the morning,
in skinning birds. In the afternoon I landed with two of
the officers, and walked with them over the plains, to visit a
- strip of brackish water, about five miles distant, which, in
consequence of its communicating with the sea at high-tide,
was dignified by the name of “tie Lagoon.” At the place of its
occurrence the open ground ceases, the woods coming down
to the edge of the beach ; and my companions had been in-
formed that waterfowl were often to be met with in this shel-
tered situation. It was a most beautiful day, and we reached
our destination after a very agreeable walk, almost everything
observed on our way possessing the charm of novelty. In the
90 NATURAL HISTORY OF
strip of water with which the tide had begun to mingle I
noticed many live specimens of the Serolis Orbigniana, some
slowly crawling along the bottom, while others rapidly paddled
along the surface on their backs. Leaving my associates to
walk farther along the beach in pursuit of some ducks at a
short distance, I entered the woods, and was greatly delighted
by their beauty, for the leaves of the beeches still retained
their fresh greenness, and an endless variety of light and shade
was produced by the slanting beams of the descending sun
stealing in here and there. Perfect silence reigned around,
save for the trickling of a small stream which wound its way
through the trees, and the occasional hum of a musquito, or
the distant tap of a woodpecker. The ground in many places
was carpeted with mosses ; the lovely Codonorchis displayed its
white flowers in abundance, and many of the fallen trunks
were thickly fringed with the delicately-cut fronds of the
Cystopteris fragilis, which, in common with several other spe-
cies of our native ferns, possesses a very wide range. In
Hooker’s Synopsis Filicum its habitat is given as “ Europe and
Asia everywhere from Iceland to Kamtschatka, from the
Arctic regions to Madeira and the Himalayas, where it ascends
to 15,000 feet ; mountains of Abyssinia and Fernando Po ;
South Africa ; Van Diemen’s Land, New Zealand, Sandwich
Islands ; temperate N. and S. America ; and mountains in the ©
intermediate tropical zone.” |
After some time spent in exploration I rejoined my com-
panions, and, as it was getting late, we began to retrace our
steps homewards. It was a lovely serene evening, and an
exquisite soft light was shed over the sward near the sea, and
on the scattered beeches close to the woods, many of which
reminded us of cedars in the manner of their growth ; and, to
add to our pleasure, thrushes made their appearance on some
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 91
of the topmost boughs of the trees, and poured forth a flood of
melody most grateful to the ear.
While we were engaged in looking for a place to cross a
stream, with the intricate windings of which it took some
experience to become acquainted, a large owl was discovered
perched on the branch of a neighbouring tree, and shot. It
proved to be a fine specimen of the Bubo Magellanicus, a
species which, I am informed by Mr. Sclater, ranges over
nearly the whole extent of North and South America, being
identical with the well-known Virginian Horned Owl. We
were struck with the cat-like appearance which its great
yellow eyes communicated to its countenance. The plumage
of this species, which sometimes exceeds two feet in length,
is beautifully mottled with a variety of shades of black,
brown, and gray. In the Strait of Magellan, besides occur-
ring in the wooded districts, it is far from rare in the open
country, where it sometimes may be seen perched on the bar-
berry bushes, or sailing quietly along on the lookout for its
prey, which consists in great measure of rodents of various
species. We got on board that evening between nine and
ten P.M.
The following day (27th) I was busily occupied all fore-
noon in skinning the steamer-duck shot on Christmas day ;
and as I shall frequently refer to the bird in the course of my
narrative, I shall offer a few general remarks on its history in
this place. The earliest notice of the steamer-duck with
which I am acquainted occurs in the voyage of the celebrated
Pedro Sarmiento, who visited the Strait in 1582; and in an ©
account of the principal birds of the Strait, describes “ patos
pardas y bermejas sin pluma que ne vuelan, sind 4 vuela
pié corren, y par el agua no se pueden levantar sino a vuela
pié, dando con las alones 4 manero de remo. Huyen por el
92 NATURAL HISTORY OF
agua con mucha velocidad, y desan un rastro por el agua
como un bajel quando vaga.” For the next mention of the
bird we are indebted to the narrative of the circumnaviga-
tion of the world by Oliver van Noort, undertaken sixteen
years later. It is there stated, that while in the Strait of
Magellan in January 1600, they were driven by a storm into
Goose Bay, “ so-called of the store of that Fowle, their found
fit for swiming and long diuing, but vnable to flie.”* There
does not appear to be any mention of the bird either in the
voyages of Cavendish or of Drake, nor in those of any of the
English navigators until after the middle of the seventeenth
century ; but in Wood’s voyage through the Strait in 1669
reference is made to “ great Blue Ducks, which last are not
very shy ”—a very brief description, but which applies more to
the steamer-duck than to any other bird which he could have
encountered. In the following century, the steamer-duck is
noticed by several voyagers, and among these, by one of the
most scientific navigators the world has ever seen—the cele-
brated Captain Cook. In his “ Voyage towards the South
Pole and round the World, performed by His Majesty’s Ships
the ‘ Resolution’ and ‘ Adventure,’ in the years 1772, 1773,
1774, and 1775,” he remarks, in his account of Christmas
Sound, Tierra del Fuego, that “here is a kind of duck, called
by our people race-horses, on account of the great swiftness
with which they run on the water ; for they cannot fly, the
wings being too short to support the body in the air. This
bird is at the Falkland Islands, as appears by Perety’s
Journal ;” and again, in his description of Staten Land :—
“ Here were ducks, but not many, and some of that sort we
called race-horses. We shot some, and found them to weigh
* It is plain that steamer-ducks and not penguins are intended, as the
atter birds are mentioned elsewhere in the narrative.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 93
twenty-nine or thirty pounds ; those who ate of them said
they were very good.” The first detailed account, however,
of the habits of the steamer-duck is given by that intelligent
and accurate observer of nature, Captain Philip Parker King,
in his narrative of the voyage of the “ Adventure” and
“Beagle.” He states that, at Eagle Bay, beyond Cape San
Isidro, in the Strait of Magellan,* he “saw, for the first
time, that most remarkable bird the steamer-duck,” and
observes that, “before steamboats were in general use, this
bird was denominated, from its swiftness in skimming over
the surface of the water, the ‘race-horse, a name which
occurs frequently in Cook’s, Byron’s, and other voyages. It is
a gigantic duck, the largest I have met. It has the lobated
hind toe placed far backwards, and other characteristics of the
oceanic ducks. The principal peculiarity of this bird is the
shortness and remarkably small size of the wings, which, not
having sufficient power to raise the body, serve only to propel
it along rather than through the water, and are used like the
paddles of a steam-vessel. Aided by these and its strong
broad-webbed feet, 1t moves with astonishing velocity. It
would not be an exaggeration to state its speed at from twelve
to fifteen miles an hour. The peculiar form of the wing,
and the short rigid feathers which cover it, together with the
power this bird possesses of remaining a considerable time
under water, constitute a striking link between the genera
Anas and Aptenodytes. It has been noticed by many former
navigators. The largest we found measured forty inches
from the extremity of the bill to that of the tail, and weighed
thirteen pounds ; but Captain Cook mentions, in his voyage,
that the weight of one was twenty-nine pounds. It is very
difficult to kill them, on account of their wariness and the thick
* This was about the beginning of 1827.
94 NATURAL HISTORY OF
coat of feathers, which is impenetrable by anything smaller
than swan shot. The flavour of their flesh is so strong and
fishy, that at first we killed them solely for specimens. Five
or six months, however, on salt provisions taught many to
think such food palatable, and the seamen never lost an op-
portunity of eatmg them. I have preferred these ducks to
salt beef, as a preventive against scurvy, rather than from
liking their taste.’ King also distinguished two species of
steamer-duck, whereof one (the Anas brachyptera of Latham,
Micropterus brachypterus of Quoy and Gaimard), was entirely
incapable of flight ; and the other, which he denominated by
the specific name of Patachonicus, was stated to be smaller in
size than the Brachypterus, possessed of volant powers, and
differing also’ in other points relating to the plumage. Mr.
Darwin, who describes the bird as he saw it at the Falklands,
mentions but one species, the original Anas brachyptera,
which he describes as incapable of flight.
I will now pass on to offer a few remarks on the bird,
as derived from numerous observations which I had opportu-
nities of making with regard to it at the Falkland Islands, in
the Strait of Magellan, and on the west coast of Patagonia.
At the outset I may state that, though undoubtedly some
steamer-ducks fly, and others appear to be either wholly incapa-
ble of flight, or do not make use of their faculties in this respect,
it is, nevertheless, my belief there is only one species of the
genus Micropterus, and that the variations in size, capability
of flight, and colouring of plumage, are chiefly dependent on
the age of the birds. Secondly, it is my opinion that it is the
young birds that can fly, and that the power of flight or the
disposition to fly diminishes with age. I have arrived at
this conclusion after the examination of a number of speci-
mens of volant and non-volant birds, having ascertained from
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 95
a, careful inspection of the condition of the skeleton, and other
points in the structure of the volant specimens (the plumage
of which entirely corresponded with King’s short description
of Micropterus Patachonicus), that they were all immature
individuals (probably the young of the year), and having as
invariably found that the non-volant specimens were full-
grown birds.
The colouring of the plumage of the adult bird may be
shortly described as follows :—The bill is orange-yellow, with
the unguis black. The head is cinereous, becoming gradually
paler as the individual increases in age, with a small patch
beneath the eye, and a streak above it, nearly white. The
whole of the upper surface, the throat, the superior part of
the breast, and the wings, with the exception of a white specu-
lum, are lead-gray. The lower part of the breast and abdomen
vary from a tint verging on primrose-yellow to pale yellowish-
white ; and the legs and feet are dark yellow.
Younger individuals (AZ, Patachonicus) are chiefly distin-
guished by their smaller size, their greenish-black bills, and
prevalence of a reddish-brown hue on the throat and scapu-
lars.
The average length of the adult birds may be stated as
about thirty inches, and I do not think that I ever met with
specimens measuring more than three feet from the unguis
to the tip of the tail; so that I am inclined to believe
that the specimen mentioned by King as forty inches in
length was of exceptional size, and I feel no doubt that
there must have been some mistake as regards the birds
stated by Cook as weighing twenty-nine pounds.
The steamer-duck is very plentiful on the shores of the
Falkland Islands, in the Strait of Magellan, and in the
channels of Western Patagonia, as well as at Chiloe, which is
96 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the northernmost locality where I have seen it. It is gene-
rally to be observed in pairs, or small flocks of six or seven.
individuals, stationed on the rocks, or swimming about in the
extensive beds of the “kelp,” which girdles the coast in most
spots ; but, occasionally, large flocks, composed of many hun-
dreds are to be met with. When undisturbed in the water
they swim quietly along, producing two peculiar notes,—that
of the male being a sort of mew rapidly repeated, while that
of the female is a kind of deep growl—and diligently search-
ing the fronds of the kelp for the animals to be found thereon,
or diving for mussels, which appear to be one of their
staple articles of diet, as I always found fragments of the
shells in the stomachs of those which I examined. The
stomach is a most powerful organ, with very thick muscular
coats, and the lower part of the windpipe or trachea of the
male possesses an enlargement of considerable size. This,
which is likewise to be met with in the males of many other
species of ducks, serves to modify the voice. At the Falkland
Islands, in common with many other birds, the steamer-ducks
are much tamer than they are in the Strait of Magellan,
allowing the observer to come within a few yards of them
without accelerating their speed. When alarmed at the pro-
spect of impending danger, however, they lose no time in get-
ting up steam, paddling through the water at a marvellous
rate by dint of flapping their little wings, the motion of which
is so excessively rapid, that it is difficult to convince one’s
self that they are not revolving, leaving a long wake of foam
like that produced by a miniature steamer behind them, and
not ceasing this method of progression till a safe distance has
intervened between them and the object of their dread. They
often assist their escape, in addition, by diving, and coming
up to the surface at a distance of many yards in a direction
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 97
upon which it is impossible to calculate, when they show
their great heads for a moment, and then repeat the man-
ceuvre. Though the rate of their speed has, I think, been con-
siderably over-estimated by Captain King, it is yet so great
as to render it impossible for a boat, however well manned, to
overtake them, except by hemming them in to some small
cove, where a gun may be used with a tolerable chance of suc-
cess. It is in general in such situations that those birds
which can fly take to the wing, and those which cannot have
recourse to their diving powers. Even when hit they very
frequently escape, for unless they receive a very heavy charge
of shot, their coat of down and feathers protects them from
serious injury. Their nests, in general placed on a sloping
bank near the sea, and under the shelter of alow bush, are
formed principally of grass. In these four or five large cream-
coloured eggs (the dimensions of which may be roughly
stated as three and a half by two and a quarter inches) are
deposited, and covered with a layer of soft gray down. The
young brood appear to be tended by the parent birds for a
considerable period after they leave the egg, and may often be
seen swimming after them. Like the old birds, they swim
and dive actively, coming up after the plunge at a long dis-
tance. In the Strait and Channels, where only I had an oppor-
tunity of observing them, they were, like their parents, very
wary. Ina specimen shot in the Channels, the entire upper
surface of the body, the sides of the head, and a gorget around
the lower part of the neck, were covered with grayish-black
down, while the under surface and a spot placed obliquely
above and behind the eye were white. The bill, legs, and
feet were black, with some light-coloured patches along the
edge of thetoes. The length, from the extremity of the bill
to the tip of the tail, was fourteen inches. Ossification pro-
H
98 NATURAL HISTORY OF
ceeds slowly in the bones of the cranium, and many of them
continue unanchylosed or separable for a considerable period.
Leaving the reader to form his own conclusions from the
data which I have supplied as to whether there are one or
two species of steamer-duck, I resume my chronicle. On
the afternoon of this day, on which I skinned our first
Micropterus, or loggerhead as it is commonly called at the
Falkland Islands, I went on shore with Dr. Campbell, whom
the governor had asked to lend his medical aid to one or two
of the colonists who were ailing, there being at this time no
resident medical man at Punta Arenas, a deficiency which
was not supplied till a year later. After these services had
been rendered, the intendente showed us his house and
garden and stock, which last consisted of the previously-
mentioned guanacos, a number of calves and oxen, a large
flock of kids, some tame upland geese (Chloephaga Magel-
lanica), and two young ostriches (Lhea Americana). The
last-mentioned birds succeeded in making their escape from
their enclosure at the time of our visit, and rushing up and
down the kitchen-garden, pursued by the governor’s
secretary, furnished a most laughable spectacle, as, appa-
rently determined to improve their unwonted opportunities
to the uttermost, they ran about, snapping off the heads of
the young cabbages and potatoes.
Later in the day, we walked some distance along the
beach to the south-westward of the settlement, passing on our
way the small Roman Catholic cemetery, with the adjacent
space of ground where strangers are buried. .
On the sandy beach several large jelly-fish (a species of
Cyanea), common in the Strait and at the Falkland Islands,
with a disc in some cases nearly two feet in diameter,
variegated with rich brown and purple, and long arms of the
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 99
same colour, were lying stranded ; as also some specimens of
a sand-burrowing crab of the family Corystide, the Peltarion
spinulosum, which was afterwards met with in various other
localities to the eastward, though nowhere so abundantly as
about Punta Arenas ; and the examination of the rounded
stones left uncovered by the retiring tide yielded us specimens
of some additional marine animals, including a few Annelids,
a large limpet (Patella Magellanica), a small Siphonaria, and
an odd little flat-backed crab, the Halicarcinus planatus,
which is very abundant throughout the Strait, and also at the
Falkland Islands.
100 NATURAL HISTORY OF
CHAPTER IV.
COMMENCEMENT OF SURVEYING OPERATIONS—-EXCURSION TO PATA-
GONIAN COAST—VISCID PLANTS—DWARF CALCEOLARIA——COLEOP-
TERA—CHIRODAMUS KINGII—-EDOTIA—GUANACO: EARLY NOTICES
OF ; HABITS, ETC.—CHINCHE OR SKUNK—FOXES—BOLTENIA —
BRACHIOPODA OF STRAIT—-SECOND EXCURSION——CAPE POSSESSION
—CONDORS —VOLUTA FERUSSACII — GALE—SAMOLUS SPATHU-
LATUS—IRON WRECK—INHABITANTS OF NORTH-EASTERN FUEGIA
—CATHERINE POINT—CAPE ESPIRITU SANTO—LARGE TUNICATA
—SEA-LION— MILITARY STARLING—SARMIENTO BANK— WINDY
WEATHER—EXCURSION TO COAST OF ST, JAGO BAY—-GEESE—GALE
—BURROWING RODENTS—CARRANCHAS —RHEA— BANDURRIA—
VISIT THE PATAGONIAN CAMP AT SANDY POINT—-PATAGONIANS :
ACCOUNTS OF THE OLDER NAVIGATORS ; RELIGIOUS AND OTHER
CEREMONIES.
AFTER laying in a supply of fresh provisions we left Sandy
Point on the morning of the 29th December, and proceeded
to the eastward to begin the surveying work. Retracing our
course through the second and first Narrows, we anchored,
early in the evening, off Direction Hills, at about two miles
and a half from the shore, and here we remained at rest
during the 30th, Sunday, a bright day with a cold wind
blowing. Next morning we shifted berth farther into Pos-
session Bay, anchoring nearly opposite a spot where a stream
of water runs into the sea. In raising the anchor, a star-fish
(Asteracanthion), and a-fragment of a thin flat sponge, were
brought up and consigned to spirits. At an early hour two
surveying boats, with three officers, about a dozen men, and
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 101
a supply of provisions calculated to last for about ten days,
were despatched to the opposite Fuegian coast ; and some hours
later two other boats, in one of which was Captain Mayne
and an officer who acted as his assistant, left the ship for the
neighbouring Patagonian shore ; the arrangement being, that
Captain Mayne was to undertake the triangulation of the
coast, while the officer in command of the second boat, which
was the steam-cutter, was to be employed in taking soundings.
Leaving the ship in the steam-cutter about one P.M., I joined
the shore party. On my way to the land I noticed a con-
siderable number of penguins and cormorants on the water.
The latter swim with almost the whole of the body be-
neath the surface, the head and neck in general alone
being visible ; and when in this position they are difficult to
shoot, as they dive at the flash of the gun. When on the
wing, they are, on the contrary, very readily knocked over, as
they commonly fly very close to a boat, apparently possessed
of a spirit of great curiosity as to the strange animals
on board. In flying they generally keep low down in the air,
and flap their wings very rapidly, producing a sound some-
what resembling a distant locomotive.
Many terns were flying about over the water, and a por-
tion of the beach was whitened by a great flock of gulls.
Immediately above high-water mark, where the shingle and
the turf met, a broad light-blue belt, extending for many
hundred yards, formed a prominent object, presenting the
appearance of a bed of blue flowers ; but a nearer view of it
showed that it was composed of a thick bank of dead mussel-
shells. On landing I met Captain Mayne and his companion,
and set out with them on a walk to Direction Hills, a few
miles distant. Close to the beach two plants that I had not
previously observed were growing plentifully. One of: these
102 NATURAL HISTORY OF
was the Adesmia boronioides, belonging to the order Legumi-
nose, with stems about eighteen inches high, pinnate leaves,
and bright yellow flowers, minutely streaked with brown in
the heart. The whole surface of the plant, with the excep-
tion of the petals, was covered with large glands, from which
a viscid substance, with a very aromatic balsamic odour,
exuded. The other plant, also highly viscid and aromatic,
was a shrubby composite, from one to three feet high, with
the general aspect of a dwarf cypress or lignum vite, very
small scale-like leaves, arranged in fours in an imbricated
manner, and small yellow flowers. This was the curious
Leprdophyllum cupressiforme, originally described from speci-
mens procured by the distinguished Commerson. It is a
remarkable circumstance that two plants, both viscid, and
both possessing the same aromatic odour, though belonging
to very different orders, should be met with side by side.
The Adesmia, though previously collected in Patagonia, does
not appear to have been met with by any botanist in the
Strait, and the Lepidophyllum, despite its peculiarity, has
received a very small measure of notice from the various navi-
gators through the Strait, as the only book, not of a strictly
scientific nature, in which I have found it mentioned is the
“ Relacion del ultimo viage al Estrecho de Magallanes de la
Fregata de S. M. Santa Maria de la Cabeza en los anos de
1785 y 1786,” published at Madrid in 1788. The aromatic
odour of the plants is so powerful, that we several times sub-
sequently smelt it after a shower of rain, when we were lying
at anchor more than half-a-mile from the shore.
On ascending Direction Hill, a low eminence about 200
feet high, I met with two additional plants, one of which was
a low, stiff-growing shrub, with lilac flowers, smelling like
daphne, and the other a curious little dwarf Calceolaria, the
Leaf of the Winter’s Bark
slic guishagkrel
Calceolar
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 103
C. nana. This pretty little species, which belongs to a sec-
tion of the genus confined to the Chilian Andes, Southern
Patagonia, and Eastern Fuegia, has three or four small radical
ovate leaves, from the midst of which arises a flower-stalk
from one to two inches in height, bearing in general a solitary
large flower, with a small upper lip, and a wide opening into
the slipper-like portion. The ground colouring of this flower is
yellow, beautifully freckled with dots and blotches of rich
reddish-brown, and there is a thick white under lip, of so
much firmer consistence than the rest of the flower, that it
often cracks transversely in pressing the specimen for the
herbarium. The plant is widely distributed over the open
country in the north-eastern portion of the Strait, occur-
ring alike on the Patagonian and Fuegian coasts, and
presents a very handsome appearance when aggregated in
masses.
After we had reached the summit of the hill, and while
Captain Mayne was engaged with his theodolite, I occupied
myself in strolling about the neighbourhood in search of
plants, obtaining, among others, an odd little leafless jointed
species, probably belonging to the order Polygonacew. I also
collected a few species of Coleoptera, including representatives
of the Heteromerous genera—Hmalodera, Platesthes, and
Nyctelia ; and one of the Lamellicornes—the Taurocerastes
Patagonicus. Several of these species afterwards proved to
be new to the national collection at the British Museum. A
very rare Hymenopterous insect was also captured by the
officer assisting Captain Mayne. This was the Chirodamus
King of Haliday, of which that distinguished hymenopterist,
Mr. F. Smith of the British Museum, had previously only
seen a single specimen, the type of the species. I noticed
a moth flying about from flower to flower, in broad daylight,
104 NATURAL HISTORY OF
after the fashion of our British Plusia Gamma, but did not
succeed in taking it.
We remained on the top of the hill till about seven P.M.,
and then began slowly to retrace our steps to camp. It was
one of the most perfectly beautiful evenings that I have seen ;
and as the sun gradually declined, the vast undulating grassy
plains were displayed in golden light and delicate shadow,
while later in the evening the sunset clouds were gorgeous
beyond description, exhibiting the richest shades of orange,
purple, and rose-colour. In the course of our descent I
found specimens of a little Labiate plant, smelling strongly of
peppermint, and our attention was arrested by a number of
openings in the ground, wide enough to admit the forefinger,
and lined from the entrance to about two inches downwards
with a grayish silky substance. The bottom of this excava-
tion, which I afterwards found was the work of a spider,
proved, on digging, to be more than a foot below the
surface of the ground. Arrived at the tents, in the neighbour-
hood of which many whitened bones of guanacos and feathers
of ostriches were lying scattered about, we had our dinner,
after which we spent some time lying luxuriously stretched
out on a robe, enjoying our old friend Martin Chuzzlewitt,
and other works of a like nature. The evening was finally
brought to a close by a long talk by our camp fire, which, fed
by barberry bushes, made a glorious blaze, revealing our
position to our friends on board ; and, after discussing how
our friends in England were likely to be engaged on this the
last night of 1866, we retired to rest about eleven o’clock.
The morning of New Year’s Day, 1867, was celebrated by
getting up at half-past four o’clock, and after a refreshing
bathe and breakfast, we started on a long walk over the
low ground in the direction of the first Narrows. Leaving
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 105
my companions when they had fixed upon their first station
for observations, I pursued my solitary way along the beach
in search of marine animals. The tide was low, and a great
mud flat, known as the Direction Bank, stretched out for a
long distance seaward. Over a considerable portion of this
I struggled with some difficulty, owing to the extreme slip-
periness and tenacity of the mud, on the surface of which I
occasionally measured my length ; but, with the exception of
afew Algze and Molluscs, and a curious Isopodous crustacean,
the Edotia Falklandica, I got but little for my pains. After
this I walked along for some distance, a little below high-
water mark, observing great numbers of the sterna and
other bones of cormorants, as well as fragments of the cara-
pace of Lithodes antarctica, and another species of the same
genus, lying scattered about. While thus occupied, I
suddenly discovered, to my surprise, at a considerable distance
from me, several large dark-brown objects moving along the
shore, and occasionally stooping down to pick up something.
My first conjecture was, that these were Patagonians; but
judging it advisable to make certain of the fact before report-
ing it to my companions, I resolved to approach as near as
I could to them without being perceived. I accordingly
left the beach, and after ascending a steep bank to an
elevation overlooking the neighbouring plain, beheld not
Patagonians, but a herd of between fifty and sixty guanacos,
which were speedily joimed by several others from the
beach, which, I suppose, must have been engaged in licking
the salt from off the masses of kelp lying scattered there.
As I could not have approached them from the situation
where I was without frightening them away, I returned to
where I had left the surveying party to inform them of the
circumstance, but found that they had left the station and
106 NATURAL HISTORY OF
proceeded some miles farther on. On my way to join them,
I found nearly the entire skeleton of a large puma (Felis
concolor) lying, with the skin still adhering to the head and
paws; and elsewhere on the beach I met with two large
skulls of Cetacea. One of these, which was in a beautiful
state of preservation, I regretted much I could not carry off
with me, as it measured fully three feet in length. I at
last encountered the surveyors, superintending the build-
ing of a cairn to support a flagstaff, and that operation
completed, we returned to the first station, and there had
luncheon. While thus engaged, a number of guanacos ap-
peared on the brow of Direction Hill, and contemplated us
with much apparent -curiosity. On our attempting to
approach them, however, they made off at a rapid trot. Soon
after this, as the evening was rapidly advancing, we returned
to camp, and the rest of our waking hours were spent in
dining, reading, and conversation.
As this was the first occasion on which we had seen the
guanaco in the wild state, I will conclude the record of this
day’s proceedings with a brief account of its history. I may
begin by observing, for the benefit of such of my readers as
may not possess an acquaintance with it, that it forms one of
two species* of the ruminant genus Auchenia, in general
included in the same family with the camel, which it
resembles in various points (as, for example, the possession of
canine teeth in the upper and lower jaws), and that it is
widely distributed throughout the length of the South
* In limiting the number of species to two (7.e. the guanaco and vicugfia),
I am of course aware that there has been much contrariety of opinion on the
subject, and that some zoologists regard the paco or alpaca as distinct ; but
I think a careful consideration of all the evidence that has been adduced
tends to show that the latter animal is only a well-marked variety of the
guanaco.
oovuenys jo wntiures
ry tay A af it
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 107
American continent, extending from the southern extremity of
Fuegia, over the greater part of Patagonia, and along the chain
of the Andes, at least as far as the northern parts of Peru.
The earliest mention of it as observed in Patagonia occurs
in the narrative of Antonio Pigafetta, who accompanied
Magellan on his celebrated voyage. It is there mentioned
that the Patagonians, whom they encountered at Port St.
Julian, were clothed with the “Skinne of a Beast sewed
together,” and that “This Beast (as it seemed vnto vs) had a
large head, and great eares like vnto a Mule, with the body
of a Camell, and tayle of a Horse.” The next reference
appears to be in Oliver van Noort’s voyage, where it is
stated that at Port Desire they “found Beasts like Stagges
and Buffals.” In Schouten’s voyage, at the same locality,
“beasts hke Harts, with very long neckes, which were afraid
of us,’ are recorded as having been seen; but the first
English navigator to take detailed notice of them, appears to
have been Wood, to whose Voyage through the Streights of
Magellan, in 1670, I have already referred more than once.
In his narrative he observes that at Port Desire “the Land
is dry and barren, but there is Plenty of Winnackews or
Spanish sheep, which are as large as our Hnglish Deer, and
wild ;” and that at Port St. Julian “there are many Deer, or
Sheep, which the Spaniards call Wyanaques, being a large
sort of an Animal, about twelve Hands high. Their Heads
and Necks are long like unto a Camel’s, but their Bodies and
hinder Parts resembling very much those of an Horse. We
found them to be very watchful and shy, but we killed seven
of them in the Time we lay here, and found their Wool to be
the finest in the World. You may see a Drove of six or seven
hundred of them together, which, upon their discovering of
you, will make a Snort, and neigh like a Horse; but we
108 NATURAL HISTORY OF
should have made a better Hand of them had we but Dogs to
run them down.”
In recent times we owe the fullest accounts of the
guanaco, as noticed in the Strait of Magellan, to the
narratives of King, Fitzroy, and Darwin, whose observations
of its habits coincide in nearly all respects with my own. It
is, as the last-named author truly remarks, a very elegant
animal, being possessed of a long, slender, gracefully-
curved neck, and fine legs. It is not easy to describe its
general appearance, which combines some of the characters
of a camel, a deer, and a goat. The body, deep at the breast
but very small at the loins, is covered with long, soft, very
fine hair, which, on the upper parts, is of a kind of fawn-
colour, and beneath varies from a very pale yellow to the
most beautiful snow-white. The head is provided with
large ears, in general carried well back, and is covered
with short grayish hair, which is darkest on the forehead.
Occasionally the face is nearly black. As a rule, it lives in
flocks of from half-a-dozen to several hundreds, but solitary
individuals are now and then to be met with. They are
very difficult to approach sufficiently near to admit of an
easy shot, as they are extremely wary, and, on being
disturbed, canter off at a pace which soon puts a safe
distance between them and the sportsman, even though he
should be mounted. Despite their timidity, however, they
are possessed of great curiosity, and will sometimes advance
within a comparatively short distance of an unknown
object, at which they will gaze fixedly till they take alarm,
when they effect a speedy retreat. On one or two occasions,
when standing motionless or sitting on the ground, I have
been within little more than ten yards of a guanaco, which
was evidently puzzled by my appearance. Their cry is
Fee ea
oY ia
ee
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 109
very peculiar, being something between the belling of a deer
and the neigh of a horse. When at a distance, and fired at
with the rifle, they in general go through some very singular
antics, ducking down their heads, and as it were falling on their
knees on the ground—a habit which often at first induced our
men to suppose that they were severely wounded, when they
were in reality perfectly intact. Mr. Darwin has commented
on the singular habit which they possess of depositing their
droppings on successive days in the same defined heap, and
this I have likewise frequently observed. It would be
difficult to over-estimate their numbers on the Patagonian
plains ; for in whatever direction we walked we always came
upon numbers of portions of their skeletons and detached bones.
Their two principal enemies are the Patagonian Indians and
the puma, as they constitute the principal food of both.
The flesh is somewhat dry, and with very little fat, but is
very palatable, particularly in the absence of other fresh
provisions ; and the skin is invaluable to the Patagonians,
as furnishing the material of which their long robes are
constructed. Occasionally bezoar stones are to be met with
in the stomach, which are regarded by the Patagonians as of
medicinal value.
On the morning of the 2d of January we again arose at an
early hour, and while the surveyors were engaged in their
work, I took a long walk into the plains by myself, and from
the brow of a low hill gained another view of a herd of
guanaco, which allowed me to approach them, creeping on all
fours, to within about a hundred yards, and then made off. On
joining the surveying party soon after noon, I found that one of
the men had killed a small quadruped new to us. This was
the chinche, zorillo, or skunk (Mephitis Patagonica), a beauti-
ful little animal about a foot long, with a bushy tail; of
112 NATURAL HISTORY OF
occasions, and which also occurs at the Falkland Islands,
belongs to a genus of which the first species described was
found in the Arctic seas, and which appears to be specially
characteristic of northern and southern temperate and cold
latitudes. The test is generally thick and firm, and the
apertures are cruciform or lozenge-shaped. The former
mollusc I afterwards found to be abundant in the eastern
portion of the Strait, particularly in Possession Bay ; and I
never dredged it to the west of Port Famine, where the
largest specimen, which nearly equals one obtained by
Admiral Sulivan at the Falkland Islands, and which has
been described by Mr. Davidson, was procured. It is a very
fine shell, smooth, with both valves rather convex, and of an
oval form, and the largest specimen known (that in the
possession of Admiral Sulivan) measures over three inches
in length. Farther on in the season, I met with two other
species of Brachiopoda, both occurring in considerable
abundance—te. the Waldheimia dilatata and the Terebratella —
Magellanica ; but neither of these species attains nearly such
large dimensions as the Waldheimia venosa. The ribbed
shell of the Terebratella varies much in form, being frequently
considerably distorted.
On the following morning, Jan. 3d, I again left the ship
on an excursion, accompanying one of the surveying officers,
who had received instructions to examine that part of the
Patagonian coast extending between Cape Possession and
Dungeness Spit. Taking our departure between six and
seven A.M., we proceeded rapidly on our way for a consider-
able distance under sail ; but on nearing our destination the
Wind was against us, so that we did not succeed in effecting
a landing on the beach, a little to the east of Cape Possession,
till between three and four P.M., at the expense of a tough pull
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 13
on the part of the boat’s crew. The prominent steep cliffs
of the Cape are formed of hard clay, inclosing pebbles and
boulders of various sizes, and are very deeply and re-
markably furrowed, presenting at the base a series of cone-
shaped buttresses, as if to withstand the force of the waves.
On landing, we found many relics of old wrecks, including
portions of masts and numerous planks and barrels, lying scat-
tered about at high-water mark. As, after a careful scrutiny,
we ascertained that there was no suitable place for pitching
the tent close to the beach, we had our gear carried up a steep
erassy bank to a plateau on a level with the summit of the
cliffs ; and, after dining, we walked along the high ground at
the top of the Cape for some distance, my companion wishing
to ascertain the most suitable spot for erecting a flag-staff.
Sitting down, after a time, on the Cape, I watched the
glories of the magnificent sunset on the waters of the Strait,
not returning to the tent till the last trace of the red glow
had died away on the horizon.
Next morning we rose early, and, after breakfasting,
separated on our various avocations—my associate setting out
with two of his boat’s crew to walk along the top of the
cliffs to the spot which he had fixed upon the night before
for his station ; while I descended to the beach, and walked
some distance in an easterly direction, enjoying the bright
sunshine and exhilarating air, and keeping a look-out for
marine animals. I picked up a few specimens of hydroid
sertularian polyps, the sternal apparatus of a condor, and a
very large broad frond of a sea-weed, of the genus Halymenia,
but obtained nothing of great importance, I then returned to
camp, and passed some time watching the movements of two
porpoises which were swimming lazily along near the shore.
On the return of the surveying party about noon, they
I
114 NATURAL HISTORY OF
reported that two condors had been seen flying about the top
of the cliffs, and that one had been fired at and apparently
wounded. Accordingly, soon after, I started to look for
them, walking along the beach at the base of the cliffs. On
coming nearly opposite the place where they had been
reported as seen, | was much excited by suddenly coming
within sight of no less than eight of these huge birds, half
the number of which were perched on a shelf about mid-
way up the cliff, which appeared to be habitually employed
as a resting-place, as 1t was whitened with their droppings ;
while the remaining four were sailing majestically about in
the air, their wings widely extended and the pinions sepa-
rated so as to produce a jagged edge at the tip.- Although
the gun which I had with me was only loaded with duck-
shot, I felt impelled by an irresistible desire to get a shot at
them ; and accordingly, at the expense of much labour and
difficulty, managed to scramble up the lower part of the cliff
by dint of planting my feet in the numerous waterworn
gulleys in the hard clay. I had almost attained to within
range of those on the shelf, when they slowly flapped their
great wings and rose into the air, joining their companions,
the whole party now soaring round in a circle above my
head, gazing at me with malevolent faces, their whole aspect
recalling to me the mythical descriptions of griffins. Although,
in common with the rest of its tribe, the condor (Sarcoramphus
Papa) is disfigured by a naked head, covered with mottled
skin, it is a truly magnificent bird when seen in the wild
condition and on the wing; and one cannot be surprised
that the most exaggerated accounts were given by the older
travellers of the dimensions to which it attains—as much
as eighteen feet having been sometimes assigned to the
expanse of wing. It is widely distributed over the western
el Ean ut a OT aay Cem
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. ES
side of the South American continent, the Cordillera appear-
ing to constitute its head-quarters. On the eastern side, on
the other hand, it has a much more limited range—a steep
cliff near ‘the mouth of the Rio Negro, according to Mr.
Darwin, being its northern limit on the Patagonian coast.
He mentions Port Desire and the mouth of the Santa Cruz
river, on the same coast, as localities where. it is met with
farther south ; and we noticed it both at Port Gallegos and
in several localities in the eastern part of the Strait of
Magellan, almost invariably in the neighbourhood of steep
cliffs. .
By the time I left the Condor cliff it was nearly low tide,
a broad expanse of wet sandy beach being thus uncovered ;
and as I crossed this, my attention was arrested by a
number of horse-shoe shaped depressions, accompanied by
neighbouring elevations in: the wet sand. On digging into
these with my hands, I was much interested to find a number
of specimens of a live Volute. The body of the animal, which
possessed a very large foot, was in all cases greatly protruded
from the shell, and of a fine deep purple colour, with deli-
cate ramifications of a lighter tint, while the under surface
of the foot was yellowish-white. Other examples of the
mollusc were met with upon the clusters of live mussels
which covered many of the large stones on the beach, and
were, I suspect, feeding on the bivalve, after the manner of the
familiar Purpura Lapillus of our British shores. This volute
afterwards proved to be the Voluta Ferussacw, of whose habitat
naturalists appear to have been hitherto ignorant, though the
species has been known for a long period. Itappears to be
very plentiful towards the eastern entrance of the Strait, judg-
ing from the numbers of dead and broken shells which I sub-
sequently found on many of the beaches, but does not seem
116 NATURAL HISTORY OF
to extend farther into the Strait than St. Jago and Philip
Bays, where it is replaced by the Voluta Magellanica, a more
elegantly formed, and more handsomely coloured species. A
single small specimen of the latter was also taken on this
occasion. The animal, which has been well figured in the
Atlas of one of the French scientific expeditions, is of a much
paler colour than that of the V. Ferussacii. The latter
species appears to be endowed with considerable powers of
vitality, as many of the specimens procured on this occasion
were still alive on my return to the ship, though they had been
kept tied up in a pocket handkerchief for nearly three days.
On my return to camp, a considerable amount of time was
occupied in hauling down the boat to the water, which opera-
tion being at length accomplished, the gear was packed into
her, and we embarked, with the intention of getting as near
Mont Dinero, a small eminence about midway between Cape
Possession and Cape Virgins, as time would permit. Asa
strong tide was running against us, we kept in shore to take
advantage of the eddy, and this circumstance afforded me a
good opportunity of observing the geological structure of the
coast, which consists for the most part of high cliffs of a sort
of boulder-clay, diversified here and there with sloping banks.
The colour of the cliffs varied considerably in different places,
owing to the prevalence of different strata of clay, and occa-
sionally a restricted patch of a dark colour occurred in the
centre of a whitish matrix. The imbedded boulders appeared
to be of all sorts—limestone, greenstone, granite, etc.; and they
varied in size from that of a pebble to a mass of several tons
weight. Huge masses of the cliffs had here and there given
way, and lay on the beach in angular fragments ; and on
the perpendicular face were a number of well-marked ledges
and cavities (some of which were tenanted by condors), as
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. Lt7
well as occasional damp patches, indicative of the presence
of springs. The sun set with an appearance boding stormy
weather, after we had proceeded for a considerable distance,
and shortly before dark we landed opposite a broad interval
between the masses of cliff, where the land gradually sloped
down to the sea, and the beach was strewed with numbers of
planks and other fragments of a wreck. The boat having been
secured and the tent pitched on the top of a bank overlooking
the Strait, and in the immediate neighbourhood of a rill of
water, we had our supper and turned in for the night. We
awoke between four and five next morning with the con-
sciousness that a gale had set in, and:that the tent was in
some danger of being blown down about our ears ; and rising
speedily, we had the tent-pegs driven in, and lay down again,
to be roused shortly after by the watch announcing that the
sea had reached the boat. Knowing that if left where she
was she was certain to be carried away or stove by the waves
and that we would thus be left in no enviable predicament,
all hands lost no time in rushing down to the beach to drag
her up to a place of safety. This was at length accomplished,
after nearly a couple of hours’ severe exertion ; and as, on
returning to the tent, we found it almost blown down, we
shifted our camp to amore favourable situation, fortunately
succeeding in finding a very sheltered locality in a hollow
behind a natural hedge of barberries, from six to eight feet
in height, and nearly the same in thickness.
As there seemed no prospect of the gale abating, and
consequently of our being able to rejoin the ship, for a day
or two, we resolved on making ourselves as comfortable as we
could on shore—a matter of no great difficulty, as, apart from
the high wind, the weather was very fine, and we had no
anxieties on the score of food, it being an invariable rule
118 NATURAL HISTORY OF
throughout our service in the Strait that every surveying-boat
leaving the ship should be provided with a supply of provi-
sions sufficient to last for some days longer than was likely to
be required. Early in the afternoon, therefore, we set out on
a long ramble to the eastward, descending to the beach, and
walking along at high-water mark. Here a strange wild
scene presented itself, for on one side high steep cliffs, about
which a couple of eagles were soaring, towered above us, and
on the other was a mass of foaming billows; while at our feet
lay scattered about numerous vestiges of former devastation,
the shore being strewn for miles with fragments of masts and
spars, and pieces of canvas. On our way we spent a consider-
able amount of time in endeavouring to ascertain the name
of the ill-fated vessel; and at length arriving at a spot some-
what resembling our landing-place, where the land sloped
down seawards, we discovered, half drifted up with sand, the
remains of a wooden shelter built of planks and oars, evi-
dently the work of the survivors of the disaster. We retraced
our steps towards our camp later in the day, walking along
the land at the back of the cliffs, which we found covered
with long coarse grass, a low shrubbery of Lepidophyllum,
and extensive thickets of barberries, evidently the occa-
sional resort of pumas, as I found portions of skeletons of
these animals lying about. We skirted along the edge of
one or two marshes, which yielded me a few additions to my
botanical collection, including several Graminacez; a Primu-
laceous plant, the Samolus spathulatus, with smooth spathu-
late, radical leaves, and pretty purple flowers; and the wild
celery, Apium graveolens, which last I subsequently found
to be widely distributed throughout the Strait and in the
Western Channels. As has been remarked by Dr. Hooker in
his Flora Antarctica, it is a very curious fact that this plant,
eee ee RY 2S. ey * eaten oo urna e 2)
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 119
which possesses acrid poisonous qualities in the northern
hemisphere, is perfectly innocuous and wholesome in its
southern habitat. We were able to pronounce judgment on
this point from personal experience, as we frequently ate it on
our excursions, finding it to possess a very agreeable flavour,
though of course it was not so crisp and succulent as the
cultivated variety. Another plant that I observed for the
first time on this occasion was the Pratia repens, a little
Lobeliaceous plant, growing in sandy places, with a pale
purple corolla appearing as if split down one side.
On the following day, during the greater part of which
the gale continued to blow as violently as ever, we passed
the forenoon reading in our tent, a fox paying us an occa-
sional visit in search of plunder, but always succeeding in
escaping without injury. About noon, some of the men, who
had gone off on a stroll to the westward, returned with the
news that there was the wreck of a large iron ship lying on
the beach at some distance. We therefore walked down to
the beach in the course of the afternoon to see her, and I have
seldom witnessed a more eloquent demonstration of the feeble-
ness of human workmanship as contrasted with the power of
the elements, than she presented to our gaze as we approached
her. She lay on the sand, broken into large fragments. Her
bows still remained in one mass, the figure-head crusted over
with mussels, and one of her anchors attached in readiness to
be let go, while the other two, one of which yet retained its con-
nection with her great chain-cable, lay half-buried in the
sand. All around were scattered yards of galvanised iron
rigging, and the remains of her cargo, consisting of sledge-
hammer heads, flat irons, spades, shovels, pincers, bits, stir-
rups and spurs, together with her strong box, with the door
rent off, and fragments of cups and plates, etc. The weather
120 NATURAL HISTORY OF
exhibited symptoms of improvement in the course of that
evening, and on the morning of the 7th, finding that the wind
had gone down, we rose at an early hour, and having struck
the tent and packed up our gear, embarked, and proceeded
down the coast, by and by perceiving the “ Nassau” in the
distance, lying between Dungeness Spit and Cape Virgins,
as well as another vessel, which we subsequently learned was
a Yankee, the “ Pensacola,” passing along near the Fuegian
shore. Both wind and sea got up before long, and we had in
consequence a rather rough passage between Mont Dinero
and Dungeness. Numbers of a large black petrel were flying
about, and on the gravelly beach of the last-named locality
great flocks of gulls, terns, and cormorants were assembled,
and took wing on our approach. As we observed a party
of human beings on the Spit, we landed to see who they
were, and found, to our surprise, that two of the three officers
who had been engaged in surveying the Fuegian coast, and
whom we had not expected to see for some time, were among
the number. From them we learned that their expedition
had not been so fortunate as could have been desired, as
they had had a fray with Fuegian Indians, who had attempted
to help themselves to various articles in the boats, and on
being repulsed, had attacked our friends with their bows and
arrows, one of the officers receiving a rather severe wound
from an arrow in the back of his shoulder. This circum-
stance, I need hardly state, was a matter of general regret to
us all, as we regarded it as an inauspicious beginning to our
work on the Fuegian side ; and so the event proved, for the
natives of that portion of the Fuegian coast steadily avoided
holding any intercourse with us on subsequent occasions,
while, at the same time, they kept a sharp look-out on all our
movements, which necessitated the use of caution in landing
surveying parties.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 121
These savages, of whose habits and customs much less is
known than those of the Fuegians in the southern and west-
ern parts of Tierra del Fuego, appear to constitute a very
distinct tribe confined to the northern part of the large eastern
island, the climate and productions of which differ very con-
_ siderably from the remaining portions of the archipelago—the
rainfall, at least in the northern portion of the island, being
comparatively small, and the country abounding in grassy
plains, presenting a close resemblance to those of eastern
Patagonia, and characterised by the presence of the same
animals and plants. They differ strikingly from the western
tribes in their much larger stature, and in their manner of life,
which approximates, in some particulars, to that of the
Patagonians, as they engage in the chase of the guanaco (the
flesh of which appears to be their principal article of diet,
although they do not disdain shell-fish), and whose skin fur-
nishes them with garments in the shape of long mantles, like
those of the Patagonians, but worn with the hair outermost
instead of innermost. Fitzroy justly remarks that this tribe,
whom he terms the Yacana-kunny (believing them to be the
people described by Falkner under this title), “seem to be now
much in the condition in which the Patagonians must have
been before they had horses ;” and adds that, “ with their dogs,
with bows and arrows, balls (bolas), slings, and clubs, they
kill guanacos, ostriches, birds, and seals.” He also mentions
that they frequently make incursions upon the Tekeenica,
another tribe in the south-eastern part of Tierra del Fuego,
characterised by their small stature, and whose country is
separated from that of the Yacana bya range of high mountains.
He estimates their number as about 600, but he does not
give us the data for this calculation, which, as the tribe is so
little known, can be considered of very little value.
23 NATURAL HISTORY OF
On our return on board in the afternoon of this day, I
was shown a Fuegian bow and arrows which the surveying
party had carried off from their assailants. The bow was
short (about a couple of feet long), requiring a considerable
amount of force to bend it ; and the arrows, which were beau-
tifully fashioned, were furnished with thin triangular heads
with jagged edges, so united to the shaft as to be readily
detached when an object was struck. One of these heads was
of flint and the other of rock-crystal. In general form these
weapons did not materially differ from those we observed at
a subsequent period in the possession of the western tribes.
On the 8th we remained at anchor all day, a party land-
ing and spending some hours in surveying operations at Cape
Virgins. My time was fully occupied in stowing away the
specimens obtained during my excursion, and in endeavour-
ing to remedy the state of confusion into which my collec-
tions, etc., had been thrown by the gale during my absence.
One of the men who had been on shore brought me a
portion of a condor’s skeleton, and the dredge yielded a few
ascidians and encrusting corallines, as well as numbers of a
species of Calyptrea, the C. costellata of Philippi. In the
evening a remarkable light was seen off the Fuegian shore.
Next day the ship was employed taking soundings at the
eastern entrance of the Strait, and we anchored in the evening
off Catherine Point or Queen Katherine’s Fore-Land, as it was
originally named by Wood, a low and shingly projection on
the Fuegian coast, presenting a considerable resemblance to
Dungeness Spit on the opposite side. On the morning of the
10th some fine Tunicata and a few Tubicolous Annelids were
taken in the dredge. Sounding was again the order of the
day till early in the afternoon, when we returned to our
anchorage, and a party landed to take angles and erect a
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 123
beacon. I availed myself of this opportunity of setting my
foot for the first time on the Fuegian shore, accompanying
Captain Mayne, who was ever ready to afford me all the faci-
lities in his power for the prosecution of my work. On our
way from the ship, a small whale passed very near us, spout-
ing at intervals. Our landing was accomplished with much
difficulty, owing to the violence with which the surf broke
on the steep shelving beach ; and we were well wet in the
process. The shore was formed of small, rounded stones, ex-
hibiting several distinct terraces; and as the tide fell, a
muddy flat was disclosed, on which were large beds of mussels,
affording a feeding ground for numbers of gulls, sand-pipers,
and oyster-catchers, the last of whom appeared to take great
exception to our presence, flying about in wide circles and
screaming. Two species of Hamatopus, 1 may here observe,
are common throughout the Strait of Magellan, and on the
west coast of South America as far north as Chiloe. The
plumage of one of these (#7. ater’) is wholly black, while that of
the other (ZH. palliatus) is pied with black and white, so as
closely to resemble the British H. ostralegus. We found them
both to be very good eating, and they were therefore entered
in the game-book which was kept by one of our number as
a register of the skill of the sportsmen. Like many other
Gralle, they are possessed of tolerable swimming powers.
At high-water mark numbers of broken and worn Volutes
(V. Ferussacit) were lying about, some of them very large
and strongly formed ; and at a short distance from the beach I
collected a few plants, all of which, however, with the single
exception of a small purple-flowered labiate, the Scutellaria
nummulariefolia, | had previously obtained on the northern
shore of the Strait. After spending some hours on shore we
got on board late in the evening.
124 NATURAL HISTORY OF
On the 11th we left our anchorage in the morning, and
were engaged for some hours in taking soundings, anchoring
again off Cape Espiritu Santo, on the coast of Fuegia. Here
I again accompanied a surveying party on shore, as I natu-
rally was anxious to leave no spot that was accessible to me
unvisited. Owing to the nature of the beach, and the surf
upon it, we were compelled to get out of the boat and walk
through the water for some distance. The cape resembles
Cape Virgins on the Patagonian shore, in presenting a face of
high bold cliffs, which, from their white colour, are visible at
a long way off ; and the stratification of these cliffs is very dis-
tinct, their lower and larger half being formed of strata of soft
pale yellowish-white sandstone, and their upper of the hard
clay abounding in boulders so common on the Patagonian
coast. Two large hawks were sitting on their nest built half-
way up on a ledge, and a couple of eagles were seen flying about
not far off. Leaving my companions engaged in taking their
observations on the summit of the cape, I walked along the
smooth sandy beach which extended beneath it for about a
mile, looking for live Volutes. My search proving fruitless, and
nothing of interest being to be met with, I after a time scram-
bled up to the high ground above the shore, soon observing
my friends in the distance making energetic signals to me.
Accordingly, I quickened my steps to ascertain the cause,
which, on reaching them, soon became apparent, as they
pointed out to me that groups of Fuegians were making their
appearance on the neighbouring rising grounds, which rendered
it highly imprudent for any one, entirely unarmed as I then
was, to stray far from the party. We remained for a few
minutes on the top of the cliff, watching the movements of the
natives, and I was struck by the bright purplish appearance
presented by some of the hollows in the land. This I subse-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 125
quently found was due to the presence of a grass of the
genus Hordeum; in other words, a species of wild barley. On
our way back to the boats a couple of guanacos were observed
at about 500 yards’ distance, and afforded some scope for rifle-
practice. A very large Fuegian dog with long dark brown hair
was also seen wandering about, apparently perplexed by our
appearance. Soon after we embarked, walking waist-deep
into the water to reach the boat, and we got on board at three
P.M, soon after which one of the men brought several small
Crustacea which he had found adhering to a fishing line. These
proved to belong to the Isopodous genus Hdotia, of which they
appear to constitute a new species, which I have named £.
Magellanica, Later in the day we returned to the anchorage
between Dungeness and Cape Virgins.
On the 12th we continued at anchor all day, and I
remained on board busily occupied with the examination of
my zoological and botanical collections. In the morning
some very large simple Ascidians were taken in the dredge.
These belonged to the genus Cynthia, apparently forming
the type of a new species, which I have named C. gigantea,
on account of its great size—one specimen subsequently
obtained in Gregory Bay measuring no less than eight inches
from base to apertures. Upon one of these Cynthiw was a
small pedunculated Cirriped of the genus Scalpellum. Soon
after this one of the ship’s boys brought me a most wonderful
specimen in the shape of a mass of a social Tunicate, about
a foot and a half long, attached to a stone. The animal-mass
was of a vivid scarlet colour, and consisted of hundreds of
animals imbedded in cells in the circumference of a fibro-
gelatinous matrix. I subsequently met with it in great
abundance in various localities in the eastern portion of the
Strait, as well as at the Falkland Islands ; and it appears to
126 NATURAL HISTORY OF
form the type of a new genus, for which I have proposed
the name of Goodsiria, in honour of a late distinguished
anatomist.
Later in the day, one of the officers brought me a small
specimen of a shark of the genus Acanthias, which he had
taken in a pool in Dungeness Spit. In general form and
colouring it very closely resembled our commonest British
dogfish ;* and attached to each side of its head was a |
parasitic crustacean of the genus Chondracanthus, or some
closely-allied form. From Dungeness also Captain Mayne
brought me a great prize in the form of a magnificent
cranium of a sea-lion (Otaria jubata). This great seal, to
which I shall often refer in the course of this narrative, is
widely distributed around the western and southern coasts of
the South American continent, frequently congregating in
large herds on the beaches. Despite its huge size, and the
formidable teeth with which it is armed, it appears on the
whole to be a very peaceable animal, it being the general
testimony of those voyagers who have observed its habits
that it will not attack its assailants, thus differing greatly
from the walrus of the northern seas, which, when irritated
or wounded, is a dangerous enemy to boats. As Cook has
well observed, the only danger to be incurred from a herd of
sea-lions is by getting between them and the sea, as, if
alarmed, individuals in their way would be lable to be run
over.
In the evening, a party who had made an excursion to
the iron wreck returned to the ship, bringing with them
several birds of which I had not previously obtained
specimens. Among these was a fine male example of the
* Since the above was written, Dr. Gunther has informed me that it is
identical with our common Acanthias vulgaris.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. TY
military starling (Sturnella malitaris), a beautiful bird, with
a bright red breast, widely distributed over South America,
and generally occurring in open plains, where it is to be seen
in small flocks. It is common both in the eastern part of
the Strait and at the Falkland Islands, and I also observed
it in Banda Oriental and Chili. Another bird procured on
this occasion was the Uvpocerthia dumetoria, which also
possesses a wide range, frequenting much the same localities
as the military starling, and concerning which Mr. Darwin
has made a curious observation—namely, that in specimens
from different localities the beak varies much in length, a
circumstance which has also been remarked in specimens of
another bird, to be afterwards noticed, the Cinclodes Pata-
gonicus, which also has an extended range.
On the following day, which was Sunday, we remained
at rest at our anchorage. There was a very fine sunset, the
most marvellous red and green tints lingering long on the
horizon. A little rain fell in the course of the evening, a
comparatively rare phenomenon, as our subsequent expe-
rience showed, in the eastern part of the Strait, where fre-
quent gales constituted the great obstacle to be encountered
in carrying on our work.
The morning of the 14th was magnificent—clear, bright,
and perfectly calm. The day was occupied in sounding the
Sarmiento Bank, which stretches across outside the entrance
of the Strait. Early in the afternoon, while at work in my
cabin, [ was summoned to see the extraordinary number of
birds around us, and, on ascending to the bridge, I beheld a
most remarkable spectacle. As we steamed slowly onwards,
numbers of albatrosses and large black petrels rose lazily out of
the briny element, where they were resting at only the dis-
tance of a few feet from the side of the vessel ; and flocks of
128 NATURAL HISTORY OF
penguins jumped out of the water in the most absurd
manner, throwing their hind quarters in the air, and plunging
in again, head foremost, after the manner of porpoises. The
sunset was again very beautiful, the calm surface of the sea,
which was of a pale emerald tint, exhibiting rosy reflections
of the clouds.
The early part of the 15th was likewise very fine, and
the sounding of the Sarmiento Bank was continued. In the
afternoon we encountered a curious kind of fog-bank, which
came down from the northward, completely enveloped the
ship for about ten minutes, and then passed away to leeward,
leaving all to windward as clear as before. This occurred
two or three times in rapid succession; and after we had
anchored in the evening we saw several more of these fog-
clouds pass over the Sarmiento Bank, though they did not
reach us. We anchored on this occasion on the western
side of Dungeness. The 16th was also occupied in sounding.
A number of bridled dolphins (Delphinus bivittatus) appeared
in the vicinity of the ship, and we saw them on several
subsequent occasions; but, greatly to my regret, I had no
opportunity of examining a specimen of the species. In
the evening, when we were lying at anchor in Possession
Bay, a large fire was observed, extending for more than
half-a-mile along the coast. This we supposed at the time to
be the work of Patagonians, but we afterwards found that it
had been lighted by a party from Sandy Point, who wished
to attract our attention.
On the morning of the 17th the dredge yielded live
specimens of Lvthodes antarctica, and of Peltarion spinu-
losum, some Holothurideé, Terebratule, Tunicata, and sponges,
as well as a variety of Algz. Here I may observe, that
while we were in the eastern portion of the Strait, a consider-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 129
able number of sea-weeds were taken in this manner,
including the beautiful Delesserra Lyalli and Ptilota Harveyi,
species of Plocamium, Polysiphonia, etc. etc. Preparations
were made in the evening for the despatch of a couple of
surveying parties, one of which I was to have accompanied ;
but on the morning of the 18th it was blowing so hard as to
render it impossible for any boat to leave the ship. On the
19th, on a piece of Macrocystis which was hooked, I found
many live specimens of a molluscan bivalve, afterwards
obtained very plentifully in many localities in the Strait and
Western Channels. This was the Modiolarca trapezina, the
shell of which varies in tint from light straw-colour to
dark olive-green. The animals adhered to the fronds of the
“kelp” by a process of a tough gelatinous substance. In
the afternoon three of the officers took advantage of a lull
to go on shore close to Direction Hill to watch the tides.
It came on to blow soon after their departure, and continued
blowing all next day; and for some days the weather
remained too unsettled to admit of surveying operations.
On the 23d the tide-watching party returned to the ship, bring-
ing with them a lot of marine animals in a bucket. Among
these were specimens of a fish of the genus Wotothenia (N.
virgata), some long-legged crabs (species of Hurypodius), a few
Annelida, and some fine starfish of the genera Uraster,
Asterina, and Ganeria. The Ganerre—referable, I believe,
to G. Falklandica (Gray)—were exceedingly beautiful speci-
mens, of a rich carmine colour. The wind lasted throughout
the day; but on the 25th we had an interval of calmer
weather, which we employed in passing through the first
Narrows, where we met a small vessel, the “ Zeta” of
Swansea, on her homeward way. We anchored early in the
evening in St. Jago Bay, and, as the weather appeared more
K
130 NATURAL HISTORY OF
propitious, preparations were made for despatching boats
- next morning; but on the 26th it was again blowing so
hard that we were detained prisoners on board.
At length, on the morning of the 28th, the wind
appearing to have expended itself for the present, four
boats left the ship on surveying work. On this occasion I
accompanied Captain Mayne, who was engaged in the trian-
gulation of the coast of the first Narrows. We landed
nearly opposite the vessel, which was at this time lying
about three miles from the shore, opposite a little hill where
we erected a beacon. On the high banks near the beach I
again found Adesmia boronioides and Lepidophyllum cupressi-
forme in abundance, as well as two yellow-flowered species of
Senecio and the blue Homoianthus echinulatus; and at the
edge of a neighbouring marsh Samolus spathulatus, an
Epilobium, and a yellow Stsyrvnchiwm, were met with. On
the banks of a small fresh-water lake in the vicinity several
geese were seen, and stalked, but unsuccessfully. This
species, the Upland goose (Chloephaga Magellanica), is very
plentiful in the eastern portion of the Strait of Magellan, but
is very seldom to be seen much to the west of Port Famine.
It is also very abundant at the Falkland Islands, and is
common on the lower slopes of the Chilian Andes. In the
Strait of Magellan it breeds in numbers, on Elizabeth, Sta.
Magdalena, and Quartermaster islands. The plumage of both
male and female birds, as all those who have had an opportu-
nity of seeing them in the Zoological Society’s Gardens will,
I think, agree with me, is very handsome—that of the male
being white, with narrow black transverse bars on the
feathers of the back and breast ; while that of the female is
chiefly composed of various shades of brown, the feathers
being also barred with black. Mr. Darwin, in his notes on
eh -
sit
|, ill Satta
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 15t
this species, remarks that “at the Falkland Islands they
live in pairs and in small flocks throughout the interior of
the island, being rarely or never found on the sea-coast, and
seldom even near fresh-water lakes” —an observation from
which my experience widely differs, as I never saw them
either at the Falkland Islands or in the Strait, at any con-
siderable distance from the sea; and I frequently observed
them on the banks of small lakes of salt and fresh water,
Possibly this discrepancy may have resulted from their having
been noticed at different periods of the year.
After spending a short time at the edge of the small
lake above mentioned, where I found a yellow-flowered
Boraginaceous plant, new to me, we re-embarked, and skirted
eastwards along the coast for some distance, a breeze
springing up before long, and gradually freshening. At
noon we landed on the lee of a long, low, gravelly spit, on
which a number of black and white oyster-catchers were
settled, but which took wing before we had time to get a
shot at them. A fire was here kindled with some trouble ;
and while the boat’s crew’s dinner was getting ready, we
investigated the neighbourhood, finding, as usual, numerous
boards and spars scattered about, as well as a signal-post
formed of a piece of plank nailed to a small mast planted
firmly in the ground, and probably erected by shipwrecked
sailors to attract the attention of passing vessels. As the
breeze was rapidly freshening up into a gale, Captain Mayne
judged it best for us to remain where we were till the
weather moderated. The boat was accordingly hauled up,
and a suitable locality selected for our camp. After this we
ascended a low hill, where it was thought desirable to take
some observations ; but on reaching the summit, we found
that it was blowing so violently as to render work impossible,
152 NATURAL HISTORY OF
and accordingly descended without loss of time, occupying
the remainder of the afternoon in a walk down the coast, to
ascertain the position of one of the boats which had been
appointed to work in concert with us. After struggling
along for some miles, with a stinging shower of fine sand
driving in our faces, we had the satisfaction of seeing the
boat in question lying in a sheltered locality, and accordingly
turned our faces homewards, finding on our return to camp the
men still engaged in laboriously struggling to pitch the tents,
a most difficult process, owing to the violence of the wind.
At length, however, this was successfully accomplished, and,
comfortably housed, we passed a pleasant evening in reading
and conversation.
Next morning (29th) we rose about 4 o’clock, finding the
gale as violent as ever; and after we had breakfasted, I
strolled about the neighbourhood, while Captain Mayne and
his assistant were at work with the theodolite. At one spot .
I came within twenty yards of a guanaco, which remained
stock-still, gazing at me for a few minutes with apparent sur-
prise, and then made off. On the beach many large masses
of the curious social Ascidian I have mentioned a few pages
back were lying, together with numerous fragments of the
skeletons of birds, nine-tenths of which were those of cormo-
rants, readily identified even when the skull was absent, which
was generally the case, by the peculiar form of the breast-bone.
Early in the forenoon we set out on a walk of about eight miles
down the coast of the Narrows, a most fatiguing exploit,
owing to the high wind and the uneven nature of the ground,
which was everywhere raised into little hillocks by the tun-
nelling operations of a burrowing rat. These hillocks were in
general surmounted by tussocks of grass, and were placed so
close together that it was hardly possible to plant both one’s
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 130
feet on a level space of ground at the same time, our experi-
ence in this respect being occasionally varied by suddenly
sinking over the ankles in a burrow. This troublesome little
engineer was the Clenomys Magellanicus, a species closely
allied to the burrowing rodent to which I have at an earlier
period referred, as common in the neighbourhood of Mal-
donado. It is very abundant in the open country on the
coast of both sides of the Strait, but, so far as my experience
goes, does not penetrate far inland. Like the northern
species, it emits a most peculiar cry while in its burrow, and
it is much more frequently to be heard than seen, as it is very
cautious on the approach of danger. Captain King appears
to have been the first to procure specimens of it, and these
were taken at Cape Gregory; but the occurrence of the
species in the Strait was noticed more than a century before
his time, by Wood, who remarks, that at the “ first Narrow,
the place for the space of five or six Miles, is full of Rats, that
have holes in the Earth like Coney-Boroughs, and are supposed
to feed on Limpids.”
In the course of our expedition we observed a few snipe
and many large carrion-feeding hawks. These birds, the
carranchas (Polyborus Tharus), are extremely common on the
grassy plains, and their vulturine habits, as Mr. Darwin has
observed, “are very evident to any one who has fallen asleep
on the desolate plains of Patagonia ; for when he wakes, he
will see, on each surrounding hillock, one of these birds pati-
ently watching him with an evil eye.’ When thus perched,
they assume a very erect posture, and I have frequently mis-
taken one in the distance for a human creature. The plum-
age is handsome, but the naked skin over the crop, which
protrudes after a meal, communicates an unpleasant aspect to
them, and they are exceedingly disagreeable to skin, as they
134 NATURAL HISTORY OF
are invariably swarming with minute and very active Ano-
plura.
On our way back to camp, which we reached in the even-
ing, pretty well tired out, an addled egg of a Rhea was picked
up. Mr. Darwin has remarked, in his account of the habits
of the American ostrich, that “the eggs lie either scattered or
single, in which case they are never hatched, and are called
by the Spaniard huachos ; or they are collected together into
a shallow excavation, which forms the nest.” These single
eggs we often met with on subsequent occasions, and once or
twice we found the remnants of anest. While on this sub-
ject, I may remark, that though on several occasions I had an
opportunity of examining specimens of Aheas which had been
killed, I never met with one of the Rhea Darwini in Pata-
gonia, although I frequently picked up its feathers on the
plains. On the morning of the 30th, as the gale still con-
tinued undiminished in force, and our stock of water was
waxing low, there being none to be procured in the neighbour-
hood of our camp, we set forth after breakfast, accompanied
by two of the boat’s crew, carrying barracoes slung on poles,
and walked to the small lake close to which we had landed
on the first day of our excursion. In the course of our route
many guanacos and several gray foxes were seen, but none
obtained. On the beach at one place, we observed the largest
number of steamer-ducks ever noticed by us during the whole
time we spent in the Strait. There were literally hundreds,
and they produced a most singular spectacle as they ran into
the water and paddled off. The wind fell considerably during
the evening, so that we had a pleasant walk back to the tents,
refreshing ourselves on the way with the fruit of the Berberis
dulcis. By 10 P.M. it was nearly calm, and rain set in, lasting
throughout the greater part of the night. Next morning
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 135
when we arose, shortly after 5 A.M., it was still raining slightly,
but soon after cleared up; and the clouds breaking, disclosed a
delicate pale green sky. By and by the sun shone out brightly,
and we determined to avail ourselves of this opportunity to re-
turn to the ship. We accordingly started as soon as our gear
was stowed in the boat, and reached the vessel about 9 A.M.,
soon after receiving a practical proof that we had taken a
prudent step, as the wind again arose before we had been two
hours on board. After the return of another of the boats we
got under way, and attempted to steam on to Gregory Bay ; but
the wind by this time had become so strong, that after steam-
ing for four hours, we had only accomplished about three
miles, and therefore came to an anchor.
A fresh start was made early next morning, but little way
gained, as the wind arose as usual, and kept us back. It
blew hard throughout the whole of the 2d of February, and
it was only on the morning of the 3d that we got fairly into
Gregory Bay, and the two other boats were able to join us.
One of the officers, Mr. Gray, who took a special interest in
collecting marine animals, and was in consequence a most
valuable ally, brought me some very fine specimens of a large
Chiton (C. setiger) and a live individual of a bright green
spider, apparently a species of Hpeira, with its nest ; while
from another I received a fine specimen of the large owl (Bubo
Magellanicus), first seen at Sandy Point. In skinning this
bird on the following day (which was warm, bright, and calm,
but with a thick fog, which for some time enveloped the
ship), I was much struck with the exceeding development
of air-cells in the back part of the cranium, and the extreme
thinness of the outer and inner tables of the bone.
The morning of the 5th was fine, with but little wind, and
the adjacent saddle-backed Gregory Range appeared very
136 NATURAL HISTORY OF
beautiful as it lay in mingled light and shadow. During the
forenoon we remained at anchor, as various of the boats were
employed in sounding about the neighbourhood. It had
been intended that we should pass through the second
Narrows in the afternoon, but the wind again arose and
defeated the plan. The 6th was, however, everything that
could be desired as regarded weather, and we accordingly
left our anchorage, and, passing through the Narrows,
arrived in Royal Road, between Elizabeth Island and the
mainland about noon. A few hours later, a large party of
us landed on the island, and remained on shore until the
evening. Most of the plants I found had gone out of flower,
so that I did not succeed in getting many specimens of value ;
but my companions had some good sport, shooting a number
of oyster-catchers and upland geese, as well as a specimen of the
large ibis which we had previously seen at Sandy Point. This
bird (Theristicus melanopis) the bandurria of the Chilians (so
called in consequence of its remarkable note being supposed
to resemble that musical instrument), is common in the
open country of Patagonia, as well as in Chili and the
Argentine Republic. It is of large size, and possesses very
handsome plumage—the upper parts, wings, and tail, being of
various shades of gray, black, and dark green; while the
head, neck, and breast, are of a yellowish-buff hue. The bill
and a naked gular space are black, and the legs dull red.
The flight is very strong, and the bird requires to be heavily
hit to bring it down. The cry is very peculiar and sonorous,
and not easy to describe. It has been compared by Mr.
Darwin to the neighing of a guanaco, but in this I cannot
agree with him. Those specimens examined by the above-
mentioned distinguished naturalist had “grasshoppers,
cicadee, small lizards, and even scorpions,” in their stomachs ;
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 137
while, in those examined by me, caterpillars appeared to have
been the principal source of aliment. On carefully examining
the respiratory organs of an individual shot in January 1869,
I found that the portion of the trachea below the insertion
of the sterno-tracheal muscles, though presenting no striking
peculiarity of form, had the rings anchylosed so as to form
an immovable tube, and this no doubt serves to modify the
voice.
In the dredge I obtained a few Molluscs and Crustacea,
an apparently undescribed Amphipod of the genus [phimedia
among the latter. We left Elizabeth Island early next
morning, leaving behind us two officers, with their boats’
crews (who, it had been settled, were to remain in the Strait
engaged in surveying work, during a trip to the Falkland
Islands, which we were necessitated shortly to make for the
purpose of procuring supplies of coal and provisions), and
reached the Chilian settlement of Sandy Point before
breakfast, finding, to our great satisfaction, that letters from
England were awaiting us, which had been left a month
before by an American ship, the “ Pensacola,’ on her
way through the Strait. Early in the forenoon I landed
with some of the officers, and had a pleasant walk. The
greater number of the plants had passed out of bloom, but a
pretty purple-flowered Gentzana, which I did not observe on
our first visit, was very plentiful on the plains. I also
found a white-flowered Ranunculus, very similar to R.
aquatilis, in the water of a small stream, and a large Carex
in a damp place at the edge of the woods, together with
several mosses, and a Marchantia, to all appearance not
distinct from the M. polymorpha so common in damp places
in Great Britain. A considerable number of a species of teal
were shot by my companions, as well as a single specimen
138 NATURAL HISTORY OF
of a small black and white woodpecker, with a red crest. This
species, the Picus ligniarius, which does not appear to be
common in the Strait, we subsequently met with at Chiloe.
As we had learned from some of the inhabitants of the
settlement who had come on board the “Nassau” on our
arrival, that a party of the far-famed Patagonians had lately
arrived at the settlement for trading purposes, we paid a
visit to their camp before returning to the ship in the
evening. On approaching their tents, which were placed in
a hollow close to the river’s bank, we were met by an
individual possessed of a small stock of broken English, of
which he appeared very proud, and who announced that his
name was Pedro, and that he was a little chief. He con-
sidered it necessary to shake hands with us all round, and
said, “You come to my house and see skin ;” and we
accordingly accompanied him to his guanaco-skin tent, where
were a number of his tribe, who smiled and looked affable,
but spoke little. We were then shown some guanaco, puma,
and ostrich skins, and asked, “ Why you no bring bread,
rum, tabac, from ship ?”—rum, as we afterwards learned,
being an article which, unfortunately for themselves, they
value very highly. The whole party on this occasion con-
sisted of about twenty adults and a number of children.
The men were in general tall and very strongly made,
particularly as regarded their chests and arms, the muscular
development of which, strongly favoured by their habits of
life, was excessive. The lower limbs, on the other hand,
appeared much less muscular, and they walked with an
awkward shambling -gait, the result, probably, of their
spending the greater part of their lives on horseback, never
travelling any distance on foot. Their heads were large, and
thatched with thick black hair, in general divided in the |
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 139
middle, and hanging down in long straight locks. The hair
of one man only was frizzled into innumerable little curls,
which had the effect of making his head appear as of
prodigious size. All wore bands of white linen round the
upper part of their foreheads. Their faces were very broad
across the cheek-bones, and, as a rule, they possessed good
features—the men in this respect, however, greatly excelling
the women, the nose being in general of a form approaching
to aquiline, and the teeth very white and perfect, save that,
in most cases, the cusps of the grinders (molars and pre-
molars) had disappeared, the upper surface of all the teeth
being ground down to a uniform level. Whether this effect
was produced by the nature of their diet or by artificial
means, I am unable to state. Some of the children were
very pretty, and the skin of all, both old and young, was of
a dark-brown tint, due in part to nature, but, I suspect,
considerably deepened by the scanty extent of their ablutions.
The dress in both sexes was much the same, consisting of an
- ample robe formed of guanaco-skins, neatly and strongly
sewn together, and worn with the hair innermost. ‘This
mantle extended from the neck nearly to the ankles, and was
in general confined at the waist by a leather belt. Around
the shoulders of the men the robe was generally folded
without any fastening, being merely held together by one
hand; but, in the case of the women, it was fastened
together by two large, more or less ornamented, gilt pins.
In addition to this general covering they possessed buskins
of horse-skin, which covered the feet and ankles like boots,
extending about half-way to the knee. In the neighbourhood
of the tents their steeds were pastured ; and a large pack of
ugly dogs, of different sorts and sizes, roamed about, and
were very unsociable, keeping up a constant barking at us.
140 NATURAL HISTORY OF
I think I may not unfitly bring this chapter to a close by
giving my reader a short account of what is known of the
habits and customs of this remarkable people, and I shall
begin by citing a few of the descriptions given of them by the
earlier voyagers. The first of these is given by Antonio Piga-
fetta, the historian of Magellan’s voyage, and is so curiously
quaint in its language, that I quote the greater part, as it
may amuse some of those who have not been previously
acquainted with it. He narrates that after they had spent
about two months at Port St Julian—*
“One day by chance they espyed a man of the stature of a Giant, who
came to the Hauen dancing and singing, and shortly after seemed
to cast dust ouer his head. The Captaine sent one of his men to the
shore with the ship Boat, who made the like sign of peace. The
which thing the Giant seeing, was out of feare, and came with the
Captaine’s seruant to his presence into a little Iland. When hee saw
the Captaine with certaine of his companie about him, hee was greatly
amazed, and made signes, holding vp his hand to Heauen, signifying
thereby that our men came from thence. This Giant was so big, that
the head of one of our men of a meane stature came but to his Waste.
He was of good corporature, and well made in all parts of his body,
with a large Visage, painted with diuers colours, but for the most part
yellow. Upon his Cheekes were painted two Harts and Red Circles
about his Eyes. The Hayre of his Head was coloured white, and his
Apparell was the Skinne of a Beast sewed together. This Beast (as
seemed vnto us) had a large head, and great eares like vnto a Mule,
with the body of a Cammell, and tayle of a Horse. The feet of the
Giant were foulded in the same skin after the manner of shooes. He
had in his hand a big and short Bowe, the String whereof was made of
a sinew of that Beast. He had alsoa Bundell of long Arrowes, made of
Reedes, feathered after the manner of ours, light, with sharp stones in
the stead of Iron heads. The Captaine caused him to eat and drinke,
and gave him many things ; and, among other, a great Looking-glasse :
In the which, as soone as he saw his own likenesse, hee was suddenly
* | take the narrative as given in Purchas His Pilgrimes, vol. i., p. 34.
‘1 s
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 141
afraid, and started backe with such violence that he ouerthrew two that
stood nearest about him. When the Captaine had thus given him cer-
tain Hawke’s Bells and other great Bells, with a Looking-glasse, a
Combe, and a payre of Beads of Glasse, he sent him to land with foure
of his owne men well armed.
“Shortly after they saw another Giant, of somewhat greater
stature, with his Bowe and Arrowes in his hand. As hee drew neere
vnto our men, he layd his hand on his head, and pointed up toward
Heaven, and our men did the like. The Captaine sent his ship Boat
to bring him to a little Tland, being in the Hauen. This giant was
very tractable and pleasant. Hee sung and danced, and in his dancing,
left the print of his feet on the ground. Hee remayned long with our
men, who named him John. Hee could well speake, and plainly pro-
nounce these words—Jesus, Ave Maria, Johannes, even as wee doe,-but
with a bigger voyce. The Captaine gave him a shirt of Linnen Cloth,
and a Coat of white Woollen Cloth ; also a Cap, a Combe, a Looking-
glasse, with diuers such other things, and so sent him to his companie.
The day following hee resorted againe to the shippes, and brought with
him one of those great Beasts, which hee gaue the Captaine. But after
that day they never saw him more, supposing him to be slaine of his
owne company, for the conversation he had with our men.
“ After other fifteene dayes were past, there came foure other Giants
without any Weapons, but had hid their Bowes and Arrowes in cer-
taine Bushes. The Captaine retayned two of these, which were
youngest and best made. Hee took them by a deceit: giving them
Knyves, Sheeres, Looking-glasses, Bells, Beades of Crystall, and such
other Trifles, hee so filled their hands that they could hold no more ;
then caused two payre of shackles of Iron to bee put on their legges,
making signes that hee would also give them these Chaynes, which
they liked very well, because they were made of bright and shining
metall. And, whereas they could not carry them, because their hands
were full, the other Giants would have carryed them ; but the Captaine
would not suffer them. When they felt the shackles fast about their
legges, they began to doubt ; but the Captaine did put them in comfort
and bade them stand still. In fine, when they saw how they were
deceived, they roared like Bulls, and cryed upon their great Deuill
Setebos to help them. Being thus taken, they were immediately
separate and put in sundry shippes. They could never bind the hands
of the other two ; yet was one of them with much difficulty overthrown
142 NATURAL HISTORY OF
by nine of our men, and his hands bound; but he suddenly loosed
himself and fled, as did also the other that came with them. In their
flying, they shot off their Arrowes, and slew one of our men. They
say, that when any of them die, there appear ten or twelve Deuills,
leaping and dancing about the bodie of the dead, and seeme to haue
their bodies painted with diuers colours, and that among other there
is one seene bigger than the residue, who maketh great mirth and
rejoicing. This great Devill they call Setebos, and call the less Cheleule.
One of these Giants which they tooke, declared by signes that hee had
seene Devils with two hornes above their heads, with long hayre downe
to their feet, and that they cast forth fire at their throats, both before
and behind. The Captaine named these people Patagonz. The most of
them weare the Skinnes of such Beasts whereof I have spoken before,
and haue no Houses of continuance ; but make certaine Cottages, which
they couer with the said Skinnes, and carry them from place to place
They live of raw Flesh anda certaine sweet Root, which they call Capar
They are very jealous of their Women. When they are sicke at the
stomacke, they put an Arrow half a yard or more downe the Throat,
which makes them vomit greene choler and bloud. For head-ach, they
make a cut ouer the for-head, and let themselves bloud. The like
they doe on the arme, or legge, in any Aches. They cut their hayre
like Friers, but a little longer, and binde it with a Cotton hayre-lace.”
“ One of these which they had in their shippes, did eat at one meale a
Basket of Bisket, and drinke a Bowle of Water at a draught.”
In the narrative of Cavendish’s voyage, not far from the
close of the same century, namely in 1586, it is related that
at Port Desire—
“ A Man and a Boy, in washing their clothes in a Pit, were hurt by
the Savages arrowes, which are made of Canes, headed with flints. They
are very wilde. We took the measure of one of their feete, and it was
eighteene inches long. Their vse is when any of them die, to bring him
or them to the Cliffes by the Sea-side, and upon the top of them they
burie them, and in their graves are buried with them their Bowes and
Arrowes, and all their Jewels which they have in their lifetime, which
are fine shells which they find by the Sea side, which they cut and
square after an artificiall maner ; and all is laid vnder their heads.
The grave is made all with great stones of great length and bignesse,
being set all along full of the dead man’s Darts, which he vsed when
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 143
he was liuing. And they colour both their Darts and their Graves
with a red colour which they vse in colouring themselves.”
In Schouten’s Voyage, about thirty years later, it 1s men-
tioned that at Port Desire, upon the highest part of the hills,
they
“ Found some burying places, which were heapes of stones, and we
not knowing what that meant, pulled the stones off from one of them,
and vnder them found men’s bones of tenne and eleven feet long :
they buried the dead vpon the top of the hils, flat on the ground, and
cover them also with stones, which keeps them from being devoured by
beasts or birds.”
Wood relates that, on his visit to Port St. Julian in 1670,
in walking inland, he
“Met seven Savages who came running down the Hill tous, makingseveral
Signs for us to go back again with much Roaring and Noise, yet did
not offer to draw their Arrows : But one of them who was an old Man,
came nearer to us than the rest, and made also Signs we should depart,
to whom I threw a Knife, a Bottle of Brandy, and a Neckcloth to pacify
him ; but, seeing him persist in the same Signs as before, and that the
Savageness of the People seemed to be incorrigible, we returned on
Board again.”
He then adds—
“ As far as I could observe by these People, they Lave no Houses
nor Habitation, but wander from Place to Place to seek their Food,
which consists mostly in Seals and Limpids, with some Fowls and Deer.
Having spent the Day in the said Manner, they return at Night, and put
themselves behind some Bush, where they may make a small Fire, I
suppose on purpose, because they should not be discovered afar off by
Night ; and they lie upon the cold Earth, without any other Canopy
but Heaven. As for the Apparel of these Savages, they have no other
but Mantles made of Deer-Skins sewed together, wherein they wrap
themselves up, and need no other Covering, they being by Nature very
hardy, and of an Olive Complexion, as all the Americans are, in Conform-
ity to most of whom, these also paint their Faces and Bodies with many
Colours. It happen’d that some of our Men being on Shoar, August
the 16th, on the East-Side, in order to fill Water, two of them at a
144 | NATURAL HISTORY OF
small Distance from thence met with two Patagonians behind a Bush,
who immediately ran away from them, leaving their Baggage behind
them, consisting of some Skins sewed together, made into little Bags ;
wherein were contained some Flints and Colours, besides two Dogs
thay had there also tied together.”
It is, however, to the observations of Falkner, a Jesuit
missionary in South America during a part of last century,
and to the narratives of King and Fitzroy in more recent times,
that we are chiefly indebted for authentic information regard-
ing the Patagonians. At the present time, in so far as we were
able to ascertain from our repeated interviews with them in
the Strait, many of them are, as respects their religion, Roman
Catholics, at all events in name ; but this altered or perhaps
additional creed appears to be of considerably recent date, as
Falkner tells us, in his account of their superstitions, that
they
“ Believe in two superior beings—the one good, the other evil. The
good power is called by the Moluches, Toquichar, which signifies
governor of the people ; by the Taluhets and Diuihets, Soychu, which
in their tongue signifies the being who presides in the land of strong
drink ; the Tehuelhets call him Guayana-cunnee, or the lord of the
dead.”
He farther states that
“ Their worship is entirely directed to the evil being, except in some
particular ceremonies made use of in reverence to the dead. To perform
their worship, they assemble together in the tent of the wizard ; who is
shut up from the sight of the rest in a corner of the tent. In this
apartment he has a small drum, one or two round calabashes with small
sea-shells in them, and some square bags of painted hide, in which
he keeps his spells. He begins the ceremony by making a strange
noise with his drum and rattle-bone, after which he feigns a fit or
struggle with the devil, who it is then supposed has entered into him ;
keeps his eyes lifted up, distorts the features of his face, foams at the
mouth, screws up his joints, and after many violent and distorting
motions, remains stiff and motionless, resembling a man seized with an
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 145
epilepsy. After some time he comes to himself, as having got the
better of the demon ; next feigns, within his tabernacle, a faint, shrill,
mournful voice, as of the evil spirit, who, by this dismal cry, is supposed to
acknowledge himself subdued ; and then, from a kind of tripod, answers
all questions that are put to him. Whether his answers be true or
false, is of no great signification ; because, if his intelligence should
prove false, it is the fault of the devil. On all these occasions the
wizard is well paid.”
Weare, however, informed that, although the profession is
honourable and lucrative, it is not without its drawbacks, as
in the case of any misfortune occurring to the tribe, such as
the death of a chief, or the ravages caused by pestilence, the
wizards are often put to death. Elsewhere, he states, that
the Patagonians say that
“The stars are old Indians, that the Milky Way is the field where
the old Indians hunt ostriches, and that the two southern clouds are the
feathers of the ostriches which they kill.”
How far the foregoing account of the religious rites of
these people is correct we have no means of knowing. Cap-
.tain King, in his narrative, gives a curious account of a cere-
mony, apparently founded on Roman Catholicism, of which
he was an eye-witness. He states that having shown himself
inquisitive about the contents of a red baize bundle in the
possession of Maria, a woman who was cacique of her tribe,
she said to him, “ Quiere mirare mi Cristo?” (do you wish to
see my Christ?), and that the following proceedings then took
place :—
“Maria, who, by the lead she took in the proceedings, appeared to
be high priestess as well as cacique of the tribe, began by pulverising
some whitish earth in the hollow of her hand ; and then taking a
mouthful of water, spit from time to time upon it, until she had formed
a sort of pigment, which she distributed to the rest, reserving only
sufficient to mark her face, eyelids, arms, and hair, with the figure of
the cross. The manner in which this was done was peculiar. After
L
146 NATURAL HISTORY OF
rubbing the paint in her left hand smooth with the palm of the right,
she scored marks across the paint, and again others at right angles,
leaving the impression of as many crosses, which she stamped upon diffe-
rent parts of her body ; rubbing the paint, and making the crosses
afresh after every stamp was made.
“The men, after having marked themselves in a similar manner
to do which some stripped to the waist, and covered all their body
with impressions), proceeded to do the same to the boys, who were not
permitted to perform this part of the ceremony themselves. Manuel,
Maria’s husband, who seemed to be her chief assistant on the occasion,
then took from the folds of the sacred wrapper an awl, and with it
pierced either the arms or ears of the whole party, each of whom,
presented in turn, pinched up between the finger and thumb, that portion
of flesh which was to be perforated. The object evidently was to lose
blood, and those from whom the blood flowed freely showed marks of
satisfaction, while some, whose wounds bled but little, underwent the
operation a second time.
“When Manuel had finished, he gave the awl to Maria, who
pierced his arm; and then, with great solemnity and care, muttering
and talking to herself in Spanish (not two words of which I could
catch, although I knelt down close to her and listened with the
greatest attention), she removed two or three wrappers, and exposed to
our view a small figure, carved in wood, representing a dead person
stretched out. After exposing the image, to which all paid the greatest
attention, and contemplating it for some moments in silence, Maria
began to descant upon the virtues of her Christ, telling us it had a
good heart (‘buon corazon’) and was very fond of tobacco. Shortly
after this the image was carefully packed up again, and the traflic,
which had been suspended, recommenced with redoubled activity.”
Of another class of ceremonies—namely, those relating to
the burial of the dead—Falkner thus writes :—
“ When an Indian dies, one of the most distinguished women among
them is immediately chosen to make a skeleton of the body, which is
done by cutting out the entrails, which they burn to ashes, dissecting
the flesh from the bones as clean as possible, and then burying them
underground till the remaining flesh is entirely rotted off, or till they
are removed (which must be within a year after the interment, but is
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 147
sometimes within two months) to the proper burial-place of their
ancestors.
“This custom is strictly observed by the Moluches, Taluhets,
and Diuihets ; but the Chechehets, and Tehuelhets or Patagonians,
place the bones on high, upon leaves or twigs woven together, to dry
and whiten with the sun and rain.
“ During the time that the ceremony of making the skeletons lasts,
the Indians, covered with long mantles of skins, and their faces
blackened with soot, walk round the tent with long poles or lances in
their hands, singing in a mournful tone of voice, and striking the
ground to frighten away the Valichus or Evil Beings. Some go to
visit and console the widow or widows and other relatives of the
dead—that is, if there is anything to be got, for nothing is done but
with a view of interest. During this visit of condolence, they cry,
howl, and sing in the most dismal manner, straining out tears, and
pricking their arms and thighs with sharp thorns to make them bleed.
For this show of grief they are.paid with glass beads, brass cascabels,
and such like baubles, which are in high estimation among them.
The horses of the dead are also immediately killed, that he may have
wherewithal to ride upon in the Altrue Mapu, or Country of the
Dead, reserving only a few to grace the last funeral pomp, and to
carry the relics to their proper sepulchres.”
The same author also mentions that the Moluches,
Taluhets, and Diuihets, bury their dead in large square pits
about a fathom deep; but that the Tehuelhets, or more
southern Patagonians, having dried the bones of their
dead, carry them to a great distance from their habitations,
and after placing them in order, and adorning them with
robes, beads, weapons, and other property of the deceased,
deposit them above ground, under a hut or tent, with the
skeletons of their dead horses placed around them.
King thus describes a Patagonian tomb at Gregory Bay,
which he visited with the father of the deceased :—
“Tt was a conical pile of dried twigs, and branches of bushes about
two feet high, and twenty-five in circumference at the base, the whole
- bound round with thongs of hide, and the top covered with a piece of
148 NATURAL HISTORY OF
red cloth, ornamented with brass studs, and surmounted by two poles
bearing red flags and a string of bells, which, waved by the wind, kept
up a continual tinkling. A ditch about two feet wide and one foot
deep, was dug round the tomb, except at the entrance, which had been
filled up with bushes. In front of this entrance stood the stuffed skins
of two horses, recently killed, each placed upon four poles for legs.
The horses’ heads were ornamented with brass studs, similar to those
on the top of the tomb ; and on the outer margin of the ditch were six
poles, each carrying two flags, one over the other.”
As I have already stated, the Patagonians seen by us on
our first meeting with them were generally of a large stature,
and such was the case with those we encountered on several
occasions subsequently, the men being rarely less than five
feet eleven inches in height, and often exceeding six feet by
a few inches. Their height, however, appears much greater
by reason of their long flowing robes, the comparatively
-gmall size of their horses, and the clearness of the atmo-
sphere of the country, which causes comparatively small
objects seen at a distance to appear much larger than they
really are. It is probably to these circumstances, combined
with a love of the marvellous, that we owe the accounts given
by the older navigators of the gigantic stature of these people.
Their weapons at the present time-—for they appear to have
discarded the use of bows and arrows—are limited to chuzos
or long spears, hunting-knives, and the bolas. The last con-
sist of three rounded stones covered with leather, or of three
brass or iron balls, one of which is attached to each end of a
plaited leather thong, from six to eight feet long, while the
third is fastened equidistant from the other two. When in
use this third ball is held in the hand, while the other two
are made to revolve rapidly in the air above the head, the
missile being then discharged with great force, and generally
with unerring dexterity, at the object desired to be taken.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 149
Occasionally the bolas are constructed of but two balls, the
intermediate one being omitted ; and this kind is principally
employed for the capture of the ostrich, the other being
reserved for the guanaco.
The guanaco and ostrich, both of which exist in numbers
on the plains, form the principal food of the Patagonians, and
rows of strips of the flesh of these animals may often be seen
hanging up to dry in front of their tents. Their only vege-
table aliment, in so far as we could observe, was the long
tap-shaped root of an umbelliferous plant, which was either
the Balsam-bog (Bolax glebaria), or an allied species of
Azorella. Fitzroy, however, speaks of a second root of a
bulbous nature, which they sometimes use along with their
meat, and which, according to him, they call “tus.”
Except when excited to revenge a real or imaginary
injury, or under the influence of alcohol, which is some-
times the cause of frays among them, the Patagonians appear
to be an amiable and well-disposed people, and we were
always on excellent terms with them. In addition to
their own language, nearly all appear to be well acquainted
with Spanish, and a few have a little knowledge of English.
As to their numbers, it is impossible to speak with certainty,
but there can be no doubt that they are rapidly decreasing,
owing principally to the influence of strong drink and intro-
duced diseases, such as small-pox, which has destroyed many
of them, and in all probability, ere many centuries have
elapsed, the race will have entirely disappeared.
There is one point connected with the history of the
Patagonians on which I may remark, in conclusion, that I
did not succeed in obtaining any definite information through-
out the time of our sojourn in the Strait—namely, whether at
the present time these people ever hold intercourse with the
150 NATURAL HISTORY OF
Fuegians. King mentions having seen a Fuegian in company
with one of the bands of Patagonians whom he encountered,
and Fitzroy states, apparently on the authority of Mr. Low,
captain of a sealer, whom he encountered in these regions, ~
“that there is every reason to conclude that the Canoe-men
of the south side of these waters have frequent and even
amicable intercourse with the horse-men of Patagonia. A
part of that amicable intercourse consists in selling their
children to Patagonians as slaves.” That these nations may
have frequently met in former times when the islands of -
Santa Magdalena, Santa Marta,and above all Elizabeth Island,*
were tenanted by Fuegians, appears not at all unlikely ; but
that they have done so for a long time back there is some
reason to doubt, as, though we landed on many parts of the
coast of N.E. Fuegia, we could never discover the slightest
vestiges of canoes or rafts of any description, and in fact, in
this part of Fuegia, with the exception of drift wood, no
material exists for their manufacture. To the westward,
where the Fuegians possess canoes, and are to be met with
on both sides of the Strait, the Patagonians do not occur, as
they inhabit exclusively the open plains, and do not enter the
wooded country, except occasionally for the purpose of trading
with the inhabitants of the Chilian colony.
* The Fuegians seem to have disappeared from the first two islands at
a very early period, having been exterminated by the men of Oliver van
Noort’s expedition, but Wood encountered them on Elizabeth Island as late
as 1670.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 151.
CHAPTER V.
EXCURSION TO SEAM OF COAL IN NEIGHBOURHOOD OF SANDY POINT—
OXYURUS — PECKETT HARBOUR — COMMON DUCK OF STRAIT —
MEET -A PARTY OF PATAGONIANS, AND TRADE WITH THEM—LEAVE
THE STRAIT FOR THE FALKLAND ISLANDS—JASON CAYS—REACH
STANLEY HARBOUR—CLIMATE AND PRODUCTIONS OF THE FALK-
LAND ISLANDS—STREAMS OF STONES—-DIDDLE-DEE BERRY—BAL-
SAM-BOG PLANT—-FALKLAND ISLAND TEA-PLANT— ALMOND-
FLOWER — LESSONIA — TAMENESS OF SEA-BIRDS — FALKLAND
ISLAND SORREL — MARINE ANIMALS— LEAVE THE FALKLAND
ISLANDS FOR THE STRAIT—GRIMOTHEA—REACH THE STRAIT, AND
PILOT H.M.S. ‘“ ZEALOUS” WESTWARD — TENIOPTERA— PORT
FAMINE ; ESTABLISHMENT OF A COLONY THERE BY SARMIENTO, AND
FATE OF THE COLONISTS—FIRST MEETING WITH WESTERN FUEGIAN
ORCANOE INDIANS—FISH—PORT GALLANT—FUCHSIAS—SCENERY
—PHILESIA —— LIBOCEDRUS —- FERNS — KINGFISHER — HUMBLE-
BEE—PLAYA PARDA COVE—DESFONTAINEA—PART WITH H.M.S.
“ ZEALOUS,” AND RETURN TO SANDY POINT—ANIMALS OBSERVED
ON THE ROUTE—PECKETT HARBOUR—THINOCORUS AND ATTAGIS
—CHLOEPHAGA POLIOCEPHALA—-OAZY HARBOUR—-HIPPURIS—
BOTRYCHIUM—BUTEO ERYTHRONOTUS.
Notuine of a noteworthy description occurs in my journal
for the 8th and 9th of February, as I remained on board on
both of these days, being busily occupied in skinning birds.
A fire took place in the forest behind the settlement at this
time, causing some anxiety to the colonists; but in the
course of two or three days it expended itself, without doing
any damage farther than destroying a considerable amount of
timber. On the evening of the 10th there was a very
remarkable sunset effect ; the gravelly beach at one side
-
152 NATURAL HISTORY OF
of the settlement assuming a grass-green tint, while the water
beyond it was tinged with a bright rosy hue. On the 11th I
made an excursion with Captain Mayne and one of the officers
to visit a seam of coal in the neighbourhood, which the
governor of the colony was anxious that we should examine.
We landed in the forenoon, and after some delay in procuring
horses, set forth in company with the governor, and a convict
who acted as guide. The greater portion of our route lay
through the woods, following the course of a small river, which,
as I have previously mentioned, flows through a gorge in the
hills behind Sandy Point, and enters the sea not far from the
settlement, and involved rather rough riding, as our steeds
were compelled to jump over many tree-trunks, and to
scramble up and down the steep banks of the stream, which
required to be crossed many times. Soon after entering the
forest, we passed through a broad belt of charred trees, the
result of the late fire ; and after we had penetrated for some
distance, we observed a perceptible increase in the numbers of
the Winter’s-Bark trees, the glossy leaves and white flowers of
which showed to great advantage. The banks of the ravine
through which the stream flows, after a time became very
steep and elevated in their character, occasionally presenting
fine geological sections, and several thick beds of fossil shells,
principally composed of a species of Ostrea, being laid bare at
one spot. At length, after we had ridden to a distance of
between three and four miles from the settlement, we reached
the site of the seam of coal, which we estimated to be about 400
feet above the level of the sea. The coal appeared to me, on
examining it, to be of tertiary age and of inferior quality ;
and I could not but feel very doubtful whether the working of
it would pay. On the bank under the trees, not far from
where it occurred, I found a few beautiful specimens of
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. Lbs
a Calceolaria, closely resembling the C. nana, but with more
and larger leaves and more finely coloured flowers ; and on
our ride back to the colony I gathered specimens of a species.
of currant (Ribes Magellanicum), with ripe fruit of a dull.
reddish colour and insipid taste. On our return on board,
Dr. Campbell gave me specimens of two birds which he had
shot. One of these was a fine hawk (A ccipiter Chilensis), and
the other, a curious little bird of the creeper family, the Oxywrus
spinicauda with which we afterwards became very familiar,
as it occurred plentifully throughout the wooded country of
the Strait of Magellan and Channels on the west coast of
Patagonia, in the Chonos Archipelago, and at Chiloe, as well
as in many parts of Chili proper. The shafts of the centre
tail-feathers are prolonged, woodpecker-like, though it does
not appear to climb the trees in the manner of these birds,
being generally to be seen hopping about fallen trunks or low
shrubs, in search of insects. It is a bold little bird, and
often, in the course of our rambles, we were accompanied by
about half-a-dozen at a time, uttering their peculiar sharp note
at intervals.
Next morning (12th) we left Sandy Point, and proceeded
northwards along the Patagonian coast, on the look-out for
the party we had left about a week previously at Elizabeth
Island, as we were anxious to ascertain their welfare before
leaving for the Falkland Islands. Finding them encamped
on one of the small islands in Peckett Harbour to the north
of Elizabeth Island, we remained at that port for the rest of
the day, which allowed some of us to land fora ramble. I
found a fleshy-leaved Chenopodiaceous plant, new to me, but
little else of interest ; and a considerable number of geese and
ducks were shot by the officers. The former were the Chloe-
. haga Magellanica, which I have already noticed as common
154 NATURAL HISTORY OF
in this region, while the latter were of two very distinct species,
ae. the steamer-duck and the Anas cristata, which, with per-
haps the exception of the steamer, is by far the most abun-
. dant of the Anatide of the Strait, being to be met with almost
everywhere in greater or less numbers, generally swimming
among the broad belts of kelp at some distance from the shore.
The plumage of both male and female is compounded of various
shades of gray and brown, the latter colour predominating ;
and the male is distinguished by the possession of a small
crest. We found them rather good eating during some
months of the year ; but at others they had an unpleasantly
fishy flavour. The flesh of the steamer is very dark coloured
and very strong tasted, so that, after several experiments
in cooking it, we agreed in banishing it from our mess-
table.
On the morning of the 13th a few Ophiurids of the genus
Ophiomastix, some small Echini and Annelids, were taken in
the dredge. We left Peckett Harbour early in the day, and
passed through the second Narrows, anchoring in St. Jago
Bay. A very large albatross was observed swimming about
at some distance from the ship in the course of the after-
noon ; and when we arrived at our anchorage, about four P.M.,
we noticed a large party of Patagonians riding about the
country opposite us. On the following day we remained at
anchor, a thick mist prevailing, and the obscurity of the
atmosphere being materially increased by the smoke of large
fires kindled by the Patagonians on the adjoining coast.
Early in the day a party of these people were observed
making signals to the effect that they wished to communicate
with us, and accordingly two of the officers landed to have
an interview with them. On their return, a few hours later,
they brought with them a supply of guanaco and ostrich
"
fiat}
anicus
1. Mytilus Magell
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 155
meat, which the Indians had exchanged for sugar, tobacco,
etc.; and that day we had a characteristically Patagonian
dinner, consisting of guanaco-steaks, roast leg of ostrich, and
mussels. The ostrich, which we then tasted for the first
time, was highly approved of by all of us (the flesh somewhat
resembling roast mutton in flavour and colour), and the
mussels were very popular with some of the party. Two
species of the genus Mytilus, I may here remark, are abun-
dant in the Strait—one with a shell possessed of a smooth
surface (Mytilus Chilensis), which is also common on the
coast of Chili; and the other, in which the shell is marked
with longitudinal ribs (JZ. Magellanicus). Small pearls are
not unfrequently to be met with in both—a circumstance
noted by Sir Richard Hawkins, who observes, in the course
of his narrative of his passage through the Strait towards the
close of the sixteenth century—“ Otherwhiles we entertained
ourselves in gathering Pearles out of Muscles, whereof there
are abundance in all places, from Cape Froward to the end
of the Straits. The Pearles are but of a bad colour, and
small, but it may be that in the great Muscles in deeper
water, the Pearles are bigger, and of greater value: of the
small seed Pearle, there was great quantitie, and the Muscles
were a great refreshing unto us; for they were exceeding
good, and in great plenty.’ Most of the Patagonians
encountered on this occasion were tall in stature, one mea-
suring six feet two, and few of them being less than five feet
eleven inches. At night their fires cast up a brilliant red
glare against the sky.
The 15th was a miserable day, blowing hard, with
torrents of rain, so that we were prevented from making a
move ; and the only event that occurred was the appearance
of a Bolivian steamer, commanded by an English captain,
156 NATURAL HISTORY OF
which passed not far from us on her westerly way through
the Strait. Next morning, the weather having improved
considerably, we left our anchorage, and, passing through
the first Narrows, proceeded slowly out of the Strait, taking
a line of soundings as we went, and emerging at the eastern
entrance late in the afternoon. The 17th was bright and
sunny, but there was a heavy swell, and unfortunately but
little wind, so that we made rather slow progress. The
following day was also fine, and we were favoured with a fair
wind. In the evening we reached the Jason Islands, on the
north-east of the West Falkland. On passing near Jason
West Cay, the westernmost of the group, at about nine P.M,
a most pungent odour, compounded of guano and decaying
fish, was wafted off to the ship, an unmistakable evidence
of an extensive roosting-place of penguins or cormorants ; and,
at the same time, we encountered a remarkable tide-rip. A
little more than an hour later we were drifted by a very strong
current unpleasantly close to Jason East Cay, and soon after
one of the steep cones of Steeple Jason, upwards of 1000 feet
in height, formed a very striking object, looming through the
haze. The morning of the 19th was very misty ; but about
nine o'clock the remarkable Eddystone Rock, about 280 feet
in height, off Cape Dolphin, on the north coast of the East
Falkland Island, was sighted, and revealed to us our position.
Between five and six P.M. we entered Port-William, and
about an hour later we were lying at anchor in Stanley
Harbour, which we all concurred in regarding as one of the
most wretched-looking places which we had ever seen—the
settlement, on this cold, rainy afternoon, appearing very dreary,
with its gray stone houses scattered along the side of a bare,
low, bleak hill. We had before long, however, the great
satisfaction of finding that a large batch of letters, left by
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 157
H.MLS. “ Narcissus” a short time before, was lying for us,
and over the perusal of these we passed a pleasant evening.
Next morning the weather was fine, and things had assumed
a more cheerful aspect, though the colouring of the landscape
was very cold—masses of gray quartz-rock cropping out at
intervals on the surface of a rugged country, entirely destitute
of trees, and covered with a peaty soil, clothed with yellowish
wiry grass. It is perhaps hardly necessary to inform the
reader that no native trees of any description exist on these
islands, and that attempts to mtroduce them have been
hitherto attended with entire failure. Even shrubs are very
scarce, and the only plant perhaps that merits the name, the
Veronica decussata, appears to be confined to the West
Island. The greater number of the terrestrial and marine
animals* are such as are also to be met with in the Strait of
Magellan and adjacent coasts of South America; and the
same is the case as regards the plants, but few of which
appear to be peculiar to these islands, occurring either on
the plains of Eastern Patagonia, or in the western wooded
Fuegian region. It is, however, interesting to observe, that
though there is an entire absence of trees in this inhospitable
spot, several species of plants occur, which in the Strait of
Magellan are strictly confined to the wooded country, and
are not to be met with on the open plains of Patagonia. This
is, doubtless, in great measure, due to the amount of rainfall
in these regions, which is much greater than in eastern
Patagonia.
On the afternoon of this day a party of three of us landed,
and had a pleasant walk over the hill at the back of the
* The Molluscan fauna has been regarded by some authors as consider-
ably dissimilar from that of the Strait, but this is not the case according to
my observations.
158 NATURAL HISTORY OF
settlement. From the summit we had a fine view of the
curiously-shaped harbour, and saw one of those extraordinary
“streams of stones” which have attracted the attention of
most visitors to the Falklands, and for the origin of which
it is so difficult to account. They are formed of immense
accumulations of great angular fragments of quartz, spread
out in belts (sometimes as much as a mile broad, and two or
three miles long) in the valleys, extending in some instances
to the tops of the gray quartz hills, from which they appear to
have been derived. The name “streams of stones” is a very
fit title for them, as they frequently resemble the course of a
great river, although their deposition and arrangement are pro-
bably in no way the result of aqueous agency. Mr. Darwin,
in his observations on this wonderful phenomenon, remarks
that never did any scene like these “streams of stones” so
forcibly convey to his “ mind the idea of a convulsion, of which
in historical records we might seek in vain for a counterpart ;
yet that the progress of knowledge will probably some day
give a simple explanation of this phenomenon, as it already
has of the so-long-thought inexplicable transportal of the
erratic boulders which are strewed over the plains of Europe.”
As yet, however, no satisfactory solution of the problem seems
to have been arrived at.
On the hill-side I observed several species of plants
already recognised in the Strait, such as the “ Diddle-dee”
berry of the Falkland Islanders (a species of Hmpetrwm, at one
time regarded as distinct from the #. nigrum of Europe, on
account of the red instead of black colour of the berries, to
which the Upland geese are very partial); as well as others
which were new to me; such as the famous Balsam-bog,
Azorella (Bolax) glebaria ; the Falkland Island Tea-plant
(Myrtus nummularia) ; and the Almond-flower of the colonists
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 159
(Callixene marginata). The first of these plants has for a
long period attracted the attention of navigators who have
touched at the Falklands, and ats appearance is so extraor-
dinary that a casual observer would be most unlikely to refer
it to the order (Umbellifere) to which it truly belongs.*
Dr. Hooker remarks that—
“In whatever portion of this country the voyager may land,” “he
cannot turn his steps inland without seeing scattered over the ground
huge, perfectly hemispherical hillocks of a pale and dirty yellow-green
colour, and uniform surface, so hard that one may break the knuckles
on them. If the day be warm, a faint aromatic smell is perceived in
their neighbourhood, and drops or tears of a viscid white gum flow
from various parts of these vegetable hillocks. They stand apart
from one another, varying from two to four feet in height, and though
often hemispherical, are at times much broader than high, and even
eight to ten feet long. The very old ones begin to decay near the ground,
where a crumbling away commences all round, and having but a narrow
attachment, they resemble immense balls or spheres laid upon the
earth. Upon close examination, each mass is found to be herbaceous
throughout, the outer coat formed of innumerable little shoots rising to
the same height, covered with imbricating leaves, and so densely packed
that it is even difficult to cut out a portion with a knife, while the sur-
face is of such uniformity that lichens sometimes spread over it, and
other plants vegetate on its surface in the occasional holes or decayed
places. If at a very early period a young plant of the Bolax be re-
moved and examined, the origin of these great holes can be traced ;
for each of them, of whatever size, is the product of a single seed, and
the result of many, perhaps hundreds of years’ growth. In a young
state the plant consists of a very long, slender, perpendicular root, like
a whip-lash, that penetrates the soil. At its summit are borne two or
three small branching stems, each closely covered for its whole length
with shooting leaves. As the individual increases in size, the branches
divide more and more, radiating regularly from the resting centre,
instead of prolonging rapidly ; these send out lateral short shoots from
their apices, and in such numbers that the mass is rendered very
* T learned, in the course of conversation with some of the inhabitants of
Stanley, that they believed it to be a kind of fungus !
160 NATURAL HISTORY OF
dense ; and by the time the plant has gained the diameter of a foot,
it is quite smooth and convex on the surface. The solitary root has
evidently become insufficient for the wants of the mass of individuals,
which are nourished by fibrous radicles, proceeding from below the
leaves, and deriving nutriment from the quantity of vegetable matter
which the decayed foliage of the lower part of the stems and older
branches affords.” ,
The Falkland Island tea-plant is a little species of myrtle,
the stems of which, thickly covered with small rounded
glossy leaves, creep over the surface of the ground, and has
derived its name from having been frequently used as a
substitute for tea by sealers who have visited the Islands.
Its flowers are of a pinkish-white tint, and the fruit
which succeeds them possesses an agreeable sweetish taste.
The Almond-flower, so called from the delicious fragrance
of its pretty white blossoms, which are succeeded by dark
purple berries, belongs to a genus generally referred to the
order Liliacee. In the Falkland Islands, I, as a rule, found
it clustering in crevices of rock; but in the western part of
the Strait it principally occurs half-buried in moss at the base
of the trees.
Another plant which I noticed on this occasion was a fern,
the Lomaria Boryana, which, though extremely abundant in
the wooded region of the Strait, does not occur in Eastern
Patagonia. It is a fact worth noting, as regards this species,
that while in the western part of the Strait_it invariably de-
velopes a short stem, from one to two feet high, in the Falk-
lands it appears to be as invariably destitute of one. In the
gardens of the settlement I observed a species of Veronica
decussata, as well as examples of the famous Tussac-grass,
once abundantly distributed around the greater part of the
coast of the islands ; but now, for the most part, restricted to
various small islets and projecting headlands, where it can
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 161
flourish with immunity from the ravages of the wild cattle
which have been its principal destroyers. A little bird, of
which many specimens were seen by us on this occasion in
the neighbourhood of the settlement, was, I believe, the
Chlorospiza melanodera, one of the Fringillide, somewhat
resembling a yellow-hammer in general appearance, and flying
in small flocks.
‘In the evening H.MS. “ Zealous” arrived, anchoring in
Port William just outside the harbour ; and we were grati-
fied by receiving a fresh supply of letters and papers.
The 21st was fine, though rather windy. In the afternoon
I landed, with two companions, at the opposite side of the har-
bour from the settlement, and walked round to it, a distance of
about seven miles. On the beach I found afew Chitons, Tuni-
cata, and Sponges ; and we saw several cormorants and a great
number of steamer-ducks, which were very tame, but hard to kill.
One was, however, shot, and proved to be in no respect differ-
ent from the species as it occurs in the Strait of Magellan.
A few additional plants were also obtained, a species of
Achyrophorus among the number. On the 25th I went on
shore in the morning, and had a long walk to the eastern end
of the harbour, crossing over the neck of the peninsula which
separates it from the open sea beyond, and descending into a
sandy bay, on the beach of which the surf was breaking with
a thundering sound. Here I saw, for the first time, many
fragments of the stems of a gigantic sea-weed (Lessonia fusces-
cens) lying strewn about, some of the specimens exceeding
three inches in diameter. Dr. Hooker observes of this and
an allied species, that they
“ Are truly wonderful Alge, whether seen on the water or on the
beach, for they are arborescent, dichotomously-branched trees, with the
branches pendulous, and again divided into sprays, from which hang
M
162 NATURAL HISTORY OF
linear leaves, from one to three feet long, The trunks usually are
about five to ten feet long, as thick,as the human thigh, rather con-
tracted at the very base, and again diminishing upwards. The indivi-
dual plants are attached in groups or solitary, but gregarious like the
pine or oak, extending over a very considerable surface, so as to form a
miniature forest, which is entirely submerged during high-water or even
half-tide, but whose topmost branches project above the surface at the
ebb. To sail in a boat over these groves on a calm day, affords the
naturalist a delightful recréation ; for he may there witness, in the An-
tarctic regions, and below the surface of the ocean, as busy a scene as
is presented by the coral reefs of the tropics. The leaves of the Les-
sonia are crowded with Sertularie and Mollusca, or encrusted with
Flustre ; on the trunks parasitic Alge abound, together with Chitons,
Patelle, and other shells ; at the bases and among the tangled roots
swarm thousands of Crustacea and Radiata, whilst fish of several species
dart among the leaves and branches.”
And the same author adds that
“The ignorant observer at once takes the trunks of Lessonia,” washed
up on the beach, “ for pieces of drift-wood ;” mentioning, that “ on one
octasion, no persuasion could prevent the captain of a brig from em-
ploying his boat and boat’s crew, during two bitterly cold days, in col-
lecting this incombustible weed for fuel.”
On the sandy beach at the eastern end of the harbour a
variety of Algze were strewn, together with a few Molluscs,
principally characteristic Magellanic forms, but including one
small bivalve that I never met with in the Strait. This
was the Cyamium antarcticum of Philippi, and occurred in
numerous small clusters, connected together by a sort of
byssus. Numbers of a beautiful little Gymnophthalmatous
Acaleph were also lying on the sand. I saw many steamer-
ducks, which were most amusingly tame, sitting watching
me with an air of grave consideration, until I had approached
within a few yards of them, when they would waddle down
the beach, or tumble their great heavy bodies into the water,
and then steam off to a safe distance, uttering their strange
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 163
cries. At one place, ten cormorants and three steamer-ducks
were assembled on three small rocks, placed side by side, and
would not take their departure till I had thrown a succession
of stones at them ; two of the former birds remaining after
several of the stones had struck the rock close to them, con-
tenting themselves with merely flapping their wings slightly,
and not taking the trouble to move till I had come within a
few feet of them. It was most curious to notice the numbers
of cormorants which were perched on old coal-hulks, not in the
least disturbed by the presence of the inhabitants of ships in
their vicinity. Five porpoises were disporting themselves at
one point of the harbour, within three or four yards of the
shore, entirely regardless of my near neighbourhood, and did
not leave their station until I threw a large stone on the back
of one of them, when they hurriedly scudded off in different
directions. On the ground near the beach, I found a hand-
some Senecio (S. Falklandicus) rather plentifully in bloom, as
well as one or two specimens of a beautiful Ozalis (O. ennea-
phylia), long supposed to be peculiar to the Falkland Islands,
but which also occurs in eastern Patagonia. It is very plen-
tiful at the Falklands, but flowers early in the season, so that
it was nearly out of flower at the time of this our first visit.
The leaves are curiously divided into numerous segments,
and the flowers are large (about the size of, or a little larger
than, our common bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis), and of a
beautiful snow-white tint. In common with the other species
of the genus, it possesses agreeably acid qualities.
I returned on board early in the afternoon, and soon after
a very thick mist came on, and next day we were detained
prisoners on board, as it was blowing hard. Rain or wind,
or both combined, appear to constitute the normal state of
things in these bleak and desolate islands, although fine days
164 NATURAL HISTORY OF
now and then occur. On the afternoon of the 27th, a
misty November-like day, Dr. Campbell and I landed, and
walked for some distance along the shore of the harbour,
assiduously employed in searching the stranded masses of
Macrocystis for marine animals, of which we found a consider-
able number among the interlacing roots, including Paguri,
Halvearcini, Porcellane, a curious Ascidian (Cynthia verrucosa),
and another animal of the same order, which recalled the
remarkable Chelyosoma of the Arctic Seas ; several Annelids,
and some Echinoderms, including a small yellow Cucwmaria
(C. crocea), and a Cidarid, with strong thick spines (Zemnoct-
daris?).* I also picked up an odd relic in the botanical line,
—the dried leaf of a banyan, bearing the following inscrip-
tion :—“ Ficus Indica, Banian Tree, India. From the Great
Banian Tree in the Botanical Gardens, Calcutta. Dec. 10th,
1865.” The 28th and the 1st of March were two cold, disagree-
able days ; an easterly wind blowing, rain falling in torrents,
and, to add to our discomfort, the process of coaling going on.
On the evening of the 2d we left Stanley Harbour, with
but little regret, setting forth under steam on our return
voyage to the Strait. The morning of the 3d was fine ; and
as we moved quietly along, several brilliant scarlet patches, of
limited extent, were observed on the surface of the water by the
officer of the forenoon watch. We managed to dip up a portion
of one of these by means of a bucket attached to a rope, and
found that the brilliant colour was due to the presence of
multitudes of small Decapodous Crustacea, somewhat resem-
bling miniature lobsters, which moved rapidly about in a
backward direction, by means of repeated flexions and exten-
sions of their tails. They measured about three-quarters of
an inch in length, and their general colour was a vivid scarlet ;
* This Cidarid I never met with either in the Strait of Magellan or on the
west coast of Patagonia.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 165
the eyes, a central patch on the cephalo-thorax, and a longi-
tudinal line extending along the centre of the tail, being
bluish-black. I afterwards ascertained them to be young
specimens of the Grimothea gregaria, an animal closely allied
to Galathea, and not unfrequently to be met with in these lati-
tudes. The following year I received specimens which had
been taken by the officers of the “ Narcissus” at San Carlos
in Falkland Sound, and they have been observed in the south
of Fuegia both by Dana and Dr. Hooker. They appear also
to have attracted the attention of various of the older naviga-
tors ; Sir Richard Hawkins, among the number, speaking of a
cove not far from the Strait of Magellan, where “ all the water
was full of a small kinde of red Crabbes.” The barometer
began to fall during the afternoon of this day, and continued
falling rapidly during the night, the wind rising at the same
time ; so that, by the forenoon of the 4th, it was blowing
a gale from S.W., and there was a heavy sea on, and we
were therefore obliged to keep greatly off our course. By
the evening, however, the barometer had again begun to
ascend ; and early on the morning of the 5th the wind died
almost entirely away ; and, accordingly, sail was taken in, and
we were able to keep right on our way under steam. Very
early on the following morning Cape Virgins was made, and
after we had anchored for a short time on the Sarmiento Bank
to await the approach of daylight, we entered the Strait, and
finding the “ Zealous,” which had left the Falkland Islands a
few days befere us lying off Cape Possession, we anchored
near her, and remained there for the rest of the day, as the
weather appeared unpropitious for proceeding farther on.
Here we obtained a fine haul of Waldheimia venosa, some
Calyptree, dead Volutes, ete.
It having been arranged that the “ Nassau” should pilot
166 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the “ Zealous’’ through the Strait, the two ships set out in
company at daylight next morning. On passing Elizabeth
Island we communicated with one of the two officers who
had been left with the surveying party, and learned that they
were all well, and had seen much of the Patagonians, who had
been very civil to them. We reached Sandy Point between
five and six P.M.,and there remained during the following day.
In the forenoon, Captain Mayne, on his return from taking
sights on shore, brought me specimens of gold, associated
with quartz, and samples of copper ore, which the gover-
nor had given him to examine, stating that they had been
procured in the neighbourhood of the settlement. I spent
the afternoon on shore, and found several Fungi that were
new to me. One of these was a large Polyporus, of an
exquisite mottled crimson colour, growing on the Antarctic
beech ; and another was the Cyttaria Hookeri, discovered by
Dr. Hooker at Cape Horn, and which also occurred on
the deciduous beech. A few birds were shot, one of which
was a kind of flycatcher (Tenioptera Pyrope), with soft
grayish plumage, often noticed by us during our later
experiences in the Strait. Mr. Darwin has observed con-
cerning it, that it is not uncommon near Port Famine, and
along the whole western coast, even as far as the desert
valley of Copiapo. I never, however, saw it in the channels
or the west coast of Patagonia, although I believe I observed
it at Chiloe. As Mr. Darwin accurately remarks, “ it
generally takes its station on the branch of a tree on the
outskirts of the forest. When thus perched, usually at some
height above the ground, it sharply looks out for insects
passing by, which it takes on the wing.”
We weighed on the forenoon of the 9th, and proceeded
southwards, noticing with interest the change in the aspect
od
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 167
of the land on either side of us, which by degrees assumed
a much bolder and more elevated character, exhibiting
many mountain-peaks covered with perpetual snow. The
sky also became altered in appearance, being covered with
black clouds, which, at intervals, descended in heavy showers,
and caused us to realise that we were approaching the con-
fines of the rainy region of the west. At three P.M. we
reached Port Famine, situated about thirty miles to the
south, and somewhat to the westward of Sandy Point, on
the Patagonian coast, and here we came to a halt for the
day. The port was thus named by Cavendish in 1587, in
commemoration of the sad fate of a colony of Spaniards
left there by Sarmiento, between three and four years pre-
viously. Sarmiento, having been despatched by the Spanish
government to fortify the Strait, in order to prevent the
English from passing through it, established two settlements
—one at Cape Possession, which he named Nombre de
Jesus ; and the other at Port Famine, calling it King Philip’s
City. But, on the “ Approach of Winter,” in the words of
Wood’s succinct narrative, he “took five-and-twenty sea-
men along with him, and departed for Spain ;” but in his
way thither, being captured by Sir Walter Raleigh and
brought prisoner to England, the unfortunate Spaniards were
left to starve in the Strait. Their fate appears to have
remained unknown until Cavendish visited these parts some
years later, when he found only four-and-twenty survivors
out of the original four hundred colonists. The following
account of their sufferings occurs in the narrative of his
‘voyage :—
“The ninth day wee departed from Penguin Island, and ranne
South South West to King Philip’s Citie, which the Spaniards had
built : which Towne or Citie had foure Forts, and every Fort had in
168 NATURAL HISTORY OF
it an cast Peece, which Peeces were buryed in the ground; the
Carriages were standing in their places vnburied ; wee digged for
them, and had them all. They had contrived their Citie very well,
and seated it in the best place of the Straits for Wood and Water.
They had builded up their Churches by themselves. They had
Lawes very severe among themselves, for they had erected a Gibbet,
whereon they had done execution vpon some of their companie. It
seemed vnto us that their whole living for a great space was altogether
upon Muskles and Lympits; for there was not anything else to be
had, except some Deere. which came out of the Mountaines downe to
the fresh Rivers to drinke. These Spaniards which were there, were
only come to fortifie the Straits, to the end that no other Nation
should have passed through into the South Sea, saving only their
owne ; but as it appeared it was not Gods will so to have it. For
during the time that they were there, which was two yeares at the
least, they could never have anything to growe, or in anywise prosper.
And on the other side, the Indians oftentimes preyed upon them,
vntill their Victuals grew so short (their store being spent which they
had brought with them out of Spaine, and having no meanes to renew
the same), that they died like Dogges in their Houses, and in their
Clothes, wherein we found them still at our comming, vntill that in
the end the Towne being wonderfully taynted with the smell and the
savour of the dead people, the rest which remayned alive were driven
to burie such things as they had there in their Towne either for
provision or for furniture, and so to forsake the Towne, and to goe
along the Sea-side, and seek their Victuals, to preserve them from
starving, taking nothing with them, but every man his Harquebuze
and his furniture that was able to carry it (for some were not able to
carry them for weaknesse), and so lived for the space of a yeere or
more, with Rootes, Leaves, and sometimes a Fowle which they might
kill with their Peece. To conclude, they were determined to have
travelled towards the River of Plate, only three and twentie persons
being left alive, whereof two were Women, which were the remainder
of foure hundred.”
The tragical celebrity of Port Famine was further increased
ata much later period by the death of Captain Stokes, who,
associated with Captain King in the survey of the Strait at
the close of the first quarter of the present century, here put
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 169
an end to his life, his mind having given way under the
anxiety and hardships which he had experienced in the course
of his work. About sixteen years later, the Chilian govern-
ment, as I have elsewhere incidentally remarked, established
a colony here, which was removed after some time to Sandy
Point. The anchorage has been for long regarded as an
excellent one, and is well known to all those who have had
occasion to pass through the Strait.
Immediately after we anchored, a large party of us landed
and spent some hours on shore, encountering now and then
very heavy showers of rain. We found the woods so thick
that it was hardly possible to penetrate into them for any
distance ; and accordingly wended our way along a tract
of open ground between the forest and the sea, till our further
progress was arrested by the Sedger, one of the largest of the
rivers flowing into the Strait, and, according to the chart,
navigable by boats for a considerable distance after quarter
flood-tide. So many of the plants were out of bloom that
I did not add materially to my botanical collection, though I
obtained some very fine foliaceous lichens on the stems of
the trees. Several teal, and a specimen of the gray flycatcher
obtained on the previous day at Sandy Point, were shot, and
we saw numerous small flocks of a black starling, or Troopial
(Cureus aterrimus), which we ata later period found to be
one of the few land-birds common in the western region of
the Strait and western Patagonian Channels, besides occurring
abundantly in Chili, where it is frequently kept as a cage-
bird on account of the facility with which it may be taught
to talk. Ordinarily its notes, when in the wild condition,
are sufficiently harsh, but on one occasion I saw one
that was singing most melodiously on the top of a low tree.
Possibly this may have been an escaped bird, the accom-
170 NATURAL HISTORY OF
plishment having been acquired in a state of captivity.
While we were strolling along the northern bank of the river,
we had our first sight of the western Fuegian Indians, a party
of whom appeared on the opposite side attired in short seal-
skin cloaks, which hardly covered their bodies, and left their
lanky legs bare. They attempted to hold communication
with us by howling in their language, and repeated with
astonishing accuracy various slang phrases that were shouted
to them in reply by some of the members of our party.
Returning to the landing-place along the sandy beach, I
found many specimens of a sand-inhabiting bivalve, the
Mactra edulis of Captain King, who thus named it on account
of its having furnished an article of food much appreciated by
his ship’s company, and a portion of a Crustacean of the genus
Galathea, the G. subrugosa, a species which I often met with
subsequently in the Strait, and which also has been taken at
the Auckland Islands. Steady rain set in soon after we got
on board, and continued during most of the evening. A
seining party, which had been despatched soon after we
anchored, returned shortly after dark, tolerably successful,
having caught many specimens of a species of Atherinich-
thys (the A. laticlavia), as well as of a larger fish presenting a
general resemblance to a mullet.
We weighed the following morning, and continued our
southerly and westerly course. While the anchor was being
got up, two canoes of Fuegians came alongside. They brought
bows and arrows for barter, and apparently knew no English
but “tabac,” which they repeatedly demanded. They had
fires in the bottom of their boats, and pulled with quick, short
strokes, using paddles resembling short oars. It rained heavily
during the greater part of the day, with occasional brief inter-
vals of fair weather, which were occupied by me in contem-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. EFE
plating the magnificently savage character of the scenery of
the Patagonian and Fuegian coasts, the mountains on either
side towering up steeply from the water’s edge, with their
summits in many instances thickly mantled with snow.
Turning Cape Froward, the southernmost point of the conti-
nent of South America, we kept along the Patagonian side of
the Strait, passing, after a time, the striking cliffs of Cape
Holland, and towards the close of the afternoon reached
Fortescue Bay, at the entrance of Port Gallant, where we
anchored for the night.
On the following day (11th) it was blowing very hard
squalls, with but brief intervals between them, outside our
anchorage, and it was therefore considered unadvisable to
make a move—a circumstance regretted by few of us, as
affording an opportunity for the examination of the country
in the neighbourhood. arly in the forenoon, therefore, a
large party of us, well encased in waterproofs, left the ship,
landing on a small wooded islet (Wigwam Island of the
charts) at the entrance of Port Gallant. As we neared the
beach, our attention was attracted by the brilliant red colour-
ing presented by a thicket of tall bushes, which we supposed
to be Fuchsias; and on stepping on shore we ascertained that
our conjecture was correct, and were greatly delighted with
the beautiful appearance of these elegant shrubs, which
attained a height of from eight to twelve feet, and were loaded
with blossoms. This Fuchsia (the F. Magellanica) is widely
distributed throughout the western part of the Strait, the
Channels, and the west coast of Patagonia, the Chonos Archi-
pelago, Chiloe, and South Chili, and was, until within the
last few years, confounded with the Fuchsia coccinea of Aiton,
a very distinct species as Dr. Hooker has demonstrated. It
very generally occurs in thickets, affording a most serviceable
+72 NATURAL HISTORY OF
shelter to the wigwams of the Fuegian Indians, and its flowers
are eagerly sought after by a little humming-bird which
extends as far south as these cold regions. After a short
time spent on this island, we crossed from it to the main-
land on a gravelly peninsula, uncovered save at high tide.
Here I picked up some dead shells of a large species of
Fissurella, and I also found a Lichina growing plentifully on
the stones. We then skirted along the edge of the thick
woods which encircle Port Gallant, separating in various
directions as inclination led us; and, despite the heavy
rain which set in after a time, I passed some delightful hours
in the pursuit of my avocations. The mountain scenery was
of a character ineffaceable from the memory. Standing at
the water’s edge, and directing one’s gaze gradually upwards,
there was to be observed, first a series of densely wooded,
nearly perpendicular slopes ; next an almost infinite succes-
sion of gray precipices of gneiss and granite, with a multi-
tude of foaming cascades pouring down their fissures ; then
vast tracks of spotless snow ; and finally black jagged peaks,
half concealed by the clouds. Drake certainly did not
exaggerate, when, in the course of his account of those
regions, he observes—
“The land on both sides is very huge and mountainous ; the lower
Mountaines whereof, although they may be monstrous and wonderful to
look upon for their height, yet there are others which in height
exceede them in a strange manner, reaching themselves above their
fellowes so high, that betweene them did appear three Regions of
Clouds.”
I had a very interesting but most laborious walk through
the woods, which were soaking wet, as indeed the entire sur-
face of the land in the western part of the Strait, without
exaggeration, may be stated to be. Nowhere was there a
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 173
level space of ground to be lighted on, but on all sides existed
elevations formed by dead stumps and prostrate trunks richly
clothed with lichens and Jungermanniz, interspersed with
mossy hollows into which I sank above my waist ; while in
addition the ground was everywhere intersected by numbers
of minute rivulets, often concealed from view by the luxuriant
growth of the mosses and ferns which fringed their banks.
I had hardly entered the woods when one of the officers
brought me a specimen of an exquisite rose-coloured flower,
which I found in the course of the two succeeding years
everywhere abundant in the damp region of the Strait and
the Western Channels, and with whose beauty I never ceased
to be delighted. This was the elegant Philesia buarfolia, an
endogenous plant classed by some botanists with the Smila-
cece, by others with the Liliacee, and by a third party regarded
as the type of a natural order named Philesiacew. It varies
very much in its growth, for although in ordinary circum-
stances it forms a suberect under-shrub from one to two feet
in height, when it occurs close to the base of trees its branches
frequently elongate, and pushing themselves through the
coating of moss and lichens, with which the trunks of the
trees in this humid country are, with few exceptions, covered,
often attain a height of from six to ten feet or more. The
leaves are narrow, alternate, and coriaceous, with thickened
margins ; and the flower is a bell-shaped perianth, about two
inches long, by a little more than one inch in diameter at the
mouth, formed of six divisions, the three outer of which are
much shorter and narrower than the three inner, each of
which is provided at the base with a greenish-yellow glandular
pit, which secretes a honey-like fluid. The stamens are six
in number, and have the lower portion of their filaments
united to a tube, through which the long style, bearing at its
174 NATURAL HISTORY OF
summit a green trilobed viscid stigma, passes. The appear-
ance presented by a cluster of these beautiful flowers hanging
pendant from the branch of a tree is most attractive. The
plant ranges from Valdivia in South Chili, where it is deno-
minated Pepino, to the south of Fuegia. In the Strait of
Magellan I did not meet with it to the east of Port Gallant,
nor did I encounter it in the island of Chiloe, though I found
it in the Chonos Archipelago. Double flowers occasionally
occur. In one of these I found eighteen instead of six divi-
sions of the perianth present, some of which had been formed
at the expense of the stamens, which were reduced in number. »
The fruit of the plant is a rounded hard green berry, contain-
ing rugose seeds imbedded in a gelatinous pulp.
The principal trees of which the woods were here com-
posed were the evergreen beech and the Winter’s-bark, but
some large specimens of a kind of cypress (Libocedrus tetra-
gonus) were growing round the water’s edge. Their bark was
of a bright reddish tint, like that of the Scotch fir, and the
foliage, which a good deal resembled that of a Thwa, was
dark green. Though apparently not very common at Port
Gallant, this tree becomes very abundant towards the west-
ward, forming one of the most conspicuous features of the
forests in the western part of the Strait and the Channels, and
extending at least as far north as Chiloe, where it is termed
“Cipres.” The “Alerse” of the Chilians, erroneously referred
to this tree by King, belongs to a distinct genus, Futzroya,
which probably does not occur to the south of the Gulf of
Pefias, if so far. The wood of the “Cipres” is employed by
the Chilians for building purposes, although I believe they
consider it much inferior in value to that of the “ Alerse ;”
and the Fuegian Indians make use of the straight tough stems
of the young trees for shafts for their spears. .
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 175
Among the other plants which were conspicuous on this
occasion were the holly-leaved barberry ; the Lmpetrumrubrum,
forming clumps nearly two feet high, and bearing red and
purplish-black berries in nearly equal abundance; and a great
fern, the Lomaria Boryana, with a thick scaly stem sometimes
exceeding two feet in height, bearing at its summit a crown
of radiating, stout, leathery, pinnate leaves, sometimes exceed-
ing two feet in length by more than six inches in width.
This last, which abounds throughout the damp region of
Patagonia and northern Fuegia, often imparts a semi-tropical
appearance to the forests on the steep mountain-sides, and it
is not surprising that it should have been mistaken for a small
species of palm by some of the older navigators.* I also
found two beautiful species of Hymenophyllum, a pretty
little Aspleniwm (A. Magellanicum), and a Gleichenia (G.
acutifolia).
Animal life was but poorly represented, the list of Verte-
brata being summed up by a few steamer and brown ducks in
the water of the harbour, a solitary specimen of a hawk, and
a rather large kingfisher, which last was fortunately shot by
one of the party. Two species of insects were captured—one
a large dragonfly, and the other an orange humble-bee of
considerable size (Bombus Dahlbornii), which appears to. be
not uncommon in these parts ; and the dredge yielded many
dead specimens of Jerebratella Magellanica, a Pecten (P. Pata-
gonicus), and some pretty branching Nullipores.
On the 12th, the weather still continuing unfavourable,
we remained at anchor. During the greater part of the day
there was a succession of violent squalls, accompanied with
showers of sleet, though now and then brief gleams of sun-
* It is well described as ‘‘ nova especie de palma”’ in the Ultimo Viage al
Estrecho de Magallanes dela Fregata de S. M. Santa Maria de la Cabeza, etc. etc.
176 NATURAL HISTORY OF
shine occurred, when rainbow-coloured tints were developed
on the land, and a series of fine dissolving views produced—
the snowy peaks being lighted up for a moment or two, and
then rapidly shrouded in mist. Snow also fell heavily on
the higher mountains, descending a considerable distance on
their sides. I was busily occupied all day in the examina-
tion of the plants procured the previous day, and in skinning
the kingfisher. . This bird, the Ceryle stellata, we found in the
course of the two following years common in the dark and
dreary inlets of Fuegia and the Channels, as well as at Port
Otway, the Chonos Archipelago, and Chiloe. It is often to be
seen perched on the branch of a tree overhanging the water,
keeping a vigilant look-out for its finny prey, and is of bold
nature, readily allowing the sportsman to come within range of
it. On more than one occasion a specimen lighted on the lower
rigging of the ship, and sat there for some time, uttering at
intervals its harsh cry. Above, the principal tint of the
plumage is grayish slate-colour, with white spots, while
beneath a somewhat rufous hue prevails. I found a curious
muscular peculiarity in all the specimens examined by me—
two of the longitudinal superficial muscles of the neck (biventer
cervicis) being connected by a transverse tendon. I was not able
to ascertain anything as regards the modification of the species.
A female specimen, obtained in December 1868, had ova in a
far-advanced state of development in the ovary.
On the 13th, the weather having considerably improved,
though there was a westerly wind, we left Fortescue Bay, and
continued on our course to the westward. The day, though
showery, could not be considered as a bad one for the region ;
and as we steamed onwards through the narrow reaches which
intervene between Port Gallant and the western entrance of
the Strait, we had a constant succession of views of the most
a ee ee LS eee
- & e
aleP ‘Tempeg g TA
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. TTT
magnificent description, entirely surpassing my expectations
of the mysterious grandeur of this portion of our route, where,
as Mr. Darwin has well observed, the distant channels be-
tween the mountains appear from their gloominess to lead
beyond the confines of this world. At times the nearer
wooded heights were bathed in bright sunlight, while the
more distant snowy ones were in shadow, and at others the
sun shone brightly on the white slopes and peaks, causing the
forest-clad hills to appear as a black wall rising sheer out
of the water, while occasionally an entire mountain-side was
rainbow-tinted. To add to the glorious effect, were several
splendid glaciers, some reaching nearly to the surface of the
water, and all in a more or less degree exhibiting deep longi-
tudinal and transverse crevasses, the splendid blue colouring
of which formed a fine contrast with the dazzling purity of
the surface of the icy mass. Passing with a curious gaze the
entrance of the remarkable Otway Water, we kept along the
coast of the Cordova Peninsula until late in the afternoon,
when we anchored in Playa Parda Cove, a beautiful little
land-locked nook, surrounded by mountains, and with a cas-
cade pouring down at its head; while the “ Zealous,” whose
large size unfitted her for such a tiny berth, lay a short dis-
tance outside the entrance. Here, being otherwise engaged,
I did not go on shore, but a few of the officers took advantage
of half-an-hour’s daylight which yet remained to land for
a scramble, and on their return brought me specimens of
plants, including a handsome shrub which was new to me.
This was the Desfontainea spinosa,* a plant with bright green
holly-like leaves, and tubular scarlet flowers with short yel-
* The Flora Antarctica is my authority for the specific name of this plant,
which is perhaps rather D. Hookeri. I have not had leisure as yet to examine
my specimens with the care necessary to determine the matter.
N
178 NATURAL HISTORY OF
low lobes. The two following years I found it everywhere
abundant, from Playa Parda to the western entrance of the
Strait, and from the southern extremity of Smyth’s Channel
to the Gulf of Pefias. It has also been obtained in Staten
Land, and is probably common in the wooded region of the
south of Fuegia; while on the chain of the Andes it ap-
pears to extend as far north as Peru. Several other species
of the genus, regarding the true affinities of which a con-
siderable amount of difference of opinion has prevailed
among botanists, have been described—all, I believe, from the
western side of South America, and possibly modified forms
of a single stock.
The following morning we bid good-bye to the “Zealous,”
whose ship’s company treated us to a parting cheer as she
started to pursue her westerly course, in the hope of clearing
the Strait before the evening, while we returned on our track
to the eastward. Soon after entering English Reach, we
saw several Fuegian canoes, and accordingly halted for a few
minutes to allow one of them to come alongside. In her
were three men, who shouted and screamed, much after the
fashion of sea-birds, as they approached us, at the same time
waving their sealskin cloaks above their heads. On coming
close to the ship they vociferated “ Rope, rope, yammers-
chooner,” and then kept up a perpetual yell of “tabaca,
tabaca,” accompanied with a variety of gesticulations. Though
better off in respect of garments than the inhabitants of
another canoe previously seen by us, the ereater number
of whom were entirely naked, they appeared very insuffi-
ciently clothed considering the severity of the weather, the
snow this day extending half-way down the hills—their
sole attire consisting of the above-mentioned cloaks, which
only covered their backs and shoulders. They had, however,
> 1
ee
——————————— rere SS—<“‘“‘“‘“‘“‘“‘i‘“i Cr
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 179
a fire of green boughs of the evergreen beech, on a bed of
hard clay, in the bottom of the canoe, which was formed of
five thick strips of bark fastened together with rushes, one
piece forming the floor, and the remaining four the sides.
They exchanged a bow, arrows, and a quiver, for some tobacco,
and when we had given them some ship-biscuit, we moved
on. The first revolution of the screw seemed to amuse them
very much, after which they appeared rather terrified, and
paddled off in a great hurry. I was struck with the differ-
ence of their physiognomies, one man being hideously ugly,
while another possessed decidedly good features. Travellers,
I suspect, often draw erroneous conclusions as to the type of
face which prevails in a tribe or nation, from having only
seen a few representatives of it; and the same no doubt holds
good with regard to the examination of isolated examples of
crania.
We noticed many dark-coloured seals (probably Areto-
cephalus Falklandicus, the fur-seal of commerce, which is not
rare in the Strait), leaping out of the water in the distance,
the body of the animal being bent during the spring after
the manner of a bow. We reached Fortescue Bay early in
the afternoon, and on this occasion entered Port Gallant, where
we remained during the rest of the day, a number of us land-
ing, as usual, in search of sport and specimens. Many heavy
showers of sleet fell, and the surface of the country appeared,
if possible, even wetter than on our previous visit. I obtained
a few more mosses and lichens by dint of scrambling about in
the woods, in which a deathlike silence reigned, only broken
occasionally by the note of a little bluish-black bird (Scy-
talopus Magellanicus), resembling a wren in its general
appearance and familiar habits. According to Mr. Darwin,
to whose careful and minute observations I have so often to
180 NATURAL HISTORY OF
refer, it is widely distributed on the west coast of South
America, extending as far north as Central Chili; and “it
has found its way over to the Falkland Islands, where,
instead of inhabiting forests, it frequents the coarse herbage
and low bushes, which in most parts conceal the peaty
surface of that island.” Several steamer-ducks and teal were
shot, and a considerable number of fish of the same species
obtained at Port Famine were taken in the seine, together
with a single example of a Trachinoid form of most for-
bidding appearance. This fish, the Aphritis gobio, was first
described by Dr. Giinther, about ten years ago, from a
specimen in the British Museum, procured by Captain
King at Port Famine. It has a large broad head, and
presents a most ferocious aspect when captured, opening
its wide mouth, and erecting its fins and an orbital tentacle
situated at the back of each eye. It is of a dusky-brown
colour above, variegated with orange-yellow on the sides.
The under parts are likewise orange-yellow ; and on each
side, below the lateral line, there is arow of branched
cutaneous appendages attached to the under surface of the
scales.
We left Port Gallant on the morning of the 15th,
pursuing our easterly course, and, as we rounded Cape
Froward, met H.M.S. “Reindeer ” proceeding in the opposite
direction. In the evening we reached Sandy Point, where
we found the Chilian war-steamer “Concepcion” lying ; and
next morning I landed, with several other members of our
party, and spent the day on shore. We found the river
greatly swollen with recent rains, and the open ground in
many places was swampy, and abounded in mushrooms.
This cosmopolitan Agaric we afterwards met with in many
localities, both in Patagonia and north-eastern Fuegia, and
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 181
it occasionally formed an agreeable addition to our rather —
monotonous diet. Heavy rain set in before long, and con-
tinued throughout the day. I obtained specimens both of
Cyttaria Darwini and C. Hookeri on the boughs of a beech-
tree under which I took shelter. The 17th was dull and
cloudy in the morning, but the weather gradually improved
as the day wore on. Early in the afternoon, one of a lot of
pigeons which we had brought from the Falkland Islands for
the governor of the settlement, lighted on the lower part of the
rigging of the mainmast, and soon after a handsome hawk
arrived in pursuit of it, perching on one of the boats slung at
the davits in the coolest manner. On the cap of a revolver
being snapped at it, however, it flew off, and left its intended.
prey in safety. This pigeon and another accompanied the
ship during most of the remainder of the season, becoming
very tame, and being a source of considerable interest to the
ship’s company. On the 18th I remained on board, occupied
in the preservation of specimens; but on the afternoon of
the following day I landed, and had a long walk along the
beach to the south. It was a very still, gray, hazy day, with
occasional drizzling rain, and the landscape presented a
singularly lifeless aspect. I saw only one bird that was new
to me—a kind of night-heron (Wyctecorax obscurus), with
dusky grayish-brown plumage, which I afterwards observed
at the Falkland Islands, and in many localities in the
western part of the Strait and Western Channels, as well as at
Chiloe. It is of a bold disposition, allowing one to approach
within a short distance of it, and then making off with a
heavy flapping flight, uttering at the same time a very
harsh croak. The skin is exceedingly thin, and rather loosely
feathered.
On the 20th we left Sandy Point in the forenoon, and
182 NATURAL HISTORY OF
after communicating with one of the surveying boats in
Laredo Bay, proceeded on to Peckett Harbour, and anchored
there early in the evening. Next morning I left the ship
with Captain Mayne, and visited various parts of the har-
bour with him, rambling out in search of specimens while
he was engaged in taking angles at different points. I found
many clumps of Balsam-bog (Bolax glebaria), and observed
numerous specimens of the large Buff Ball (Lycoperdon)
noticed on our first visit to Sandy Point. Hmpetrum nigrum,
var. rubrum, was also very abundant, patches of the ground
being rendered scarlet by the profusion of its red berries,
which form one of the principal sources of food of the geese
and ostriches. In the eastern part of Patagonia the plant
seldom exceeds three or four inches in height, but its branches
are often prostrate, and then extend along the surface of the
eround for a considerable distance. The green plant burns
very readily with a bright flame, which renders it useful
when camping out. Another berry-bearing plant, plentiful
in the same situations as well as on the bare summits of many
of the Fuegian hills, belongs to the heath order, and to the
genus Pernettya. Itis the P. pumila, and creeps along the
ground so as to be almost concealed by the other vegetation.
Its flowers are white, and the berries, frequently of the size of
the common snow-berry of our gardens, are of a pale pink colour.
The 22d was occupied in the same manner. We left the ship
early, and landed at numerous places, ascending an inlet at
the western side of the harbour, till brought to a halt by the
rapid shoaling of the water.* At one place the putrefying
carcass of a large seal, probably the Sea-Leopard (Stenorhynchus
* From the Te aes) the land at this point it appears not unlikely
that at one period a communication existed between Peckett Harbour and
the Otway Water.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 183
_leptonyx), as the remains of the skin were spotted in the
manner characteristic of this species, was lying ; but unfortu-
nately none of the bones were in a state fit to carry away.
Many ducks and geese were seen, but were for the most
part very difficult of approach, contrasting in this respect
strikingly with the cormorants, which, as if aware of their
worthlessness, flew about close to the boat, gazing at us
with an expression of stupid wonder. In the course of the
day two curious little birds new to us were shot—the
Thinocorus rumicivorus and Attagis Falklandica—the true
position of which, in a strictly natural classification of birds,
appears to be somewhat doubtful. Of the former bird Mr.
Darwin has remarked, that “it nearly equally partakes of the
characters, different as they are, of the quail and of the snipe;”
and that it “is found in the whole of southern South America,
wherever there are sterile plains, or upon open, dry pasture
land,” adding, that he saw it as far south as the inland
plains of Patagonia, at Santa Cruz, in lat. 50°. In the Strait
of Magellan it appears to be not uncommon, as we
frequently saw small flocks on subsequent occasions. Its
habits, in so far as I had an opportunity of observing them,
greatly resembled those of a small plover ; and I have several
times mistaken it for one of these birds. The latter bird, At-
tagis, which considerably exceeds the former in size, was seen
by Mr. Darwin, “on the mountains in the extreme southern
parts of Tierra del Fuego,” where “it frequents, either in pairs
or coveys, the zone of alpine plants above the region of forest,”
but was never observed by us except on the open low-lying
country of the eastern portion of the Strait. The plumage is
prettily mottled, somewhat like that of a quail. An allied
species of the genus (A. Giay7) occurs on the mountains of Chili.
On the 23d I was occupied on board all day ; and on the three
184 NATURAL HISTORY OF
succeeding days 1t was blowing so hard as to render it im-
possible to leave the ship. On the forenoon of the 27th, as
there was but little wind, we weighed anchor and moved on
to Oazy Harbour, some miles to the north-eastward, to join
two of the officers who had been despatched thither some
days previously. This harbour is land-locked, and its
entrance additionally narrowed by a very remarkable long,
curved gravel-spit ; but it is, I believe, of little value as an
anchorage, except for very small ships, owing to its excessive
shallowness, save at one very limited spot. On our arrival, early
in the afternoon, two officers, who had preceded us, came on
board, bringing with them a specimen of the heron mentioned
above as seen at Sandy Point, as well as a beautiful species of
goose, quite new to us. ‘This bird, the Chloephaga poliocephala,
is of considerably smaller size than the upland goose (C-.
Magellanica), and its plumage is exceedingly handsome, the
wings being finely bronzed, and a broad band of rich chestnut-
brown passing across the breast. It appears to be common
in the eastern portion of the Strait, where we observed
it to be tamer than the upland goose, and we also met with
it on several occasions in the Western Channels, where I only
once saw a pair of the C. Magellanica. Its flesh is very good,
and possesses a more delicate flavour than that of the other
species. ‘
On the 28th it was blowing too hard to permit of any sur-
veying work being accomplished until late in the afternoon,
when the boats were engaged for an hour in taking sound-
ings. The 29th was calm and bright, and four of us landed
in the morning, glad to be released from our captivity, and
spent the day on shore, walking round a considerable portion
of the harbour. On the spit at the entrance I noticed many
bones of guanacos lying about among the plants of Senecio
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 185
candidans, which, in the eastern part of the Strait, as I have
previously observed, generally forms a conspicuous fringe above
high-water mark. As the tide fell, the water dried out for a
long distance, leaving extensive mud-flats, which I traversed
in many directions, in the vain hope of finding live specimens
of the Magellanic Volute. Large beds of Mytili were un-
covered, and many specimens of another bivalve, the Zutraria
(Darina) solenoides, were lying scattered about. Immense
flocks of Chloephaga poliocephala were observed by us, as well
as a considerable number of ducks ; and a plentiful supply of
both birds was obtained, the sportsmen returning heavily
laden to the ship in the evening. On a flat space of ground
close to the beach I found specimens of an obscure-flowered
composite plant, with a very pungent smell, and on some
high ground the foliage of the Oxalis enneaphylla was abun-
dant, the plant having passed out of flower. Ina small stream
flowing into the head of the harbour I obtained numerous
specimens of a Gasteropod of the genus Zymnea, as well as
two additional plants, one of which was a Caltha (C. digitata),
and the other a familiar old friend, Hippuris vulgaris, the
common mare’s-tail of our English ditches. The latter,
widely distributed over the northern hemisphere, was found
at Port Famine by Captain King, while engaged in his
survey of the Strait, and this for some time appears to have
been the only recorded habitat for it south of the Equator ;
but it has since, I believe, been ascertained to occur in Chili.
In the Strait I afterwards met with it, both at Port Famine
and at Sandy Point.
On the 30th and 31st we had bright clear weather, but it
was blowing hard, and very cold ; and on the Ist of April
heavy snow fell in the morning, and a white, ghostly-looking
world was presented to my view on coming out of my cabin,
186 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the land being almost hidden by heavy snow-clouds, with the
exception of asteep cliff which stood out hard and black,
while a thick white mist brooded over the water, on the
surface of which brown masses of “kelp” were indistinctly
visible. Before noon, however, the snow ceased, and early in
the afternoon, as it was fair and bright, a party of us landed
and spent some hours on shore. Parting soon from my com-
panions, who were bent on sport, I at first directed my
steps along the beach, afterwards ascending to the high land
above it, walking along the top of some steep cliffs outside
the harbour, and pausing now and then to admire the serene
beauty of the sunlit points of land stretching out ito the
calm blue water. In the distance north-eastward, the remark-
ably furrowed Gregory range of hills had a very fine appear-
ance, the base being of a deep purple tint, while the upper
part was covered with a dazzling mantle of snow.
As I pursued my way I was not unaccompanied, as two
carranchas (Polyborus tharus) followed me for some time,
circling about in the air above me, and slowly turning their
heads, first to one side, and then to another, in an eager look-
out for prey. The Magellanic currant (Ribes Magellanicum)
and the Lepidophyllum cupressiforme were growing plenti-
fully at the summit of the cliffs ; and I was interested by
finding, on a patch of sandy soil, two specimens of a common
little British fern, Botrychium lunaria. This widely-distributed
species was obtained, towards the close of last century, by
Banks and Solander in Good Success Bay, in the south of
Fuegia, but, I believe, had not been found by any botanist on
the coasts of the Strait of Magellan. The following year
one of the officers brought me specimens of it from Cape
Possession.
As heavy snow-clouds began slowly to accumulate, I
ae
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 187
returned to the spit where we landed, to await the arrival of
the other members of the party, occupying myself in wading
about in the icy-cold water in search of Volutes, but to no
purpose. The clouds continued to gather, and before long a
most remarkable spectacle ensued, an immense cloud, in the
form of a great dull-red veil falling down to the sea, gradu-
ally creeping up to the entrance of the harbour, and pre-
sently dissolving in a furious shower of sleet ; while from
another quarter of the heavens the sun shone out bright
yellow from beneath a huge black nimbus, and its rays,
striking on the snow-cloud, produced a brilliant fragment of
arainbow. ‘This was all very fine, but I was rapidly becom-
ing cold and drenched, and was therefore well pleased when
one of the officers, who had been sounding outside the harbour,
arrived in his boat, and took me on board. On the return of
the others shortly after, I received from one of them a speci-
men of a most beautiful buzzard (Buteo erythronotus), ash-
coloured on the upper parts, and snow-white beneath. On
the 2d, a bright, calm, exhilarating day, we left Oazy Harbour
before breakfast, and continued under way until evening,
employed in taking lines of soundings. On skinning the
buzzard, I found its crop crammed with large fragments of
one of the burrowing rats. It was comparatively free from
parasitic Anoplura, but smelt very strong, in consequence of
which a fox, which, as I have previously mentioned, we had
on board for some months, and which had been let loose for a
run, kept sniffing round my cabin, and when I came out for
a “spell,” would hardly let me alone, jumping up on me, and
smelling my clothes. We anchored in Laredo Bay shortly
before sunset, which was one of the most magnificent that
we had yet seen—fleets of scarlet, purple, and rosy clouds
being spread over a clear yellow and pale green sky, con-
188 NATURAL HISTORY OF
trasting finely with the wooded country about Cape Negro,
which stood out in dark relief, the trees and bushes forming
a serrated edge along the horizon.
On the 3d we remained at our anchorage until the after-
noon, when we moved on to Sandy Point, and the following
morning the greater number of us landed soon after sunrise
and hada ramble over the country to the north of the settle-
ment. Many snipe were shot, as well as one or two speci-
mens of a kind of plover (Oreophilus nigricollis), and one of a
little gray bird (Muscisaxicola mentalis), which we noticed for
the first time, flying about the bushes in small flocks, and which
appears to possess a wide geographical range, as Mr. Darwin
mentions that he procured specimens of it from Bahia Blanca,
in northern Patagonia, Tierra del Fuego, Chiloe, and central
and northern Chil. The same author observes, what I my-
self also remarked, that “it frequents open places, so that in
the wooded countries it lives entirely on the sea-beaches, or
near the summits of mountains where trees do not grow.”
On this occasion I again observed the characteristic foliage of
Oxalis enneaphylla. We returned to the ship early in the
forenoon, soon after which we left Sandy Point; and the
remainder of the day was occupied in the examination of
the Walker Shoal, a bank lying between and to the south of
Elizabeth and Santa Magdalena Islands.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 189
CHAPTER VI.
EXCURSION TO QUARTERMASTER ISLAND—CORMORANT ROOKERY—
BURROWING OWL—GREGORY BAY—DISCOVERY OF PATAGONIAN
CRANIUM—EXCURSIONS TO FUEGIAN COAST—LIZARDS— NIGHT
ALARM—LITHODES—SEROLIS—-MASS OF FRESH WATER NEAR THE
COAST OF PHILIP BAY—-ACHENA, ETC.—DISCOVERY OF FUEGIAN
CRANIUM—SHORT-EARED OWL—EXCURSION TO ST. JAGO BAY—
JOINED BY A PARTY OF PATAGONIANS, AND ACCOMPANY THEM
ON A GUANACO-HUNT—FLAMINGOES—PHRYGILUS ALDUNATII—
FUNGI IN THE WOODS AT SANDY POINT—ARRIVAL OF H.M.S.
“ SPITEFUL ”—INTERVIEW WITH PATAGONIANS—SMALL OWL—
NEW SPECIES OF RAY—QUERQUEDULA CYANOPTERA—VISIT
BURNED PATAGONIAN—CAPE NEGRO—ANIMALS CAST UP ON
THE BEACH AT SANDY POINT AFTER A GALE,
AFTER a day employed in sounding in the neighbourhood of
Elizabeth Island, we crossed over to Cape St. Vincent, on the
coast of Fuegia, early on the morning of the 6th of April, and
there anchored, soon after which several parties were de-
spatched on surveying work, and I made use of the oppor-
tunity presented to accompany one of the officers on a visit to
Quartermaster Island, at the entrance of a deep bay, named
Gente Grande by one of the old voyagers, on account of the
people of large stature whom he observed in the neighbour-
hood. The morning was calm when we set out, and a clear
tract of pale green sky was visible in the direction of our
destination ; but there was a thick mass of dark cloud over-
head, and we encountered a heavy shower before reaching
the island, which we did about noon. Quartermaster, which |
190 NATURAL HISTORY OF
appears to have been much seldomer visited than Elizabeth,
Santa Magdalena, and Santa Marta Islands, probably on ac-
count of its lying more out of the track of vessels, resembles the
other three in general structure, being of considerable elevation,
and presenting bold perpendicular clay cliffs, and steep grassy
banks sloping down to the water’s edge. On approaching it,
we saw numbers of the common brown duck swimming about
in the belt of kelp which extended along the coast at a little
distance from the shore, as well as many gulls and cormo-
rants, the latter of which were roosting on ledges on the
cliffs ; and on landing, we observed several large dark-brown
skua gulls (Lestris antarctica), and disturbed a couple of
carranchas (Polyborus tharus) perched on a flat space of
eround at the top of a cliff On arriving at the place
where they had been sitting, we found an accumulation of
bones of the Clenomys Magellanicus, including several hun-
dred fragments of crania ; and numbers of shells, principally
Fissurelle, together with fragments of Lithodes antarctica (the
relics of former feasts), were lying scattered around. While we
were roaming about in search of a suitable place whereon to
erect a beacon, I as usual made a collection of all the plants
that were to be seen, obtaining numerous specimens of an
Erodium, which I had not previously met with, one or two
species of Senecio, Homoianthus echinulatus, an Azorella,
which formed hard clumps like those of the Balsam-bog, a
few grasses, and the Cerastiwm arvense, which occurs plenti-
fully throughout the open country of the Strait, and ranges
over a considerable portion of both the Old and the New World.
Stunted bushes of Berberis dulcis and of Pernettya mucronata
were also common, and a little brown wren (Troglodytes Ma-
gellanieus) was flitting about these, and diving into their
recesses. After the beacon had been erected, we returned
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 191
to the neighbourhood of our landing-place, and halted for
a short space for luncheon—drizzling rain soon after set-
ting in, which lasted throughout the greater part of the after-
noon. Before long we were joined by two officers from
another surveying boat, which had been engaged in taking
soundings in Lee Bay, and we then proceeded in company to
walk round the island. After a time we reached a plateau
at the top of some cliffs, and there beheld a most wonderful
congregation of cormorants (Phalacrocorax carunculatus). On
a moderate computation they must have numbered upwards
of a thousand, and they presented a most peculiar appearance
as they sat nearly erect, in regular ranks. As we ran up to
them, it was most amusing to watch the difficulty which
they experienced in taking flight, in consequence of being so
closely packed together. Line after line hustled forwards
for some paces, and then breaking up, flew over the cliffs
into the sea below, where they swam out to a prudent dis-
tance. One or two, which had been hit with stones, lay on
their backs on the beach for some minutes, emitting strange
sounds, and waving about their splay feet in the air, in the
‘most ridiculous manner, till they were sufficiently recovered to
take to the water. The space of ground on which they had
been assembled was worn perfectly bare of grass for several
hundred yards, and the smell of decaying fish, the viscera of
which were lying about in innumerable little heaps, was in-
supportable.
Immediately beyond this roosting-place the high ground
sloped steeply down to a long low grass-covered spit, which
exhibited at one edge an extensive stratum of cormorants’
bones, and upon this tract of ground I found a few additional
plants, including a Geraniwm and a species of Thiaspi, which
latter was extremely plentiful. In the long grass we stumbled
192 NATURAL HISTORY OF
across one or two half-fledged examples of the skua gull,
which hobbled about like decrepit old hens. Two specimens
of a small rodent were also caught by the men, as well as
several examples of a beetle (Serzcoides Reicher), presenting
a considerable resemblance to a cockchafer. As we were
approaching the boats we heard a gun fired, and shortly after
saw the ship standing out from her anchorage, so we em-
barked as speedily as possible, and got on board about six
P.M. On our return I found that one of the officers who had
been on shore at Cape St. Vincent had shot two specimens
of the burrowing owl (Pholeoptynx cunicularia), which we had
previously seen at Maldonado. Mr. Darwin remarks that he
never saw it to the south of the Rio Negro, but we ascer-
tained it to be common in the open country of both eastern
Fuegia and Patagonia. It appears to be distributed over
nearly the entire extent of both Americas, in North America
associating with the “prairie dogs” (Arctomys ludovicianus).
In the Strait of Magellan it evidently adopts a mixed diet,
as we frequently saw it feeding on marine animals on the
sea-beach. The merry-thought (/wrewla), as in some of the
other Strigide, is not completely ossified.
We remained at anchor in Lee Bay during the night of the
6th, but next morning it came on to blow, which rendered our
position unsafe, and accordingly we weighed, and moving over
to Royal Road, between Elizabeth Island and the mainland, 7
anchored there for the remainder of the day. The 8th was a
remarkably fine day, so that we left Royal Road in the morn-
ing ; we’ passed through the second Narrows, and anchored in
Gregory Bay. In the afternoon a party of us, as usual, went
on shore for a ramble, and I had a delightful walk over the
high ground above the beach in the direction of the Narrows.
The country was of a tumbled character, abounding in little
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 193
conical hills, and the bright sunshine gilding their slopes had
avery pleasing effect. I found a single late specimen of
Calceolaria nana in flower, and on the seaward edge of a
patch of brackish water, where a number of upland geese were
feeding, occurred a curious belt of Senecio candidans. While
crossing a little sandy valley where many guanacos’ bones
were lying, I noticed protruding from a sandbank the orbit
and part of the frontal bone of a skull, and on proceeding to
disinter it, was much pleased to find it to be a fine cranium of
a-Patagonian, which has been thus described by Professor
Huxley, to whom it was sent :—
“This skull (which is that of an adult male) shows very distinct
evidence of artificial distortion. Not only is the occiput much flattened
and unsymmetrical, but the very retreating forehead has such a surface
as appears to me could only have been produced by the application of a
frontal compress or bandage. Under these circumstances the cephalic
index (81) is of doubtful value as an indication of the primitive form
of the cranium. The supra-orbital ridges are very strongly marked,
their real prominence being much exaggerated by the retreat of the
forehead. There are no distinct paroccipital processes. The crowns
of the teeth are ground quite flat.”
Between the undulating country in the vicinity of the
Narrows and the Gregory Range extends a flat plain, covered
with the usual yellowish grass, and dotted at distant intervals
with barberry bushes. Over part of this I now pursued my way,
descending after a time to the beach, which I found had dried
out to a considerable extent, leaving broad sandy flats, on
which I hoped to have found some live Magellanic Volutes,
but as usual sought for them in vain, though the broken dead
shells were strewed abundantly along high-water mark. I,
however, obtained specimens of a Bullia, a Natica, a Pecten,
and one or two other molluscs. Towards the close of the
afternoon I ascended one of the high banks overlooking the
O
194 NATURAL HISTORY OF
water, and there awaited the return of the others, enjoying
the wonderful beauty of the surrounding scene. It was hard
to decide whether the calm blue water of the Strait, with the
opposite Fuegian coast stretching along the horizon, or the
Gregory Range, diversified with exquisite lights and shadows,
afforded the finer prospect. As the sun went down, the water
towards the horizon assumed a delicate pale-green hue, while ~
the sky above it was flushed with pale rose colour, and the
Gregory Range became steeped in a rich dark purple. The
advancing winter, however, distinctly proclaimed itself, for
after the sun disappeared the air became decidedly frigid.
Some teal, a Bubo Magellanicus, and a fox, were shot by the
sportsmen of the party on this occasion. —
Next morning (9th) I was to have accompanied one of the
surveying officers on an excursion to the Fuegian coast, but
I was balked in my intention, as the weather had completely
changed, and it was blowing too hard to quit the ship.
The 10th, hewever, was fine, and we left the vessel in the
forenoon for San Isidro Point at the eastern entrance of the
Fuegian side of the second Narrows, while she moved over
to Philip Bay to take soundings. We arrived at our destina-
tion about noon, and found that the structure of the coast at
the point at which we landed was rather remarkable, the
beach forming a high shelving bank of shingle, with a flat
top about three feet broad, while between it and the turf
intervened a deep hollow of considerable extent, which at
high-water was filled by percolation through the bank, so as to
form a temporary salt-water lake, and at low tide almost dried
out. Soon after going on shore we walked along the coast of
the Narrows for some miles, as my companion wished to
erect beacons at various spots; and while thus engaged we
observed two vessels passing southwards, and contemplated
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 195
them with a good deal of interest, as at that time, when
there was no regular service through the Strait, ships were
rarities in these regions. We recognised many footprints of
Fuegians, as well as of guanacos ; and asmall species of lizard,
a single example of which had been previously taken at Sandy
Point, was rather common, running over the sandy soil, and
concealing itself among the stones and scanty herbage. This
was the Ptygoderus pectinatus, and I was a good deal interested
by finding it in Fuegia, as Mr. Darwin has commented on the
entire absence of any species of the class of reptiles from that
country, though he remarks that it is not improbable that
representatives might be found “as far south as the Strait of
Magellan, where the country retains the character of Pata-
gonia.” What appears to be the same species I have since
found was obtained by MM. Hombron and Jacquinot in
Peckett Harbour, and named by them Proctotretus Magellani-
eus.* Itis a pretty little creature, of a greenish or dark brown
hue above, with in general five white longitudinal lines, with
intermediate rows of angular black spots along the back and
sides. I afterwards procured it in many localities in eastern
Patagonia and Fuegia, discovering it at Port Gallegos, among
other places. Though possessed of considerable agility, its
movements are not so excessively rapid as those of many of
the order to which it belongs, and I was. in consequence able >
to capture a considerable number of specimens. We saw
several specimens of the burrowing owl, one flying about our
heads and uttering its peculiar note as we returned to camp
in the dusk, and many broken crania of Ctenomys enveloped
in a ball of hair were lying about, bearing evidence as to the
nature of their destroyer. I picked up a few plants also,
* Voyage au Pole Sud. Zoologie, tome troisieme, p. 6; Atlas, Rept. Saur,
Pl. 2, Fig. 2.
196 NATURAL HISTORY OF
including specimens of Scutellaria nummulariefolia and the
common mushroom, but met with nothing new in the
botanical line.
On our return to the tent we had dinner, after which the
evening was beguiled in reading, Ali Baba and the Forty
Thieves being listened to with deep interest and occasional
comments by the boat’s crew; and, later, we lay down to
rest, with arms as usual in readiness, in case of any hostile
demonstration on the part of Fuegians. It was a wild,
pitch-dark night, the sea roaring and raging on the beach,
and a strong breeze blowing and shaking the canvas of the
tent, on which heavy rain was pattering, while at intervals the
wild cry of a sea-bird came across the water, producing a
rather weird sensation. Soon after eleven P.M. we were
roused by the watch announcing that he had seen a hght,
apparently carried by some one, pass rapidly along from the
camp fire towards the boat, which intelligence caused us to
spring up speedily and sally forth, revolvers in hand, to
look for the enemy; but on investigation nothing was to be
discovered, and we turned in again, to be disturbed, two
hours later, with the information that the sea had reached
the boat, which accordingly required to be hauled up out of
danger. After this, we were left to sleep in peace, and next
morning, when we rose early, the rain had cleared off.
While preparations for breakfast were going on I walked
along the beach for some distance, and obtained a fine live
male and female of a short-spined or rather tuberculated
species of Lithodes (L. verrucosa), which appears to be
tolerably common in the eastern part of the Strait, as well as
in Falkland Sound, where we subsequently found numbers.
I also met with two or three specimens of an apparently new
species of the genus Serolis, which I have named 8. convexus.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 197
On rejoining the ship, early in the forenoon, we found that a
few newspapers had been procured from one of the ships
which we had seen the day before, and we read with interest
the account of the proposed Fenian attack on Chester, with
many other details of events occurring at home.
On the 12th, a very fine day, after spending some time in
the second Narrows, we anchored in Gregory Bay, where we
remained for the next two days, as it was blowing too much
to permit of work being accomplished. On the 15th the
wind was again down, which allowed me to pay a second
visit to the Fuegian coast with the officer who had been
my companion on the former excursion. We started in the
morning, taking with us the fox which we had had on board
for some time, and which it was considered advisable to set
at liberty, as it had been suffering for a considerable period
from a form of skin-disease. Landing first at San Isidro
Point, we let loose our four-footed friend, which at first
appeared rather to experience “blank misgivings of a crea-
ture moving about in worlds not realised ;” but by-and-by
trotted off without manifesting any parting tokens of grief
or affection. Here I found some specimens of a small green
Aphis on the leaves of Senecio candidans ; and after a flag
which had been torn by the wind from a staff erected by us
on our previous excursion had been replaced by a new one,
we embarked and coasted along the edge of Philip Bay,
landing now and then for the purpose of construct-
ing beacons. We were agreed in thinking that we had
never beheld a more uninteresting or monotonous piece of
coast, the beach being steep and shelving, composed of
innumerable small flattened stones, and presenting no promi-
.nent points; while the country beyond it, to all appearance,
stretched inwards for a distance of nine or ten miles nearly
198 . NATURAL HISTORY OF
as flat as a board. At the last place where we went on
shore, to put up a cairn, we were surprised by finding a long
narrow tract of fresh water, apparently a mile or two in
extent, running parallel with the beach, at a distance of
about two hundred yards from it. Behind it was a long
flat-topped ridge, about six or eight feet in height, and it was
surrounded on all sides by a broad belt of vegetation, of a
much greener and more luxuriant character than we had yet
seen in eastern Fuegia. Many plants, which had passed out
of flower more than a couple of months previously in drier
situations, were still in bloom here, including the Gewm
Magellancwm, Anemone decapetala, EHpilobium tetragonum,
and a tall, stout, white-flowered Composite plant, common
in marshy places in the eastern part of the Strait. A
yellow-flowered viscid plant of the same order, apparently a
species of Madia, which had not been previously seen else-
where, was also procured; and, in addition to these, around
the water’s edge there extended a very distinct zone of a
common species of Acena, the A. adscendens. I have
omitted to mention, up to the present time, what an intoler-
able pest we found the hooked achenes of the plants of this
. genus, abundant in the open country of the Strait, in our
excursions —our clothes becoming covered with them, and
much time and labour requiring to be expended in detaching
them. I well remember the sorry spectacle presented by a
large brown retriever, which was our ship’s dog for a time,
after a day’s run over country covered with these obnoxious
plants—his tail being one mass of burs, and hardly a hand-
breadth of the hair on his body free from the detached achenes. —
Great numbers of teal were resting on the surface of the
water, but speedily took wing, so that only a few were
secured, which furnished an agreeable addition to our dinner.
°
{
|
\
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 199
We saw a considerable number of guanacos during this day,
several of which, impelled by curiosity, approached to within
a comparatively short distance of us, and then taking fright
made off. We landed finally in rather a heavy surf, and
pitched the tent for the night, rising next morning at day-
break, and after breakfast proceeding farther along the coast
to the northward, which gradually assumed a more raised and
undulating character. On landing, after a time, to erect a
beacon, we observed on the top of a distant hill several human
figures, which we at first supposed to be Fuegians, but
presently discovered, by means of the telescope of the
theodolite, to be the members of another surveying party,
and accordingly set out tomeet them. Our progress was, how-
ever, unexpectedly barred by the course of a narrow winding
river too deep for us to ford. This, which was by far the largest
body of running water which we encountered in the eastern
part of the Strait, appeared to derive its source from a range
of hills some miles inland; and I should much have liked to
have made a thorough examination of its banks in search of
plants, but this our time did not permit of. We therefore
re-embarked, and proceeding a little farther onwards, were
joined by the other party, one of whom, to my great satis-
faction, had been so fortunate as to find a Fuegian cranium
lying partially immersed in a pool of water. This, which
is one of the very few Fuegian crania now in England,
has been thus described by Professor Huxley. He observes
that it
“Is in a good state of preservation, except that the nasal bones and the
mandible are absent. The cephalic index is ‘78; . .. . but as
the last molar has not been cut, it is the skull of a young person,
and many circumstances lead me to think it may be that of a woman.
It is a curious circumstance that in this skull, as in that of the College
of Surgeons, there are very large and prominent paroccipital processes,
200 _ NATURAL HISTORY OF
which, as the remains of the cartilage which tipped them shows, would
have become considerably larger had the owner of the skull reached
maturity. The face is distinctly prognathous.”
We rejoined the ship in the course of the afternoon,
observing on our way to her several Fuegian fires on that
part of the coast visited by us the day before. A number of
the natives had been seen from the ship also. Certainly the
faculty which these savages possessed, of approaching our
tenting-places without being perceived, although a vigilant
watch was always maintained by us, was very remarkable.
On the 17th the weather was unfavourable, and we all
remained on board, the “ Nassau,” at this time lying at
anchor in Philip Bay. On the afternoon of the 18th I
landed with Captain Mayne on the coast, a few miles to
the north-east of our anchorage. From the summit of a
little hill which we ascended we noticed several guanacos
at no great distance, with nearly black faces, a peculiarity
which we had never remarked in those seen by us in Pata-
gonia. In some rock-pools I obtained several small fish (species
of Notothenia), and specimens of a tiny red Actinia ; and on
the beach I found some sponges and many dead shells of
a species of Crepidula lying. It was a beautiful, though
cold evening, and as we pulled back to the ship we wit-
nessed a splendid orange-yellow moonrise. A few minutes
before we got on board an owl lighted on one of the boats’
davits, and was shot by one of the officers. It was a dif-
ferent species from those previously obtained, and possessed
beautiful soft mottled-yellow and brown plumage, reminding
one of the colouring of a large moth when the rounded wings
were expanded. It proved to be the British short-eared owl,
Otus brachyotus, and was the only example of this species
that we ever met with in these regions. The same day one
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 201
of the men brought me a small live specimen of Voluta
Magelianica, The morning of the 19th, Good Friday, was
cloudy, with fine drizzling rain falling. Many Fuegians
were observed watching the ship, but did not attempt to
hold any communication with us. In the afternoon a party
of us landed, and passed some hours on shore, but did not
succeed in meeting any of these people, though we saw two
of their dogs, which were large, rough, shaggy, black and
white animals, about the size of the Newfoundland breed,
which ran off rapidly on our approach. A little yellowish-
green bird, which we had not previously noticed (the Chry-
sonitris barbata), was observed flying about in flocks near
the ground, but none were obtaimed on this occasion. On
the 20th heavy rain fell during the morning, and in the after-
noon the weather was bright and clear, but blowing pretty
hard. The wind continued during the two following days,
and nothing particular took place. The Fuegians continued
to watch the ship, and we saw several individuals, who had
white feathers stuck in their hair, engaged in trampling
down some of our turf beacons with. their feet. The wind
moderating on the afternoon of the 22d, we moved over to
St. Jago Bay, and there anchored. The 23d was clear and
bright, the Patagonian coast looking very beautiful, with its
diversified lights and shadows, but it was blowing so hard
that we could not leave the ship. Great herds of guanacos
were observed not far from the beach. The following morn-
ing was calm and bright, with the air frosty, and a slight haze
over certain portions of the land. LEarly in the forenoon
a sail was announced, which by and by proved to be H.MS.
“ Sutlej,” on her homeward-bound course from the west-
ward. She anchored for a few hours at a short distance
from us, which allowed of our despatching a mail-bag by
202 NATURAL HISTORY OF
her. Not long after her departure, late in the afternoon,
I accompanied Captain Mayne on shore, as he proposed on
the ensuing day to walk to a hill some distance inland, to
obtain a round of angles from its summit. On the beach
we met two of the officers who had landed earlier in the
day, and were also to be of the party, learning from
them that they had wounded a guanaco, and seen some
ostriches at no great distance. I occupied the remainder
of the daylight in a short ramble along the edge of a patch
of fresh water visited by us some months previously, and
picked up one or two additional plants. I passed over some
large burnt patches of ground, on which I found the par-
tially calcined humerus of a Patagonian charger lying. Many
fresh footprints of ostriches were also to be seen. When I
returned to camp on this fine frosty evening it was nearly
dark, as the nights were now rapidly creeping in, and the
appearance presented by our tents, illuminated by the flicker-
ing light of the fire, was very picturesque. On this, in com-
mon with many other occasions, the men spent a good part
of the evening in singing ditties with tremendously vigorous
choruses, varied by occasional recitative pieces, which appeared,
judging from the amount of applause which they elicited, to
meet with special favour, while we enjoyed a comfortable
talk around the fire.
Heavy rain fell during the night, and at dawn on the
morning of the 25th the appearance of the weather was so
threatening, that it was at first thought that it would be
necessary for us to defer our excursion until the following
day. While we were at breakfast, however, the sun shone
out brightly, dispelling the heavy clouds, and the horizon
by degrees cleared, so that we determined to set forth.
Accordingly, about half-past nine A.M., we started, our party
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 203
consisting of Captain Mayne, two officers, and myself,
together with four men employed in carrying rifles, survey-
ing apparatus, etc. The ground, though undulating, and in
occasional situations swampy, proved to be well adapted for
pedestrianism, aS we soon got beyond the region of rat-
burrows, which appear to be limited to the immediate
. neighbourhood of the sea-coast; and the air was perfectly
still, with a decided tinge of frost. On our way we saw
several droves of hundreds of guanacos in the distance, and
one or two stragglers were fired at with rifles, but without
success. Some small flocks of Attagis Falklandica were also
seen, and a single specimen procured. In the way of plants
almost the only novelty encountered was a curious little
Gasteromycetous fungus, belonging to the genus Geaster, of
which we have one or two representatives, more or less local
in their distribution, in Great Britain. The general form of
the plant may be roughly described as consisting of a small
rounded ball, about the size of a bullet, attached to a flat,
- lobed, starlike plate, the rays of which are spread out on the
sandy soil, curling up when they become very dry.
Near the foot of the hill which was our destination we
crossed a rivulet of deliciously cold water, of which we drank
and were refreshed, thereafter beginning the ascent, in the
course of which we startled an ostrich, which rose out of the
long grass about ten yards ahead of us, and went off at a
great pace. At the top of the hill we found the vestiges of
an old cairn, probably erected by King or Fitzroy while
engaged in their surveys of the same regions about thirty
years before; and on a large boulder, which contained
several small pools of water in the hollows in its surface, I
found a single specimen of a minute species of earwig (For-
ficula), similar to one obtained by one of the officers in Fuegia
204 _ NATURAL HISTORY OF
a few days previously. We obtained a fine panoramic view
of the country on all sides of us, as well as of the opposite
coast of Fuegia; and after the surveyors had obtained the
angles they wished, and a large beacon had been erected,
we descended, and, having lunched at the edge of the stream
already mentioned, began the return journey of ten or twelve
miles.
It was dusk when we approached our camp, and one of
the men left in charge, coming to meet us, informed us
that a party of about thirty Patagonians had arrived some
hours previously, and encamped on one of the high banks in
our vicinity, and that some of the officers left on board the
vessel had landed to communicate with them. On reaching
the spot, a few minutes later, we found a striking group of
these people, consisting of men, women, and children,
_assembled round our camp fire, some watching the cooking
of our dinner with curiosity, while others were engaged in
prying about the tents. They had brought two freshly-
killed ostriches with them, and these they handed over to
us in exchange for biscuit, etc. The chief in command,
Cacimiero Biwa by name, was a tall, very strongly-made
man, of about forty-five or more, and his flowing robe of
guanaco-skins caused him to appear of great size. He spoke
no English, but talked Spanish fluently, and explained to
Captain Mayne that if we would remain on shore during
next day he would take us out on a guanaco-hunt. This |
proposal was agreed to after some deliberation, and the chief
then asked how many horses we would like, saying that he
could give us twenty or thirty readily, as he had between
forty or fifty with him. He was, however, informed that
eight or nine would be sufficient. He then gave us a
great deal of miscellaneous information about his people
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 205°
only a part of which we could comprehend, and fur-
ther told us that he was a colonel in the service of the
Argentine Republic. He sat with us in one of the tents
while we were at dinner, after which, under his escort, we
paid a visit to the Patagonian camp, which consisted of a
row of tents formed of guanaco-skins supported on poles,
open in front, where they were about seven feet high, and
gradually sloping down towards the back, which did not
exceed three feet in elevation. On our approach we were
saluted with the loud baying of dogs of all sorts and sizes,
and for the most part of very ugly appearance. The inmates
of the tents came out to receive us in a polite manner,
thereafter conducting us into their dwellings, from the roofs
of which, at the entrance, dangled rows of strips of ostrich
and guanaco meat hung up to dry. From other parts of
the roof many beautiful skunk-skins were also suspended,
which diffused anything but an agreeable odour. In one of
the tents a woman was rocking a rough cradle, formed of
pieces of wood lined with skins, in which was contained a
baby with a thick crop of black hair. Our attention was
also attracted by the ridiculous aspect of some hideous little
pet dogs, apparently much prized by their owners. They
were entirely naked, with the exception of the crown of their
heads, which were sparsely covered with white hair, con-
trasting strangely with the dark hue of the body, and they
had little guanaco-skin cloaks tied around them to keep
them warm. Our visit over, we returned to our own tents,
glad to be rid of the company of our friends for a while, and
after spending some time by our fire, retired to rest.
Next morning we rose between six and seven, much
pleased to find that the state of the weather was everything
that could be desired for the day’s campaign, being bright,
206 NATURAL HISTORY OF
still, and rather frosty. Setting out on a stroll by myself
before breakfast, I had a cold but refreshing bathe, which
effectually removed the stiffness induced by the long walk
of the previous day, and then walked for some distance
along the edge of the strip of fresh water near our camp,
where I found a Patagonian engaged in washing—a pro-
ceeding apparently but rarely indulged in by these people.
After we had respectively saluted each other with the custom-
ary “buenos dias,” he made some remark in Spanish which I
did not catch, and consequently had recourse to the usual “no
entiende,” whereupon, to my no small amusement, I met with
the emphatic rejoinder in English, “ Wash your face”—a piece
of advice one would have hardly looked for from an individual
of this nation. At the close of breakfast we were joined by
four officers from the ship, and we then proceeded to make
preparations for the start. Horses were to be had in plenty,
but horse-furniture was by no means so readily attainable,
so that a considerable amount of time was expended in
preparing make-shifts for saddles, bridles, and stirrups. The
Patagonian saddles consist of wooden frames, provided with
a high ridge before and behind, and on these the riders place
a pile of skins, on which they sit. But few skins being
available, however, for our behoof on the present occasion, |
pillows, rugs, blankets, and cloaks, were brought into
requisition, and arranged according to the particular fancy of
the rider. Stirrups were also with difficulty procured, in
illustration of which, I may mention that I was furnished
by a Patagonian with one so small that I could hardly get
the point of the toe of my boot into it, while another was
improvised for me by~ Captain Mayne’s coxswain out of a
piece of rope-yarn. While we were getting ready, Caci-
miero, who had previously made his appearance at breakfast
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 207
attired in his gorgeous Argentine uniform surmounting a
very dirty white shirt, and who had unfortunately imbibed
more rum than was good for him, explained to Captain
Mayne that he himself could not accompany us, as he was
“medio borracho” (rather drunk). He, however, lent the
captain his steed, arming him with a pair of formidable
Mexican spurs, and informed us that a subordinate chief,
- named Camilo, would act as our guide on the occasion.
Every one being at length in the saddle, we set forth—
the party consisting of Captain Mayne, six officers, myself,
and half-a-dozen Patagonians, who were accompanied by
an equal number of smooth-haired piebald dogs, about the
size of foxhounds. All the Indians were armed with the
bolas, in addition to their large hunting-knives, which were
in general carried in sheaths in their horse-skin boots, and
Camilo further possessed a revolver, which, however, ap-
peared as if worn more for ornament than use. The horses
with which we were supplied were of rather small size, but
very fleet and sure-footed, and we started at a smart pace,
two of the Patagonians occasionally riding on in front to
reconnoitre. At length a small herd of guanacos was
descried in the distance, and thereupon four of the Indians,
accompanied by four of our party, rode off to circumvent
them, while the remainder of us halted for a short time, and
then moved on slowly, so as to be ready to intercept the
animals when they were driven down the slope of a
neighbouring hill in front towards us. We had not to wait
long ere four of them appeared, tearing along with the dogs
at their heels, and followed at a short distance by the horse-
men. Meceiving a signal from our guide to advance, we
dashed forward, the horses going like the wind, and appa-
rently as much excited as their masters. It was a spectacle
208 NATURAL HISTORY OF
not readily to be forgotten, to behold Camilo riding along
ahead of us at full speed, naked to the waist, his guanaco
robe being thrown off his back and shoulders, his black hair
streaming in the breeze, and his bolas revolving rapidly in
the air above his head. Waiting until he had come within
fifteen or twenty yards of the animal which he had selected
as his victim, he discharged the missile, which, flying through
the air, struck the guanaco, winding round and round its
hind-legs so as to lash them firmly together. The poor
creature, however, still managed to flounder on for a few
yards, but then stumbled and leapt in the air, when its
captor, springing from his horse, dragged it to the ground,
and stunned it with a blow on the head from one of his
balls. A second was secured by another of the Patagonians,
who finished it by drawing his long knife across its throat ;
and a third, which was a young individual, was caught a
few minutes later, and preserved alive. The fourth and last,
after being pursued for a long distance, escaped in safety.
On subsequent reflection, it appeared somewhat surprising
that no bipeds suffered on this occasion in addition to the
quadrupeds, as one or two of the riders who carried revolvers,
in the excitement of the chase wildly discharged them in
all directions, without much regard to the safety of their
neighbours.
When we had all assembled, we dismounted from our
steeds, and witnessed the operation of eviscerating the two
animals which had been slaughtered, a process very speedily
accomplished. Drawing out their long triangular-bladed
knifes from their sheaths, and after giving them a few pre-
liminary wipes on the steels which they always carry with
them, the Patagonians made a long, clean incision along the
middle line of the breast and abdomen of the guanacos,
a
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 209
which had been previously laid on their backs, and then cut
through the costal cartilages, so as to separate the ribs of each
side from the breast-bone, and expose the thoracic cavity.
The viscera were then cleared out in the course of a minute
or two, jets of blood spouting from.some of the larger wounded
vessels, and the stomach, intestines, liver, and lungs thrown
to the dogs, who fought over them, and speedily made
them disappear from view. The kidneys were extracted |
separately, and the tunica albuginea having been stripped off,
they were eaten, bloody and smoking hot as they were, by the
butchers, who evidently regarded them as tit-bits. The car-
casses were then turned over to let the blood run out of them,
the process being facilitated by a few stamps from the feet of
the operators, after which, in common with the young live
animal, they were slung across the backs of horses, and sent
back to camp with two of the Patagonians. After we had
rested for a little while, we rode off to see if we could come
across the guanaco that had escaped. We found, however,
that it had fled too far to allow of our following it without
much expenditure of time and very doubtful results, and
accordingly rode back to camp. On the way our guide, who
was possessed of a remarkably prepossessing expression of coun-
tenance, and appeared very amiable, pointed out “ ostrich” to
us, which was scudding along over the plains, with some of
the other members of our party, who were in advance, in pur-
suit, but it got off without damage. We reached the tents
about 1 P.M., and as the appearance of the clouds was strongly
indicative of rain, which later in the day came on heavily, we
struck our camp, and returned to the ship. The two chiefs
. accompanied us on board, where they spent about an hour,
being regaled with luncheon in the ward-room, and behaving,
' on the whole, with great discretion, using their knives and
P
210 NATURAL HISTORY OF
forks in the most approved manner. Both of them had seve-
ral times visited Buenos Ayres, which probably accounted for
these amenities. On their departure they shook hands with
us, and Cacimiero, who had considerably exceeded in the way
of liquor, warmly pressed one of the officers to take a wife from
his camp, being also extremely desirous that a black quarter-
master should come on shore with him, embracing him in the
most affectionate manner, so as to furnish rather an amusing
commentary on Fitzroy’s statement (probably derived, like the
sreater part of his information regarding the Fuegians and
Patagonians, from a Mr, Low, captain of a sealing vessel),
that “ Patagonians have a great antipathy to negroes.”
On the evening of this day on which we had had such an
interesting experience of savage life, it came on to blow very
hard, -and there was a good deal of wind throughout the fol-
lowing day. We remained at our anchorage until the 29th,
when we shifted to Gregory Bay. The 30th was a day of
most perfect beauty, perhaps the finest of the season, being
splendidly clear, bright, and calm ; one of those seasons at
which one feels the vital powers at their highest pitch. In
the afternoon Captain Mayne and I landed, and walked for
some miles inland along the plain stretching between Gregory
Range and the high ground of the second Narrows, as we
were anxious to ascertain whether some Patagonians, who had
been observed from the ship in the morning, were still in the
neighbourhood. We saw a number of upland geese, as well
as some specimens of the Ctenomys at the entrance of their
burrows, apparently enjoying the warmth of the sunshine.
Some of the officers, who were also on shore, shot some duck ~ .
of a crested species which we had not previously observed,
and also three flamingoes, one of which was handed over to _
me. This was a young specimen of the Phenicopterus igni-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 211
palliatus, which is, I believe, common in Chili and the northern
parts of Patagonia, and the Argentine Republic. Mr. Darwin
remarks that he observed these birds wherever there were
lakes of brine. Apparently they are but rare in the neigh-
bourhood of the Strait, for this was the only occasion on which
we observed specimens. We cooked two of them, but found
them extremely fishy, probably owing to the fat, of which
there was a considerable layer on the muscles of the breast
and abdomen. The plumage was chiefly composed of sombre
gray and brown tints, but on the inside of the wings there
was a lovely pale rosy hue, recalling a dying sunset flush.
I was greatly interested in the examination of the peculiar
tongue, dishes composed of which were highly esteemed in
the luxurious times of the Roman Empire, and whose struc-
ture has been carefully described by Professor Owen, who
remarks that its substance “is not muscular, but is chiefly
composed of an abundant yielding cellular substance, with
fat of an almost oily consistence.”
To employ the language of the above distinguished
anatomist—
“Tt is almost cylindrical, but slightly flattened above, and obliquely
truncate anteriorly, so as to correspond with the form of the inferior
mandible. The lower part of the truncated surface is produced in a
pointed form, and is supported beneath by a small bony plate......
Along the middle of the flattened superior surface there is a moderately
deep and wide longitudinal furrow, on either side of which are from
twenty to twenty-five recurved spines, but of a soft and yielding texture,
measuring from one to three lines in length. These spines are arranged
in an irregular alternate series, the outer ones being the smallest, and
these indeed may be considered as a distinct row.”
On the 1st of May one of the officers who was on shore
_ brought me, on his return, a specimen of a pretty species of
finch (Phrygilus Aldunatii), with yellow and grayish-blue
ke NATURAL HISTORY OF
plumage, several small flocks of which had been noticed by
him. This day H.M.S. “Spiteful,” despatched from Monte
Video with supplies of coal and provision for our behoof, was
due, but she did not make her appearance. The weather had
been very fine for the last few days, so as to be eminently
fitted for surveying operations, which made us regret all the
more that our coal was-getting so. low as to allow of very little
expenditure of it in moving from place to place. I had a
pleasant walk on the afternoon of the 2d, without, however,
noting anything of great importance. I found a species of
Sisymbrium (8S. Sophia ?) growing very plentifully on low
ground near the sea, but nearly out of flower ; and one of the
officers shot a specimen of a small species of sandpiper, the
Aigulitis Falklandica, We remained stationary in Gregory
Bay until the 6th, when we left for Sandy Point to obtain a
load of wood for fuel, as there was no appearance of the miss-
ing vessel; and we began to realise that if she did not turn up
soon, a second excursion to the Falkland Islands, a result by
no means to be desired, would be necessary. On our southerly
way we noticed a party of Patagonians riding along the beach
not far from Cape Negro. We did not reach our destination
until some hours after dark, when a rocket was sent up to
indicate our approach to the inhabitants of the settlement,
who in return lighted large fires not far from the beach.
Early on the following day a number of us landed, dis-
persing in various directions—one of the party, along with
myself, taking a long walk through the woods in search of
fungi. The trees had now assumed brilliant autumnal tints,
and the vivid golden yellow of the foliage of some contrasted
finely with the rich russet colouring of others. It was a per-
fectly still, somewhat cloudy day, with the leaves quietly
dropping down from the boughs, and adding to the carpeting
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. ae
on the ground, and there was much to remind us of a walk
through a wood in autumn in England. At one point in our
route we had a severe struggle through a thicket of holly-
leaved barberry, many of the plants of which attained a height
of more than twelve feet. Here and there, at the tips of the
tallest branches, were corymbs of the beautiful large bright
orange flowers, appearing at a little distance like tongues of
flame. As I have already remarked, this barberry appears to |
have two distinct times for flowering, one in early spring and
the other in autumn. But few birds were to be seen, with
the exception of the little Oxywrus, small groups of which
accompanied us wherever we went, their sharp notes being
almost the only sounds to break the silence of the forest. A
woodpecker was shot high up in the fork of a tree, and fell
on the ground, but we could not find it. We collected a con-
siderable number of fungi, including about a dozen species
not previously obtained by me. The greater number of these
were Agaricim, ranging in tint from snow-white to orange-
tawny and mauve-purple, but representatives of other tribes
were also tolerably plentiful. Thus a 7Zremella, allied to if
not identical with 7. mesenterica, formed large masses on the
stems of some of the trees, and an orange-yellow Hxzdia was
common on dead branches, while the yellow spheres of Cyi-
taria Darwinw were to be seen in quantities. On emerging
from the woods in the course of the afternoon we were much
pleased to see the “ Spiteful” lying alongside the “ Nassau,”
and somewhat surprised to observe another steamer approach-
ing from the westward, which last proved to be the Pacific Steam
_ Navigation Company’s vessel “ Peru,” on her way to England.
- On the open ground not far from the settlement we met
several Patagonians, forerunners of a large party who arrived
_ two or three days later. One of these had a triangular purple
214 NATURAL HISTORY OF
mark painted on his face, the base of the figure passing imme-
diately beneath the eyes, and the apex coinciding with the
tip of the chin. I do not know whether this colour was
produced by barberry juice or by a mineral substance, as they
possess a variety of coloured clays, with which they inscribe
patterns on the outer (hairless) side of their mantles. This
operation is carried on by the women, who stretch out the
robes tightly on the ground with small wooden pegs, so as to
form a flat surface on which to work. We held a little con-
verse with these people in very fragmentary Spanish, and
they requested “ Polvora” (gunpowder), which they imagined
I possessed in one of my vascula ; so, to satisfy them, I opened
the case, and displayed to their wondering eyes my collection of
mosses and fungi. At the governor’s house we were shown
two fine puma cubs which had been brought in by the Pata- —
gonians. They were very powerfully-made little animals, with
fine large eyes and soft gray fur, and they scratched and _ bit
at us with great determination when we attempted to handle
them, fighting with one another also for scraps of raw meat
which were thrown to them. On going on board, I found that
specimens of a beautiful little owl (Glaucidiwm nanum), new to
us, as well as of a harrier (Circus macropterus), previously pro-
cured at Maldonado, had been shot by two of the officers.
(Dr. Campbell and Mr. Bedwell), whose skill as sportsmen
yielded me the majority of my ornithological prizes. |
The “Spiteful” had brought us an abundant supply of
letters and papers, which were very welcome, as we had had
almost no news for nearly three months past, and supplied us
with topics of conversation for some time to come, as well as
material for occupying our evenings, which were by this time
getting very long. On the 8th and 9th it rained nearly all
day, and I remained on board skinning birds and drawing
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 215
fungi. A small ray, taken in the seine of the “ Spiteful,” was
brought to me by one of the officers, and afterwards proved to
be the type of a new genus, which Dr. Giinther has denomi-
nated Psammobatis.* On the 10th we began to take in coal,
and accordingly nearly all the officers spent the afternoon
on shore, a football-match being played between the repre-
sentatives of the two ships, and contemplated with much
curiosity by the Chilian inhabitants of the settlement.
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THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 271
the high banks, we beheld a company of penguins (Spheniscus
Magellanicus), which, after standing erect and staring at us ina
stupid manner for a few moments, shuffled off; their little wings
hanging limp at their sides, and their dark gray and white colour-
ing, and reeling movements, suggesting a drunk and disorderly
funeral procession. When hard pressed they abandoned the
erect position, and crouching down on all fours, if I may be
permitted the expression, ran along like rabbits at a very
rapid rate, using their wings as fore-legs, till they gained their
burrows, fairly ensconced in which they faced their pursuers,
and, slowly turning about their heads from side to side, barked
and brayed in the most ridiculous manner, offering a stout
resistance to being captured by biting most viciously with
their strong bills. While contemplating one individual in
its den, I was suddenly startled by a loud “ Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho ”
close to me, and turning round perceived another bird, which
had boldly walked out of a neighbouring burrow, and was
thus addressing me. I succeeded at last, though with much
difficulty, in raking an old bird out of its hole with the crook
of a walking-stick, and also obtained two young ones in their
down.
The most remarkable spectacle, however, was still to come.
Pursuing our way over the island, we ere long reached some
_large hollows, which cormorants (Phalacrocorax carunculatus)
had adopted as breeding-places. The birds were there congre-
gated in their nests literally in thousands, forming a dense black
- mass covering a space of many yards ; and, on being disturbed,
rose into the air in a cloud, winnowing it with their wings so as
to produce a sound resembling that of a strong breeze blowing,
and almost concealing the heavens from view ; while a number
of skua gulls, associated with them, gave vent to a tumult of
discordant cries. Their nests were regularly shaped flattened
io NATURAL HISTORY OF
mounds, slightly excavated on the upper surface, and ranged in
almost mathematical series, exactly a foot of space intervening
between each nest. They were formed of dried grass and
other herbage baked into a solid mass with earth and guano ;
and the generality contained from one to three greenish-
white eggs about the size of that of a domestic fowl, and with
a rough chalky surface. A spirited and accurate sketch of the
scene was executed by one of the officers who was an eye-
witness of it, and appeared subsequently in the Jlustrated
London News.
On the steep cliffs of the island a considerable number of
birds of the same species had constructed nests of sea-
weed, but there were no eggs in any of these, and possibly
their owners may have been mateless individuals. Among
the other birds observed on the island were three specimens
of the sheathbill, none of which were unfortunately obtained,
as well as many upland geese and skua and other species
of gulls ; and we found several nests alike of gulls and geese.
The plants comprised about half-a-dozen grasses, a yellow
Viola, Cerastium arvense, a Geranium and KHrodium, Homoian-
thus echinulatus, Plantago maritima, and Chlorea Magellanica.
In the course of a few hours we returned to the ship,
immediately after which we left the island, and passing the
remainder of the day in taking soundings, anchored late in
the evening in Gregory Bay. We were all greatly interested
by our morning’s experience, and it was not a little curious
to find subsequently how closely our observations coincided
with those of Sir Richard Hawkins, in the same locality, nearly
three hundred years before. His account of the denizens
of Sta. Magdalena is so quaint that I make no apology for
presenting it to those of my readers who may happen to be
unacquainted with it. He states that
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 273
“ Before we passed these [lands, vnder the Lee of the bigger land we
anchored, the winde being at North-east, with intent to refresh our
selues with the Fowles of these Ilands. They are of divers sorts, and
in great plenty, as Pengwins, wild Ducks, Guls, and Gannets ; of the
principal we purposed to make prouision, and these were the Pen-
guins.
“The Pengwin is in all proportion like a Goose, and hath no feathers,
but a certaine downe vpon all parts of his bodie ; and therefore cannot
flee, but auayleth himselfe on all occasions with his feet, running as
fast as most men. He liueth in the Sea and on the Land ; feedeth on
fish in the Sea, and as a Goose on the shore vpon grasse. They harbour
themselues vnder the ground in Burrowes, as the Conies ; and in them
hatch their young. All parts of the [land where they haunted were
vndermined, saue onely one Valley which (it seemeth) they reserued for
their food ; for it was as greene as any Medow in the month of Aprill,
with a most fine short grasse. The flesh of these Pengwins is much of
the sauour of a certaine Fowle taken in the Ilands of Lundy and Silley,
which we call Pufins, by the taste it is easily discerned that they feed
on fish. They are very fat, and in dressing must be flead as the Byter ;
they are reasonable meate rosted, baked, or sodden ; but best rosted.
We salted some doozen or sixteene Hogsheads, which serued vs (whilest
they lasted) in steed of powdred Beefe. The hunting of them (as wee may
_ well terme it) was a great recreation to my company, and worth the sight,
for, in determining to catch them, necessarily was required great store
of people, euery one with a cudgell in his hand, to compasse them round
about, to bring them, as it were, into a Ring ; if they chanced to break
out, then was the sport, for the ground beeing vndermined, at vnawares
it failed, and as they ranne after them, one fell here, another there,
another offering to strike at one, lifting vp his hande, sunke vp to the
-arme-pits in the earth, another leaping to avoid one hole, fell into another.
And after the first slaughter, in seeing vs on the shoare, they shunned
vs, and procured to recouer the Sea ; yea, many times seeing themselues
persecuted they would tumble down from such high Rockes and Moun-
taines, as it seemed impossible to escape with life. Yet as soone as they
came to the Beach, presently we should see them runne into the Sea,
as though they had no hurt. Where one goeth, the other followeth,
like sheepe after the Bel-weather ; but in getting them once within the
Ring close together, few escaped, save such as by chance hid themselues
T
274 NATURAL HISTORY OF
in the borrowes, and ordinarily there was no Drove which yielded vs not
a thousand and more: the manner of killing them which the Hunters
vsed, beeing in a cluster together, was with their cudgels to knocke them
on the head, for though a man gave them many blowes on the body
they dyed not: Besides the flesh bruized is not good to keepe. The.
massacre ended, presently they cut off their heads, that they might
bleed well ; such as we determined to keepe for store, we saued in this
manner. First, wee split them, and then washed them well in Sea-
water, then salted them, hauing laine some sixe houres in Salt, we put
them in presse eight houres, and the blood being soaked out, wee salted
them again in our other caske, as is the custom to salt Beefe, after
this manner they continued good some two months, and serued vs in
steed of Beefe.
“The Guls and Gannets were not in so great quantitie, yet we
wanted not young Guls to eate all the time of our stay about these
Ilands. It was one of the delicatest foods that I haue eaten in all
my life.
“The Duckes are different to ours, and nothing so good meate ; yet
they may serue for necessitie : They were many, and had a part of the
Iland to themselves seuerall, which was the highest Hill, and more than
a Musket shot ouer. In all the dayes of my life, I have not seene greater
arte and curiositie in creatures void of reason, than in the placing and
making of their Nests ; all the Hill being so full of them, that the
greatest Mathematician of the World could not deuise how to place one
more than there was upon the Hill, leaving only one path-way for a
Fowle to passe betwixt. The Hill was all leuell, as if it had been
smoothed by arte ; the Nests made only of earth, and seeming to be of
the selfe-same mould ; for the Nests and the soile is all one, which,
with water that they bring in their Beakes, they make into Clay, or a
certain dawbe, and after fashion them round, as with a compasse. In
the bottome they containe the measure of a foot ; in the height about
eight inches ; and in the top, the same quautitie ouer ; then they are
hollowed in, somewhat deep, wherein to lay their Egges, without other
preuention. And I am of opinion that the Sun helpeth them to hatch
their young ; their Nests are for many yeares, and of one proportion, not
one exceeding another in bignesse, in height, nor circumference ; and in
proportionable distance one from another. In all this Hill, nor in any
of their Nests, was to be found a blade of grasse, a straw, a sticke, a
feather, a weed, no, nor the filing of any Fowle, but all the Nests and
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, . 975
passages betwixt them, were so smooth and cleane, as if they had been
newly swept & washed.
“One day hauing ended our hunting of Pengwins, one of our
mariners walking about the Iland, discouered a great company of Seales,
or Sea-wolues (so called for that they are in the Sea, as the Wolues on
the Land), aduising us, that he left them sleeping, with their bellies
toasting against the Sunne ; we prouided our selues with stones and other
weapons and sought to steale vpon them at vnawares, to surprize some
of them, and comming downe the side of a Hill, we were not dis-
couered till wee were close vpon them, notwithstanding, their Sentinell
(before wee could approach) with a great howle waked them ; we got
betwixt the Sea and some of them, but they shunned vs not ; for they
came directly vpon us ; and though we dealt heere and there a blow,
yet not a man that withstood them escaped the overthrow. They
reckon not of a Musket shot, a sword pierceth not their skinne, and to
giue a blowe with a staffe, is as to smite vpon a stone; only in
giuing the blowe vpon his snout presently he falleth downe dead. After
they had recouered the water, they did as it were scorne vs, defie vs
and daunced before vs, vntill we had shot some Musket shot through
them, and so they appeared no more.
“ This fish is like unto a Calfe, with foure legs, but not aboue a
spanne long ; his skinne is hairy like a Calfe ; but these were different
to all that euer I haue seene, yet I have seene of them in many parts ;
for these were greater, and in their former parts like vnto Lions, with
shagge haire, and mostaches. They live in the Sea, and come to sleepe
on the Land, and they euer have one that watcheth, who adviseth them
of any accident. They are beneficiall to man in their skinnes for many
purposes: In their mostaches for Pick-tooths, and in their fatte to
make Traine-oyle.”
Two memorial specimens of our visit to this remarkable
island, the inhabitants of which are so amusingly described in
the above extract, were preserved—viz., a penguin (Spheniscus
Magellanicus) and a cormorant (Phalacrocorax carunculatus),
and their skins, together with those of the other birds obtained
in the Strait, are now in the museum of the University of Cam-
bridge. The operation of skinning the penguin was of a most
unpleasant nature, owing to the very strong fishy smell, and
276 ) NATURAL HISTORY OF
the gluey character of the fat of the bird ; but a variety of
structural points observed during the process interested me
greatly, among which I may instance the remarkable breadth
of the scapule, the deep colour of the muscles, recalling that
of the flesh of a seal, and the curious tongue, the upper sur-
face of which is armed with horny spines, resembling those
which occur on the tongue and palate of certain mammals. —
The cormorant was very successfully skinned for me by one
of my messmates (Mr. Ollard), and is a fine specimen of the
beautiful species to which it belongs. The carunculated cere of
this bird is yellow, and the wings and entire upper plumage,
including a narrow crest of elongated feathers on the head,
exhibit splendid tints of deep bluish purple verging on black,
while the front of the neck, the breast, and the abdomen are
snow-white.
On the 5th we remained at anchor, as it was blowing
hard, but the weather was fine on the two following days,
which were occupied in taking soundings from the ship.
Heavy rain, followed by snow, set in on the evening of the
7th, and next day it was again blowing hard, which, however,
we did not much regret, as it happened to be Sunday, which
was as much as possible preserved as a day of rest. On the
9th, 10th, and 11th the weather was again favourable, and taken
advantage of to obtain lines of soundings in Philip Bay, on the
coast of which we observed a Fuegian encampment of consider-
able size. The morning of the 12th was splendidly bright and
clear, and a small party of us landed on the coast of Gregory
Bay at five A.M., and spent some hours in a pleasant ramble
inland. The ground in many places was completely tunnelled
with the burrows of the Ctenomys, and as I walked over it, I
heard at intervals the curious cry of the animal, while several
individuals protruded their furry heads and shoulders from
ae vee Bait aan
ee ee ee
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. ys id
their holes to see what was the matter, quickly withdrawing
them on my nearer approach. In the neighbourhood of these
warrens I noticed a good many specimens of the great owl
(Bubo Magellanicus). These were in general perched on the
barberry bushes, and were very bold, barking at me in their
peculiar fashion, and allowing me to come within three or
four yards of them before taking flight. I saw several fine
specimens of the military starling, and in the vicinity of a
marsh some geese with young goslings. The old birds were
very assiduous in their care of their young—not flying off as
I came near them, but hiding themselves in the long grass,
from which I could perceive them anxiously watching my
movements. A few specimens of a beautiful duck, the Mareca
Chiloensis, which we had not met with during the previous
season, were shot by one of the officers. Captain King was,
I believe, the first to describe it from examples obtained by
him in the island of Chiloe, but he does not appear to have
met with it so far south as the Strait of Magellan, where it
seems to be rather rare. A small lizard of the species earlier
mentioned was also captured, and I observed a minute bee
busily gathering the pollen from Adesmia pumila, but did
not succeed in taking it.
Among the plants obtained on this occasion were the
— Calceolaria nana in full flower and very plentiful, the Va-
leriana carnosa, Armeria maritima, a pretty Sisyrinchium
(S. jilifolium), and a yellow-flowered plant apparently belong-
ing to the tribe Alstrémerie, of the order Amaryllidacee, and
which seems to have entirely escaped the notice of those
botanists who have previously visited the Strait of Magellan.
I afterwards found it both in the neighbourhood of Mount
Dinero and at the river Gallegos, and sent several specimens
to England, which are now among my collections in the Royal
2°78 | NATURAL HISTORY OF
Herbarium at Kew, but which I have not as yet had the
requisite leisure carefully to examine.
We left our anchorage in Gregory Bay at eleven A.M. that
day, and passed through the first Narrows, anchoring off
Direction Hill about four P.M. Thereafter several of the
boats were despatched for some hours to take lines of sound-
ings, and a considerable amount of work was thus accom- ©
plished. We were rather surprised to observe from our
station a large ship flying the Japanese flag lying off Cape |
Possession, and next morning we went over to her to learn
what she was doing, and found that she was the ex-Confederate
ram “ Stonewall,” sold some time previously to the Japanese
government, and on her way out to Japan, under the charge
of a U.S. captain, being at the present time occupied in sup-
plying a merchant ship, the ‘Mary C. Dyer,” from Monte
Video, with coal. She brought us some letters and papers—
from the flagship then lying off Monte Video, and engaged
to take on the correspondence which we had left behind us
at Sandy Point.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 279
CHAPTER IX.
EXCURSION TO GALLEGOS RIVER—-PLANTS OBSERVED—LOST IN THE
WILDS— REMARKABLE PARASITIC CRUSTACEA ON FISH——CON-
STANT GALES—SECOND VISIT TO FALKLAND ISLANDS— BOG-
PLANTS— PENGUIN-ROOKERIES—MOUNT WILLIAM—FALKLAND
SOUND—TYSSEN ISLANDS—TUSSAC GROVE—TAMENESS OF THE
BIRDS—FOX BAY—RETURN TO THE STRAIT—EXCURSION IN
NEIGHBOURHOOD OF MOUNT DINERO—CONDORS—SECOND VISIT
TO QUARTERMASTER ISLAND—FUEGIAN DOGS,
On the 14th, 15th, and 16th of December it was blowing so
hard that we could not leave our anchorage, and the wind lasted
till about three P.M. on the 17th, when it fell considerably,
and advantage was taken of this circumstance to get under
way and execute-a considerable amount of sounding. On the
18th it was again blowing hard; on the 19th the wind fell,
and allowed us again to resume our operations ; but on the
20th this unwearied enemy again kept us unwillingly idle.
The greater number of us were by this time beginning to feel
this perpetuity of gales a severe strain on our patience, and
therefore rejoiced when Captain Mayne determined on carry-
ing out a piece of work which promised to afford a little
variety —namely, in conformity with instructions received
before we left England, to make a trip to the Gallegos river,
on the east coast of Patagonia, to institute a search for a
deposit of fossil bones discovered by Admiral Sulivan and
the present hydrographer of the Navy, Rear-Admiral G. H.
Richards, about twenty years previously, and which Mr.
280 NATURAL HISTORY OF
Darwin, Professor Huxley, and other distinguished naturalists,
were anxious should be carefully examined.
Accordingly, on the evening of the 21st, a very fine calm
day occupied in taking soundings, we anchored a few miles
outside of Cape Virgins, and the following morning weighed
early and proceeded northwards along the coast, keeping near
to the land. We reached the mouth of the river, about forty
miles from the entrance of the Strait, early in the afternoon ;
and after attempting to enter it, and finding that, owing to
an alteration in the banks of the estuary, there was to all
appearance no channel of sufficient depth to admit of our
passage, anchored at some distance from the land. Next
morning all the requisite apparatus for the geological cam-
paign, including hammers, picks, shovels, gunpowder for
blasting, as well as the necessary gear required for camping
out for a day or two, being in readiness, a party, consisting of
Captain Mayne, five of the officers, and myself, with a certain
number of the crew, left the ship at five A.M. in two boats, one
of which, the steam cutter, took the other, the captain’s
galley, in tow. The day was calm and beautiful, and all
seemed to bode well for our excursion. In conformity with
the information furnished to us regarding the locality of the
fossil-beds, we entered the river, shaping our course for
some high cliffs on the left bank, about five or six miles
from the entrance. The country to the south of the river
was for the most part low and flat, though presenting
several distant well-marked peaks, bearing the appellation
of the Friars and the Convents; while that to the north
possessed a much bolder character, consisting of a series of
rounded steep low hills, with intervening radiating valleys
and wide flat elevated plains, strikingly different from any-
thing we had previously seen in eastern Patagonia. Landing
hala
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 281
goon after six A.M. near the cliffs above mentioned, we fixed on
a situation for our tents, and while the camp fire was being
lighted and breakfast getting ready, I had time to take a
short stroll and survey the surrounding prospect. . Our
encampment was placed on a flat space of ground close to
the river-bank, behind which rose steep grass-grown banks
from thirty to fifty feet in height, and rendered of a brilliant
golden-yellow colour by masses of the Adesmia boroniordes,
which, along with Lepidophyllum cupressiforme, was growing
in the utmost luxuriance. Two other plants, also plentiful,
neither of which appear to extend as far south as the Strait,
were a beautiful Calceolaria, with a larger flower and narrower
leaves than C. plantaginea, and a herbaceous Huphorbia, with
copious milky juice. Immediately to the east of us extended
the line of cliffs, stretching, with intervals of grassy slopes,
towards the mouth of the river. At the near end of this,
which I had time to reach before breakfast, I found a few
of the plates of the dermal armour of a Glyptodon, and we all
regarded this as an auspicious omen of our success. Our
morning meal over, the party dispersed in different directions
—the greater number, bent on sport, ascending to the high
ground above the banks, while Captain Mayne and I, armed
with hammers and chisels, set out to search the pase of the
cliffs for the deposit of fossil bones. We had a long and
most fatiguing walk under a hot sun, over the shingle
beneath the cliffs, carefully scrutinising their surfaces, and all
detached blocks in their vicinity, for fossils, but without
the slightest success. We passed at one part a well of good
fresh water, with a plank laid along the swampy ground at
the side of it, and not far from this I met with several plants
which had never occurred to me in the Strait, including a
purple Lathyrus, a bluish-white Polygala, and a handsome
282 NATURAL HISTORY OF
yellow Cnothera. We persevered on our way until we
had passed all the cliffs between our camp and Cape Fair-
weather, when we arrived at the conclusion that it would
be useless to prosecute our quest farther in that direction,
and accordingly proceeded to make tracks towards camp,
Captain Mayne returning by the base of the cliffs, while I
scrambled up to the summit to examine those portions which
were inaccessible from below. We alike failed, however, in
our object, though I obtained several other species of plants,
including some handsome Composite, a small Labiate, found
the previous year at Direction Hill, and the yellow-flowered
Amaryllid met with at Gregory Bay.
On our return to camp about one P.M. we found that
the sportsmen had been more fortunate—one officer
having succeeded in shooting a guanaco, while another had
procured a fine Rhea, and a third soon after arrived with
a specimen of Cygnus coscoroba, and some live cygnets,
which he had caught at the edge of a small lake at some
distance. The latter were most ridiculous-looking gray,
downy, long-legged creatures, which stood with their eyes
half shut, and their heads reposing on their breasts in an
attitude of meditation, recalling accounts of the Phcenix,
but, unlike that bird, huffing at any one that disturbed their
slumbers. As we did not intend to dine till about three
hours later, I determined, though feeling rather tired and
footsore with the morning’s exertions, to spend the interven-
ing time in botanising, and accordingly left our camp with a
folio of drying-paper under my arm, with the intention of
walking a short way along a flat tract of ground which
extended for some distance up the bank of the river to the
west. My plans were, however, altered, in consequence of
noticing at the top of one of the steep banks a very fine
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 283
species of Adesmia growing in rounded clumps resembling
those of Ulex nanus, armed with weak spines, and covered
with beautiful flame-coloured flowers. After securing speci-
mens of this plant, I resolved on keeping on the high ground,
and accordingly pursued my way over hill and dale, busily en-
gaged in collecting, till I arrived at the edge of a fresh-water
lake, where I found a species of Acena that was new to me.
My paper was now pretty well filled with specimens, and
finding that it was about three p.M., I judged it advisable to
return to camp, to be in time for dinner, which I now felt
pretty ready for, having eaten nothing, with the exception of
half a ship’s biscuit, since seven in the morning. I there-
fore bent my steps in the direction of a low hill which
I believed I had crossed on my way out. After walking for
some distance, I reached an extensive tract of flat ground,
which it struck me I had not traversed before. This circum-
stance somewhat perplexed me, but I thought that I could
not be mistaken as to the hill in front of me, and so continued
on my way over the plain, noticing as I went the Oxalis ennea-
phylla in great profusion. Heavy rain now began to fall, and
before long I was soaked through, and began to feel decidedly
cold, causing me to realise the satisfactoriness of getting back
to the tent, and changing my clothes. After walking for
some miles over this plain, which was nearly a dead level,
and feeling surprised that I did not sooner reach the hill I was
in quest of, I reached the edge of the flat ground, and after
descending into a narrow valley, gained the desired elevation,
which I believed to be close to our camp. On climbing to
its summit, however, I beheld neither camp nor river, but
only an apparently endless succession of small hills and
valleys, radiating in nearly every direction. I now saw
plainly that I had utterly lost my way, and began to con-
284 NATURAL HISTORY OF
sider what, in the absence of a compass, was the best thing
to be done in this rather unpleasant fix. After deliberating
upon the advisability of attempting to return on my track to
the lake, and striking out a new line from thence, I abandoned
this idea, as I judged, from the manner in which the features
of the country repeated themselves, that it was very doubtful
whether I could find my way back there, and that, even should
I succeed in doing so, I could not be by any means certain of
reaching the camp from it. I thought, moreover, that by
pursuing my onward way I must strike the Gallegos river
at some point, and this attained, I knew that there could be no
difficulty in gaining the tents. Anxiously scanning the pro-
spect, I saw on the horizon in front of me what appeared,
from its sharp, clearly-defined aspect, to be the top of a cliff.
This I concluded to be Cape Fairweather, and knew by the
time I got there I would have arrived at the entrance of the
river, and have a walk of about six miles back to camp. I
therefore started in the direction of the supposed cape, but
after walking for a long way at avery rapid pace, seemed
not to be getting any nearer to it, a sufficiently puzzling cir-
cumstance. At last it flashed across me that I must be walk-
ing in a circle, and I accordingly struck out on a new line,
which after a time brought me to the desired cliff-summit ;
when I found, to my dismay, that instead of looking down
upon the river, I had reached the top of a cliff overlooking
the open sea, whose waters were quietly lapping on the beach
about 150 feet below. Ithen directed my gaze along the line
of coast for any indication of the entrance of the river, or of
the ship, but in vain ; nothing was to be seen which could
serve as a guide silios to direct my steps. It was now
seven P.M. and my prospects did not appear altogether
of a reassuring nature. I endeavoured to persuade myself
;
g
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 285
that Cape Fairweather could not be very far off ; and accord-
ingly toiled along the land at the top of the cliffs, feeling
desperately weary, as I had hardly sat down since I had
breakfasted in the morning, and a sensation of drowsiness
gradually creeping over me. Struggling on in this way for
some miles, fighting against sleep, I now and then imagined
that some projecting point ahead was the Cape, but, on reach-
ing it, invariably found that my hopes were groundless. At
one time I perceived what I supposed to be a human figure
standing at the edge of the cliffs, but on approaching nearer
found it to be a huge condor, which allowed me to come
within eight feet of it, and did not attempt to move till I
brandished my walking-stick, when it slowly flapped its great
wings, and rising into the air, sailed off. I continued my
walk along the coast till about nine P.M., when the sun setting
caused me to realise more distinctly than I had done before,
that I had been walking in a north-easterly, instead of a
southerly direction. By this time my strength was almost
exhausted, and as it was rapidly getting dusk, I felt that I
must soon give in for the night; so, to lighten myself, I unwill-
ingly laid down my portfolio of valuable specimens, and
walked for some distance inland, looking out for some con-
venient shelter during the hours of darkness. Passing through
some long grass in one of the small valleys which abounded
between the rounded grassy hills, I heard, apparently only
a few yards off, the peculiar cry of a puma, which made me
quicken my steps, as I was entirely unprovided with firearms,
and had no desire to provoke an encounter with even such a
comparatively cowardly animal, with an oak stick as my only
weapon. Shortly afterwards, feeling very thirsty, I was glad
to see a pool of water not far off, and hastening to it, and
tooping down, took a great gulp, only to find that it was
286 * NATURAL HISTORY OF
intensely salt! Darkness was now gathering rapidly, and I
listened intently for the noise of voices or guns, but there was
an entire silence, save for the rustling of the wind through
the grass. By-and-by I heard the neigh of a guanaco, and,
looking round, saw it indistinctly at no great distance from
me, apparently puzzled to know what I was.
By ten p.M.I felt that it would be useless to attempt to
walk farther, as I was utterly done up, and it was too dark to
see in what direction I was going. I therefore lay down in the
grass in the lee of a low barberry-bush. The grass was soak-
ing wet, and there was a piercing breeze blowing; but I fell
asleep for a short time, and wakened with a sensation of
deadly cold, accompanied with violent cramps in my limbs.
Fortunately, no more rain fell, and the night was clear, with a
fine display of stars overhead. I thus lay on the ground, weigh-
ing the probabilities of my being able to find my way back to |
camp next day, or of my leaving my bones to bleach in the -
Patagonian desert, while the wind rustled through the bushes,
and snipes gave vent to their desolate nocturnal cries. The
night seemed very long, though in reality short, and-I
anxiously watched for the morning, noting how the stars
moved over the face of the sky, and gradually waned. At
last a faint light appeared in a particular spot on the horizon,
which satisfied me as to which was the east; day gradually
dawned, and by twenty minutes to three A.M. on the 24th,
it was light enough to allow me to rise from my lair and
set out in a direction intermediate between that where the
sun had set the night before, and that whence it was pre-
paring to arise.
It was a bright, clear morning, and I felt more hopeful
than the night before, and concentrated my energies into
walking as hard as I could. I first traversed a considerable —
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 28%
extent of undulating country, after which I crossed a wide
plain, disturbing a skunk, which scuttled off with its feathery
tail over its back. After this I descended into a small valley ;
then crossed another plain, and then reached some more hilly
country. Suddenly coming to a gap between two knolls, I
saw, to my relief, a distant blue hill-top which I knew to be
situated on the south side of the river, and thus ascertained
my true position, and realised that my troubles were nearly
over. Soon I saw the river itself, and began to descend
towards it, presently hearing a shout at some distance, and
seeing a figure run rapidly down a neighbouring hill. I
presently recognised one of the officers, who shortly joined
me, with a brandy-flask in one hand and a revolver in the
other. ) ile
. Caan
» Y 1 ‘ 1 odd
“ % + ‘ reer
= rae PO ee ee ee i ie ans © a uae a: 6 ee
wee ee OPT ee See ae ye ee a ee, Leen “z= a +
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 289
sion, while we were at the Gallegos, was, by this time,
encamped on Dungeness, and came on board to report him-
self, bringing with him a fine female condor which he had
shot at the cape. He had also made two interesting botanical
discoveries while there, having obtained specimens of the
Botrychium lunaria which I found the previous year at Oazy
Harbour, as well as of a deep yellow @nothera, the only repre-
sentatives of the genus which I ever procured from the Strait,
though, as I have mentioned a few pages back, a species is
common at the Gallegos river. We got under way early in
the forenoon, and began to take soundings on the Sarmiento
Bank, but soon found that the barometer had proved a true
prophet in this instance, a gale setting in, which compelled a
speedy suspension of operations, causing us to re-enter the
Strait (a matter of considerable difficulty), and anchor outside
Dungeness. The wind freshened by degrees, and during the
afternoon and evening blew with a greater amount of fury than
we had ever experienced in these regions. Although we were
lying at but a very short distance from the land, it was gener-
ally hidden from our sight by the driving spray, while the
wind howled through the rigging, and the vessel strained at
her anchor. Despite these untoward circumstances, however,
our Christmas dinner went off very well, and we passed a
pleasant evening over reminiscences of past events, mingled
with speculations as to future prospects. The gale continued
to rage throughout the greater portion of the night, and on
the forenoon of the 26th it was still blowing, though with
diminished vehemence. There was a lull during part of the
afternoon, which permitted a small amount of work in the way
of sounding being accomplished ; but the wind again freshened
at 6 P.M., and blew hard till 8.30 p.m, when heavy rain setting
in, it fell rapidly.
U
290 NATURAL HISTORY OF
The 27th was a beautiful calm day, and employed in
sounding the Sarmiento Bank. In the evening we anchored
off the inner side of Dungeness, and two officers who had
been on shore there returned to the ship. Next morning it
came on to blow hard, and as we were on a lee-shore we
shifted our anchorage well into Possession Bay. There was a
very heavy sea on, and the vessel rolled to a greater extent
than she had yet done in the Strait. Numbers of stormy
petrels were flying over the waves in our vicinity, the first
observed by us so far south. The wind went down in the
evening, and the 29th (Sunday) was tolerably calm. An
officer, who had been on shore for some days engaged in tide-
watching, returned in the evening, and brought me a specimen
of a Cephalopod, of the genus Ommastrephes, but, unfortunately,
in too bad condition to be worth preserving. The aspect of
the weather on the morning of the 30th was of a very doubt-
ful nature, so that we did not get under way early; but a
certain amount of sounding was carried on during the latter
part of the day. From this time till the 7th of January 1868,
it blew so persistently that we could not make a move. The
ship’s company occupied a considerable amount of their spare
time in fishing from the vessel, and caught several specimens
of the large fish taken at the Gallegos river, as well as one or
two individuals of a ray of considerable size, and numerous
examples of the common British dog-fish, Acanthias vulgaris.
Several good specimens of Sphyrion were met with on the ling-
like fish, and two parasitic Isopodous Crustacea also occurred
—one a Cirolana, apparently not distinct from C. hirtipes, and
the other, which was elegantly tinted with bright purple around
the edges of the segments, the Pterelas magnificus of Dana.
On the 7th heavy rain fell in the morning, but the re- ~—
mainder of the day was fair and calm, and occupied in sound-
ee
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 291
ing on the Sarmiento Bank. The 8th* and 9th were also fine,
and similarly employed ; on the 10th there was a good deal
~of both wind and rain; and on the afternoon of the 11th we
left the Strait for the Falkland Islands, to fill up with coal and
provisions. The 12th was a lovely calm day, and we pro-
ceeded on our course most comfortably. We observed some
very fine albatrosses, and a solitary penguin, which was pro-
gressing at a rapid rate by means of a series of flying leaps,
presenting much the appearance of an animated beer-bottle.
A breeze sprang up in the night from the N.N.E., and next
morning we were rolling and pitching most unpleasantly. The
direction of the wind caused us to keep to the south, instead
of to the north, of the islands, as on the former occasion, and
- towards evening we got fairly under the lee of the land, and
so went on our way more quietly. A thick mist, however,
prevailed, so that it was not till ten A.M. on the 13th that the
land was made and our position ascertained. That day we
kept up a good rate of speed under steam and sail, and not
long after noon we entered Stanley Harbour, where we found
H.M.S. “ Narcissus” lying, she having arrived the day before.
The aspect of the settlement did not strike us as more inviting
than on our former visit, and as it was a showery afternoon
but few of us went on shore. The following afternoon was
devoted to a round of calls on the inhabitants of Stanley,
and on the morning of the 16th (a rather pleasant day), I
landed with Dr. Campbell, and had a long walk across the
country to a bay situated to the south of the harbour, and not
far from Port Harriett. We obtained some fine specimens of
Callixene marginata and Oxalis enneaphylla in flower, and in
* On the 8th, shortly after noon, we ran on a rock on the Sarmiento Bank,
not laid down in any of the charts, and stuck on the top of it for about an
hour, being released when the tide rose. Comparatively little damage was
fortunately, sustained.
292 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the more boggy localities a small species of sundew, the Dro-
sera uniflora, was very plentiful, although easily overlooked
from its minute size and its occurrence among plants of Gar-
mardia, a low herb belonging to the order Desvauxiacee, which
forms a large portion of the damp turf alike in the Falkland
Islands and western part of the Strait of Magellan, and is
readily recognised by the peculiar aspect of its shining some-
what triangular-shaped leaves. On the beach of the bay we
observed numerous bones of Cetacea lying, and picked up a
few sponges and some dried specimens of a very curious large
Alga, the D’Urvillea utilis, the fronds of which are formed
of very large cells, transversely arranged so as to present a
remarkable resemblance to honeycomb, particularly when in
the dry state. On the 17th I walked with two companions
to a stream of stones in the neighbourhood of the settlement,
and found one or two plants that were not in flower at the
time of our former visit—a pretty white-flowered Composite,
the Chabrea suaveolens, among the number. Before going on
board we went to see a collection of penguins from various
localities in the islands, collected by the Zoological Society’s
keeper Secante for the gardens. Five species were re-
presented—z.c, the King (Aptenodytes Pennantr), Jackass
(Spheniscus Magellanicus), Gentoo (Hudyptes chrysocome), Maca-
roni (Pygoscelis Waglert), and Rock-hopper (Hudyptes nigri-
vestis) ; and they formed a most amusing assemblage—some
prancing up and down, with their little wings stuck out, with
an air of bustle and infinite self-importance, some walking
slowly up to us, and gazing at us with solemn curiosity, while
others remained stationary and apparently lost in thought.
Of these species the Rock-hopper (Eudyptes nigrivestis) is
perhaps the most common at the Falkland Islands ; and two
large “ Rookeries,” as they are termed, of these birds occur not
at. 4 ,
ee ae ee eee eae a. eee oe
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 293
very far from Stanley—one at Kidney Island, on the southern
side of the entrance to Berkeley Sound, and the other at
Sparrow Cove, off Port William. Circumstances did not, to
my regret, permit of my visiting either of these, but I extract,
the following short account of that at Sparrow Cove from
Captain Mayne’s Journal :—“The rookery was in a sort of
small cove, the sides of which, though not perpendicular, were
very steep, and about 100 feet high; the entrance to the cove
was narrow and steep, with rugged bluff rocks on either side,
the whole making a kind of rugged amphitheatre, with water
for the pit. All the sides were rugged, with projecting knobs
of rocks jutting out in all directions, and every part of the
whole of this was covered with penguins. My estimate of the
number was the lowest made, and I guessed it at 20,000 ;
but there might have been any number between that and
50,000 or 60,000.”
On the 21st I walked with a companion to Mount
William, a remarkable rugged hill eight hundred feet high,
about five miles distant from Stanley. The upper part of the
Mount is formed of a mass of gray quartz lichen-incrusted
strata, inclined at a very high angle, and broken into great
fragments apparently by some subterraneous upheaval ; and
streams of stones flow down the sides. The summit commands
a very wide view of the East Falkland, and we thus gained an
excellent idea of the characteristic desolate scenery ; deep
inlets, wide plains, and rugged hills; quartz cropping out
everywhere, in some places in broken ridges like the spinous
processes of the vertebral column of some huge buried animal,
the combined effect reminding one of old pictures of the
appearance of the earth immediately after the deluge. In a
crevice in the rocks we found some good specimens of a fern,
Aspidium mohriordes, which had previously occurred to us
294 NATURAL HISTORY OF
in the Strait, and lower down on the hill the pretty little
Rubus (Dalibarda) geoides was plentiful. This plant, one of
the few South American species of its genus, the Falkland
Island strawberry of the colonists, has long slender trailing
stems, with small shining green leaves, and white or pale
pink flowers, succeeded by deep red fruits about the size of a
large raspberry, and possessed of a very pleasant flavour. In
addition to the Falkland Islands, it is plentiful throughout
the damp region of the Strait, and along the west coast of
Patagonia. Chiloe was the northernmost locality where I
observed it, but possibly it may range as far as Valdivia.
On the 24th I had a long walk to a bay beyond the
harbour visited by me on the previous year. I again found
many great branches of Lessonia, clothed with lesser Alge,
lying about, and the tide having fallen considerably I
observed numerous fine specimens of another large sea-weed,
the DUrvillea Harveyi, growing in forests on the rocks.
The strong cylindrical stem in most cases presented the
appearance of being sunk in a kind of socket in the great
solid sucker-like root. The fronds, unlike those of D. utilis,
which also occurred, but more sparingly, did not present a
honeycombed arrangement of cells.
Having filled up with coal and provisions, we left Stanley
Harbour on the morning of the 28th, and as, in consequence
of an arrangement entered into with the Admiral on board
the “ Narcissus,” it had been settled that we should leave a
party from that ship in Falkland Sound, between the East
and West Islands, to recover a cargo of copper from a wreck,
we steamed for the northern entrance of the Sound, carrying
with us a large deck-cargo, composed of boats and other gear
belonging to the wreck party. The day was at first misty and
drizzling, but gradually improved, and the afternoon and
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 295
evening were fine. We entered the Sound in the course of
the afternoon, and were agreeably surprised by finding the
scenery on either side of a considerably more attractive
character than that in the neighbourhood of Stanley—the
land presenting a less barren appearance, and the groves of
tussac-grass, which here we saw for the first time in luxuri-
ance, imparting a pleasing shade of green to the landscape,
the quiet evening light also contributing to “lend enchant-
ment to the view.” It was dead calm, a rare phenomenon in
these parts, when we anchored for the night at Swan Island,
not far from the Tyssen group, close to which the wreck was
situated. Soon after we came to a halt one of the men
brought me two specimens of a M/yxine, of the same species
previously taken in the Strait, which he had caught on a line.
Next morning we moved on to the Tyssen Islands, only a few
miles from our last night’s position. We had had the dredge
over during the night, and hauled it in before we shifted, but
with poor results, a Terebratula and a small Natica being almost
the sole proceeds obtained. A female dog-fish (Acanthias
vulgaris) was caught by one of the men, and on being opened,
three live young ones, each with the yolk-bag attached, were
found in the interior, and when released swam actively about
in a basin of water.
Early in the forenoon a number of us landed on the
largest island of the group, which the wreck party had
selected as their head-quarters for the month or six weeks
which they expected to spend in solitude. This island was,
I should think, about a mile or a mile and a half long, and was
girdled with a broad belt of tussac. In walking along the
beach I observed that rocks of clay-slate appeared to be the
principal formation, and I did not notice any vestiges of
quartz. Fragments of several common Strait shells, includ-
296 NATURAL HISTORY OF —
ing Voluta Magellanica, Mytilus Magellanicus, Chione exalbida,
etc. etc., were profusely scattered about, but as I found nothing
of a novel or interesting description, I soon forsook the shore
for the high ground above it. This was the first opportunity
that I enjoyed of visiting a tussac grove, and it made a
most striking impression on my mind as I wended my way
along the narrow winding natural pathways between the
separate clumps of grass, the leaves of which waved high over-
head in graceful curves. The average height of the plants I
should estimate as between ten and twelve feet, while the mass
of roots belonging to each varied from a foot to a foot and a
half in height by two to three feet in diameter. Among the
roots jackass penguins had formed their burrows in numbers,
and as we walked through the groves we were accompanied
by numerous individuals of a little dusky-brown bird, the
Opetiorhynchus antarcticus, which, when we sat down, came
quite close to us, being even more familiar than our English
robin, a specimen on one occasion lighting on one of the
sportsmen who was lying in wait for geese, and hopping about
over him in the most unconcerned manner. The military
starling was also common, and hardly less tame. After a time
I ascended to the summit of the island through a gap in the
tussac, meeting with specimens of a very stout tall-growing
Carex, and several Composite, and finding the Falkland Island
tea-plant, Myrtus nummularia, and Rubus geoides, covering the
surface of the ground for yards, the beautiful red fruits of the
latter half buried in the moss of the soil. Ona patch of ground
which appeared to have been burnt, Senecio vulgaris occurred
in great profusion, undoubtedly, I should suppose, introduced,
but by what agency it is not easy to form an opinion.
The tameness of the birds, in general, was most remark-
able. The brown skua gulls (Lestris antarcticus), of which
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 297
there were numbers, flew about us, uttering their harsh, scold-
ing cries, and several times, when walking by myself, they
swooped at me in such a menacing manner that I was obliged
to make them keep their distance by striking at them with
my stick. The common brown duck of the Strait swam in
flocks close to the beach, and the kelp geese (Chloephaga
antarctica) were almost equally bold. The upland geese
(Chloephaga Magellanica) were plentiful, and allowed the
sportsmen to approach within a few yards of them without
taking alarm, and a pair which I disturbed in one spot ran
along in front of me without taking the trouble to fly off. I
observed several specimens of a large owl, and two species
of hawks, one a dark-coloured bird, which I had not seen in
the Strait, the other coloured much like a kestril, but about
twice the size of that bird. One of the latter flew about so
close to me that I threw my stick at it once or twice, and on
one of these occasions it coolly lighted on the missile as it
fell to the ground. I have already, I think, remarked on the
much greater tameness of certain species of birds at the Falk-
land Islands, as compared with the same kinds in the Strait,
a circumstance which, perhaps, may be partially accounted
for by the greater scarcity of foxes in the former locality.
On the afternoon of this day great numbers of the smaller
Iithodes of the Strait (LZ. verrucosa) were taken by the men,
and I found that at least nine-tenths of them were males. A
few specimens of another Crustacean, for long known as an
inhabitant of the Falkland Islands, the Eurypodius Latreilliz,
were also obtained. Three other species of the same genus—
the #. septentrionalis, EL. brevipes, and EH. Audouinii—were
procured by me in various localities in the Strait of Magellan
and western coast of Patagonia; and it would not require a
naturalist to be deeply imbued with Darwinism to believe
298 NATURAL HISTORY OF
that all four species were originally derived from a common
stock.
The following morning (30th) the Argentine captain of a
small sealing schooner, then at the Tyssen Islands, Don Luis
Piedra Buena, presented me with a fine specimen of a King pen-
guin (Aptenodytes Pennantt) from Staten Land, which had died
on board his ship the night before, as well as with some beauti-
ful casts of fossil univalve shells, apparently Turritelle, from
a deposit on the banks of the Santa Cruz river, on the east coast
of Patagonia. Don Luis is a most intelligent, well-informed
man, and I had much interesting conversation with him about
the regions with which he was familiar. One of our number
who was on shore on this day shot a fine male specimen of the
night-heron (Nycticorax obscwrus) previously observed in the
Strait. Having seen the wreck party comfortably established
on shore, we weighed about four P.M. and proceeded on our way
through the Sound ; but as, on nearing the southern entrance, we
found that the weather had assumed a threatening aspect, the
barometer falling rapidly, and the wind against us, we anchored
in Fox Bay in the West Falkland Island between seven and
eight P.M.
The 31st was a most beautiful day, but asthe wind con-
tinued still unfavourable we remained at anchor, and a party
of us landed in the morning to explore the neighbourhood.
On the beach I obtained a very curious snow-white dried sponge,
resembling at first sight a mass of bone with large cancelle.
On the green sloping banks above the shore I found flower-
ing specimens of two Orchids (species of Chlorea), which I
had not met with in the Strait, as well as of two familiar
British plants, Senecio vulgaris and Sonchus oleraceus ; and in
ascending a hill I came across numerous fine clumps of
the Balsam-bog, so compact in their structure that I could
‘THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 299
jump on the top of them without leaving the print of my feet.
As the day was warm the balsam was exuding abundantly
from the plants in large milky tears, which on drying changed
to an ochreous tint. From the summit of the hill (846 feet
according to the chart) I gained an extensive view of the
country around, which was more interesting in its general
appearance than those parts of the East Falkland Islands which
I had previously seen, the hills being higher and less barren-
looking, and numerous patches of fresh water of considerable
size being scattered about, while various small streams ran
down in the hollows between the hills towards the beach,
which was fringed with patches of tussac. I was in hopes
of meeting with specimens of the Falkland Island box,
(Veronica decussata), but was disappointed. The geese and
ducks were so tame that many fell a prey to the sportsmen,
and a fine buzzard (Buteo erythronotus) was also shot while
busily employed in feeding on one of the victims. Late in
the afternoon, while waiting for our boat, we indulged in a
vegetable diet of wild celery and tussac, and were not
surprised at the partiality evinced by cattle for the latter, as
the base of the culm is crisp and succulent, with an agreeable
flavour, resembling that of a hazel-nut. Nearly all the rocks
on the beach in this locality, I may remark, were of a finely
laminated sandstone, a rock not observed by us in other
localities visited in these islands.
The morning of the 1st of February was bright and sunny,
with but little wind, but that little, unfortunately, not in our
favour. We left the bay, and proceeded onwards under
steam, skirting along the south-eastern coast of the West
Falkland Island, and passing not far from the entrance of
Port Edgar and Port Albemarle. Arrived opposite Cape
Meredith, we took our departure from the land, shaping a
300 NATURAL HISTORY OF
W.S.W. course. As we moved cn very quietly, I devoted the
day to a most unpleasant task, the skinning of the King
penguin given me two days before. The mere process of
removing and cleaning the skin of so large and oily a bird
occupied so much time, that I had but little leisure to bestow
on its anatomy. One very curious point noticed, however,
was a very complex arrangement in connection with the tips.
of the quills of the feathers. As a rule, the tip of each
feather (which projected on the inner side of the skin) was
provided with six whitish radii, probably formed of involun-
tary muscular fibre, and the base of the angle between each
radius was closed by another narrow band, so that each
feather formed the central point of a hexagon, and possessed
six muscular or ligamentous bands proper to itself and six com-
mon tothe neighbouring feathers. The breadth of the scapulee
(fully an inch) was also very noteworthy.
During the night the wind freshened ahead, while the baro-
meter fell, and by the morning of the 2d it was blowing hard
from the south-westward, and we steamed on our way very
uncomfortably. The 3d was a fine bright day, and the sea
had gone down considerably. The wind fell at about 11 A.M.
and then backed to the N.W. At 3.30 4.M. on the 4th Cape
Virgins was sighted, and we entered the Strait rather more
than an hour later, anchoring under the outer side of Dungeness
at half-past five AM. It blew hard during all that day, and
throughout the 5th, 6th, and 7th, and we began heartily to
wish that we were done with this portion of the Strait, and
rejoiced in the prospect of going west later in the season, not
fully realising the unpleasantness of the almost perpetually
rainy weather which we would there be called on to encounter.
Some fish were caught on the 6th, and among them several
individuals of a species which we had not previously obtained.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 301
I preserved a small specimen which had a Siphonostomous
Crustacean of the genus Chondracanthus attached to the roof of
its mouth ; and a careful examination of it in the beginning of
the present year, with the valuable assistance of Dr. Giinther,
proved it to be the Merluccius Gayi of Guichenot, a species of
hake very imperfectly described in Gay’s Historia Misica de Chili.
The 8th was a bright, sunny day, with only occasional
gusts of wind, and Captain Mayne took advantage of the im-
provement in the weather to land on Dungeness Spit, with one
of the surveying officers, to obtain sights. On their return,
they brought me some fine specimens of a beautiful vetch,
the Lathyrus Magellanicus, which I had not seen previously,
and which would appear to be rare in the Strait. It came
on to blow at night from the north-east, but the wind died
away before the morning of the 9th, leaving a heavy swell
behind it. On the morning of the 10th it was again blowing,
but the wind gradually fell, so that we were able to weigh
early in the afternoon, and proceed out to the Sarmiento
Bank, where we spent the remainder of the day in sounding,
anchoring on the bank at 8.30 pM. It was blowing pretty
hard during the greater part of the night, but by the morn--
ing of the 11th it was again calm, and a good day’s work
accomplished, the Sarmiento Bank being finished, and some
lines of soundings in addition run between Cape Espiritu
Santo and Catherine Point. In the evening we anchored off
the Point, and for the next three days it blew too hard to
permit of our moving. The 15th was occupied in sounding
Lomas Bay on the Fuegian coast, and in the evening we
crossed over to Dungeness Spit, and there anchored.
Captain Mayne having by this time determined on pro-
ceeding to Sandy Point, where it seemed probable that letters
were awaiting us, resolved to leave an officer on shore near
302 NATURAL HISTORY OF
Mont Dinero, on the Patagonian coast, for the purpose of
taking a series of magnetic observations during the absence
of the ship, and I gladly availed myself of the permission
to accompany him if I were so disposed. We therefore left
the vessel early on the afternoon of the 16th, with the inten-
tion of landing opposite the Mount, and there pitching our
camp. As we, however, found on approaching the locality
that there was too much surf on the beach to permit of our
landing there with safety to the delicate instruments in charge,
we pulled back to Dungeness, and there entered a curious
winding creek like a river, which being land-locked has
always smooth water in it. Close to this the tents were
pitched for the day, and we set out on a walk in the direction
of Cape Virgins, watching with much amusement the gam-
bols of the sea-lions in the water. On our return to camp in
the evening, we dined, and a few hours later turned in to
prepare for an early start next morning. On the 17th, we
rose at half-past one A.M. and after a rapid breakfast the
gear was packed into the boat; and when we had pulled to the
entrance of the creek, sail was hoisted, and we set off to our
destination in the dim moonlight. The land, seen in indis-
tinct shadow in the uncertain light, had a strange ghostly
effect, and the experience was altogether a memorable one.
Occasionally we disturbed flocks of gulls sleeping peacefully
in the water, and they flew off in great confusion. By-and-
by a faint yellow streak began to make its appearance on
the eastern horizon, and the light gradually stole in till we
had a fine red sunrise. We reached the spot fixed upon soon
after five A.M., landing without difficulty, and pitched our tents
on a smooth flat space of ground between two hillecks, and
close to a small stream of excellent fresh water, a rather ©
scarce commodity in eastern Patagonia. I spent the day
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THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 303
principally in roaming about in search of specimens, but
met with very little that was new to me, with the exception
of a curious little Umbelliferous plant which I found growing
in pools of water mixed up with the tufts of an aquatic mass.
This was the Crantzia lineata, which also occurs in the Falk-
land Islands, North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
On the morning of the 18th, while we were at breakfast
in the tent, one of the men communicated the somewhat
startling intelligence that there were “ comets flying all round
the tents,’ and on our emerging to contemplate the pheno-
menon in question, we beheld seven or eight huge condors
sailing about in the air at some distance over-head, apparently
on the look-out for what they could pick up. After this they
were our daily companions, and I several times noticed with
interest that when they were flying at no great height, the
sound produced by the air passing between their huge primary
and secondary wing-feathers, which are widely separated
during flight, presented an almost exact resemblance to the
musical tones emitted by telegraph-wires in certain states of
the atmosphere.
Our life on shore passed very pleasantly, though with-
out much variety, as we had bright sunny weather, which
allowed us thoroughly to appreciate the pleasures, by no
means small, of camping out. On the 22d, the ship was
observed sounding in Lomas Bay, and we thought of striking
our tents and embarking for Dungeness, there to wait her
arrival, but the wind arose, and produced such a heavy surf
on the beach, that we judged it prudent to remain where we
were. The wind, however, fell in the evening, and next
morning we rose at an early hour, and after some trouble
in getting the boat through the surf, hoisted sail, and pro-
ceeded to Dungeness, where we found the “ Nassau” lying at
anchor. We found that a large supply of letters and papers
304 NATURAL HISTORY OF
had been obtained at Sandy Point, where many changes had
taken place since our last visit ; a new governor, Don Oscar
Viel, having come down from Chili, and a large detachment
of emigrants having arrived from the island of Chiloe.
The 24th was a perfectly calm day, and we crossed over to
Lomas Bay in the morning. Four boats were despatched to
sound, but heavy rain setting in about noon gradually put a
stop to the work by concealing the land from view. The
following day was spent in Lomas Bay; and on the 26th,
after spending some time in sounding off the Orange Bank, we
passed through the first Narrows (our transit being a very
tedious one, as the tide was against us), and anchored in
the evening in St. Jago Bay. On the morning of the 27th
we moved on to Gregory Bay, and there anchored for a few
hours, which allowed of a ramble on shore, in the course of
which I collected a few plants, including an aquatic one, the
Myrroplyllum elatinoides, previously known from the Falkland
Islands. We got under way again before noon, and went
through the second Narrows, dropping one of the boats off
Peckett Harbour to execute some soundings, and then pro-
ceeding over to Sta. Magdalena to leave a party there. It was
a splendid calm afternoon when we reached the island, and
when we anchored to drop the boats the scene around us was
of a most striking character. The island stood out sharp and
clear in the early evening light, with its cliffs white with sea-
birds, and the beach covered with sea-lions, while in the
water around the ship hundreds of seals were disporting them-
selves, leaping high out of the water, their bodies bent as usual
in a bow-shaped curve. After leaving the boats we moved
on to Sandy Point, which we did not reach till after dark ;
sending up a rocket to attract attention, and burning a blue
light to ascertain our exact position. When we landed next
morning we found various Improvements being energetically
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“THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 305
carried out in the settlement, under the superintendence of
the recently appointed governor ; and the noise of the axes of
the emigrants was to be heard breaking the silence of the
woods. A few parrots and one or two other birds were shot,
and I obtained specimens of a viscid yellow-flowered Composite,
a species of Madia, found in the previous season in Fuegia.
The following day, which was very fine, a party of us, consisting
of Captain Mayne and three of the officers, with myself,
landed early, and after breakfasting with the governor, rode
out with him to look at the deposit of coal. The woods
through which we passed were in great beauty, the foliage of
the greater number of the trees appearing of a vivid green in
the bright sunlight ; while here and there, where the river had
lately overflowed its banks, groups of trees, the base of whose
_ trunks was buried in a deposit of sand and clay, had assumed
prematurely autumnal tints of yellow, brown, and red.
We remained at Sandy Point till early on the morning of
the 2d of March, when we returned to Sta. Magdalena to pick
up the boats left there. The officers, on coming on board,
brought me a fine specimen of a sheathbill (Chionis alba), and
one of a skua gull (Lestris antarctica). We anchored off the
island that evening, and as next morning it was raining
heavily, we did not get under way till nearly eleven AM,
when we went slowly over to Laredo Bay to pick up the boat
left at Peckett Harbour. The 4th was a magnificent day.
The ship was employed in sounding on the Fuegian coast, and
between five and six P.M. she anchored at the entrance of
Gente Grande Bay, inside Quartermaster Island. Immedi-
ately thereafter a large party landed on the low spit, which,
as I have earlier mentioned, occurs at the northern extremity
of the island. As we stepped on shore we noticed the only
specimen of a kelp-goose (Chloephaga antarctica) ever seen by
us in the eastern part of the Strait; and I found the steep
x
306 NATURAL HISTORY OF
bank leading from the spit up to the high ground covered
with plants of Arabis Macloviana gone to seed. The cor-
morants were, if possible, more numerous than on our visit in
1867, and on being disturbed rose into the air in thousands,
raising a thick cloud of dust, which had a most powerful
odour of guano. It was curious to observe that, though of
the same species with those observed at Sta. Magdalena, the
nests were not so carefully constructed or so regularly grouped.
A few young birds were encountered, clothed with blackish
down, and unable to fly, but which ran very fast, sometimes
tumbling over the nests. One of them, in its hurry to escape
my pursuit, soused itself in a pool of black mire, and emerged
in a draggled and forlorn condition. Skua gulls were abun-
dant, though not so noisy or so fierce as those which we
encountered at the Tyssen Islands, and geese were plentiful,
but very shy. A considerable number of bandurrias were also
observed, and a few specimens shot. We returned to the
ship in the moonlight, about eight p.M., to a late dinner.
The 5th was another beautiful day. We left our anchorage
between seven and eight A.M., and proceeded along the Fuegian
coast southward of Gente Grande Bay. Soon after breakfast
I had an opportunity of accompanying a couple of the sur-
veying officers on shore at Gente Point. A party of seven
Fuegians, accompanied by several dogs, were assembled on a
low hillock close to the beach, but decamped as we approached
the land in our boat, much to my disappointment, as I was
very anxious to hold intercourse with this tribe, which, as I
have earlier stated in the course of this narrative, appears to
be very distinct from those occurring to the westward. We
found the ground close to the beach tunnelled with the
burrows of the Clenomys; and near the hill a great number
of shells of limpets, Fisswrellw, and mussels, on which the
Fuegians had evidently been recently regaling themselves,
ae aes ee ie ee
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 307
were accumulated. While the others were engaged in taking
a round of angles, I visited three shallow patches of salt water
in the neighbourhood. I found that the Fuegians had crossed
one of these, and I measured several of their footprints left
in the clay at the edge of the water. These were very broad
across the toes, and narrow at the heel, the largest being about
eight inches and three-quarters in length, while the smallest
measured only seven inches. Three Fuegian dogs wandered
about in our vicinity, barking and howling dismally. The first
was much like a fox in size and general appearance, and of
a reddish-gray colour ; the second had a piebald smooth coat,
with drooping ears; while the third was clothed with long
dark brownish-black hair, had erect ears, and presented a
marked resemblance to a small wolf. As usual, I made a
collection of the plants of the locality, obtaining, among
others, two yellow-flowered species of Senecio, Homoianthus
echinulatus, Empetrum rubrum, Armeria maritima, a species
of Hordeum, the Hritrichiwm found at Sta. Magdalena and
other localities, and Phacelia circinata, a plant common in
~ the neighbourhood of Sandy Point. The dredge yielded in
this locality a fine orange-coloured sea-cucumber, about three
inches long ; several specimens of Galathea subrugosa, and a
curious Isopod of the genus Cymodocea, which, believing it to
be new, I have named C. Darwinii. In the afternoon I landed
on another part of the coast, nearly opposite Sandy Point,
and obtained specimens of Gewm Magellanicum, a yellow
Sisyrinchium, etc. Here, as in the former locality, the burrows
of the Ctenomys abounded, and probably this is nearly the
southernmost boundary of the animal. We anchored early in
the evening off Sandy Point, and next day there was such a
_ heavy swell on the beach that we could not land; while
heavy rain fell, as if to prepare us for the experience we were
shortly to be called upon to encounter in the west.
308 NATURAL HISTORY OF
CHAPTER X.
LEAVE SANDY POINT FOR THE WESTWARD—BOTANY OF PLAYA
PARDA COVE—SHOLL BAY—-CHANNEL INDIANS—WET WEATHER
—OTTER ISLANDS—GRAMMITIS AUSTRALIS—GLACIERS—ICE AT
THE ENTRANCE OF EYRE SOUND—-EDEN HARBOUR—SMALL FROG
— PODOCARPUS — LEPIDOTHAMNUS — MITRARIA—HALT BAY—
WEINMANNIA—LOMATIA—ENTER THE GULF OF PENAS— BAD
WEATHER — CAPTURE OF ALBATROSSES — REACH SAN CARLOS
— VEGETATION ; CITHAREXYLON ; FUCHSIAS ; ESCALLONIAS 5;
MYRTLES—HUMMING-BIRDS—OYSTERS— FERNS——-LIZARDS—-BIRDS
— LORANTHUS — FOXGLOVE — VISIT THE TOWN OF ANCUD —
CHILIAN NETTLE—SCISSOR-BILL—-CON CHOLEPAS—-PORCELLANA—
BAD WEATHER-——-MARINE ANIMALS—EGG OF CALLORHYNCHUS.
Our work to the north-eastward of Sandy Point was now
concluded ; and as, owing to the amount of sounding necessi-
tated at the eastern entrance of the Strait, our stock of fuel
was running low, Captain Mayne determined on proceeding
northwards by easy stages to the island of Chiloe, on the
west coast of the continent, whither a vessel had been
appointed to meet us with the necessary supplies in the
beginning of April. Accordingly, between four and five P.M. on
the 9th of March, we bid farewell to the settlement for the
season, and proceeded south-westwards as far as Port Famine,
where we anchored for the night, in the hope of procuring
sights next day ; but on the morning of the 10th, although
it was fair, the sky was covered with a dull gray mantle,
which held out no hopes of the sun being able to break
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 309
through it, and we therefore continued on our westerly
course, without having accomplished the desired object. In
the course of the forenoon we encountered three canoes
occupied with Fuegians, who, as usual, came alongside in the
most noisy manner, shouting, grinning, laughing, and waving
skins over their heads. The greater number were possessed
of the customary short seal-skin cloaks, but one woman was
totally naked. Several had ornamented their faces with
coloured red or white lines, extending along the bridge of
the nose, and one man had coloured his lank hair brick-
red with some pigment, which did not add to the charms of
his appearance. Being anxious to pass on, we did not waste
_time in parleying with these people, and they did not attempt
to follow us as we moved on. The day was fine, the charac-
ter of the region considered, so that we were able to appre-
ciate the magnificent scenery on either side of us as we
passed along, and we reached Fortescue Bay at six P.M., too
late to make it worth while to go on shore. Next morning
we again moved onwards. Much rain fell during the day,
but occasional bright gleams displayed various fine glaciers,
and snowy mountain summits. We entered Playa Parda
Cove about five P.M., and as there was still about an hour’s
daylight, two of the officers and I, having encased ourselves
in mackintoshes and sea-boots, left the ship in the pouring
rain, landing at the head of the harbour, and scrambling
over the steep banks, close to where two fine cataracts came
rushing tumultuously down the mountain-side. Our re-
searches were rewarded with a considerable number of
plants, some of which were well known to us, while others
had apparently not been previously recorded from the
Strait. The principal were a low tree with quinate green
leaves, which I subsequently found in many localities
310 NATURAL HISTORY OF
to the westward, as well as throughout the Channels,
and which appears to be a species of Panax or some allied
genus; a Myrtaceous shrub, the Metrosideros stipularis,
which seems not to have been observed previously to the
south of the Chonos Archipelago, but which I subsequently
ascertained to be extremely abundant on both sides of the
western portion of the Strait, and throughout the Channels
of western Patagonia, forming an elegant low tree, with a
red bark, small dotted leaves, and pretty white flowers ;
Escallonia serrata, out of flower; Pernettya mucronata ;
Inbocedrus tetragonus, here existing as a low shrub ; Callixene
margunata ; Tapenia Magellanica ; Myrtus nummularia; a
curious little Caltha, the C. dioneefolia, which grows in low
firm bright green clumps or bosses; Lomaria Magellanica ;
Gleichenia acutifolia ; and two species of Hymenophyllum,
HT. tortuosum and H. pectinatum, the last of which had not
been previously recorded to the south of the Chonos Archi-
pelago, although it is very common in the western part of
the Strait, and throughout the entire extent of the Channels.
Next morning (12th) we left Playa Parda, and proceeded
westwards amid frequent showers of heavy rain, reaching
Sholl Bay, on the western side of the southern extremity of
Smyth’s Channel, between three and four p.m. Here we
anchored, and shortly after, landing with two of the officers, .
had a walk, or rather scramble, over the country in the
neighbourhood, the aspect of which struck us as singularly
gloomy and desolate, as seen under a sky black with thick
clouds, which descended at short intervals in tremendous
showers. The bay is bounded by a tract of low ground
covered with a thick vegetation of stunted trees of ever-
green beech, Winter’s-bark, and Zzbocedrus tetragonus, to-
gether with a sprinkling of the Panax mentioned above, and
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. ols
a variety of low shrubs. Behind this stretches an extensive
tract of elevated and boggy land, abounding in patches and
tarns of fresh water, certain of which are united in chains
by rapidly-flowing streams, and are large enough to merit
the designation of small lakes; and this is in its turn suc-
ceeded by a range of steep, rugged, gray hills, with sharply-
defined summits. We found that the whole surface of the
country was drenched with moisture, a circumstance that
made a strong impression on us at the time, but which we
subsequently learned was the normal condition of the whole
of the land bounding the western part of the Strait and
Channels. In the course of a fatiguing scramble through
the bushes and over the boggy ground, now and then sinking
up to our knees in holes, we found that the vegetation was
much the same as that at Playa Parda. On the shrub-
covered ground Desfontainea and Philesia abounded, to-
gether with a variety of plants of humbler growth, includ-
ing the two species of Hymenophyllum previously procured,
Callizene marginata, Acena pumila, Gaultheria antarctica,
Myrtus nummularia, Festuca Fuegiana, etc.; while the surface
of the bogs was covered with a dense coating of Gaimardia,
Caltha dioneefolia, and Astelia, together with species of
Sphagnum and other mosses. The Astelia, a plant referred
by some botanists to the Juncacee, and by others regarded as
the type of a distinct order, is extremely abundant through-
out the boggy country of the Channels and the western portion
of the Strait. The flowers are white, about half-an-inch in
diameter, and have a very pretty appearance when viewed
en masse. In the pools of water a Juncaceous plant (Rostkovia)
was abundant, and attracted our attention by its curious
habit of growth, the leaves arising at regular intervals in
single file from the creeping soboles, which intersect the pools
312 NATURAL HISTORY OF
in all directions, so as to divide them into a number of angular
spaces. os ark: a
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 319
a kelp-goose, Chloephaga antarctica, several of which were to
be seen on the rocks about the bay. This beautiful bird, of
which the adult male is snow-white, and the female nearly
black, presenting a most striking contrast when standing to-
gether, we found common throughout the western part of the
Strait, and on the west coast of the continent as far north
as Chiloe. It never goes in large flocks, rarely more than
five or six being to be seen in company at a time, and
generally but a solitary pair to be observed on one spot. As
a rule, we found them exceedingly wary, probably in conse-
quence of being often disturbed by the Indians, who occasion-
ally kill them. Their flesh is quite uneatable at most seasons
of the year, owing to the nature of their food, which consists
of Molluscs and other marine animals. On landing on this
occasion, we in the first place walked for some distance along
the edge of the beach, immediately above which extended
a splendid hedge of an arbutus-like shrub, the Pernettya mu-
cronata, which attained a height of upwards of eight feet,
and was covered with little waxy-white, bell-shaped blossoms,
as well as numerous bushes of Hscallonia serrata nearly out of
bloom. While we were thus engaged, a tiny humming-bird,
Trochilus forficatus, made its appearance, flying about over
the flowers, and seeming in strange contrast with the gloomy
nature of the climate. We often saw specimens of it in the
Channels subsequently ; and I believe it extends to the south-
ern extremity of Fuegia, while northwards, if I am not mistaken,
it ranges as far as Peru—thus passing through every variety
of climate, from an intensely humid cold region to a tropical
one where rain hardly ever falls. On ascending to the higher
ground in search of plants, we found many stout bushes of
Metrosideros, which afforded us a shelter, not to be despised,
during the occurrence of heavy showers. I found one or
320 NATURAL HISTORY OF
two additional ferns, species of Hymenophyllum, on this oc-
casion, but, with this exception, met with nothing that was
of a novel character.
The 15th was another day of very heavy showers, with
now and then brief gleams of sunshine. Our Fuegian friends,
this time no less than nineteen in number, again favoured
us with their company, most of the adults coming on
board, with the greater number of their children, and
one bringing a rude axe to be sharpened on the ship’s
erindstone. They appeared to consider our custom of
walking up and down the quarter-deck, two and two, as a
most amusing proceeding, one of the women imitating the
rhythm of the sound produced by our feet as we advanced
and receded, and some of the men, after a time, following
our example ;—one old gentleman, blind of an eye, marching
in front of Captain Mayne, who laid his hand on his shoulder,
and gave him a slight shove to one side, an action which was
immediately retaliated, apparently under the impression that
it constituted part of the ceremony. The height of two of the
men and two of the women was measured on this occasion, that
of the former being found to be five feet six and five feet three
inches, and that of the latter four feet ten and four feet seven.
They did not appear nearly as tall as this, however, as nearly all
of them were much bent, probably in consequence of their
spending so much of their time in crouching round their fires.
While the party were on board they moored their plank canoe
alongside of the ship by means of a rope of plaited rushes (Lost-
kovia). One circumstance connected with them, which we
were interested to observe, was, that though fond of tobacco-
smoke, which they inhale till they almost lose consciousness,
they do not appear to have yet acquired a predilection for
intoxicating liquors, as one individual to whom a little rum
\
hilesia buxifolia
Grammitis australis
THE STRAIT-OF MAGELLAN. 321
was offered, on tasting it, spat it out with disgust. Coffee, on
the other hand, met with great appreciation.
On the morning of the 16th, when the dredge was hauled
in, two fine specimens of an elegant long-spined Echinocidarvs,
the #. Schythei of Philippi, afterwards obtained by us in
several other localities, were procured. We left the bay early
in the day, and proceeded northwards through Smyth’s Chan-
nel. A more gloomy and desolate region than that through
which we passed can hardly be conceived; intensely rugged
rocks and low hills, sustaining no vegetation higher in the
scale of life than lichens and mosses, on either side ; beyond,
savage gray mountains partially shrouded in mist ; and above,
a sky covered with a mantle of black clouds, which descended
at short intervals in torrents of rain ;—the whole combining
to produce a most depressing influence on our feelings, and
forcibly recalling to my remembrance Bunyan’s famous descrip-
tion of the valley of the shadow of death. Between three and
four P.M. we reached the Otter Islands, a group of small islets
densely covered with a stunted vegetation composed princi-
pally of the evergreen beech, Winter’s-bark, and “ Cipres”
(Libocedrus tetragonus), and there anchored for the night.
Soon after I landed, and spent an hour on one of the islands,
obtaining for the first time specimens of a curious little fern,
with an undivided frond (Grammitis australis), which I sub-
sequently met with in numerous localities in the Channels,
and western portion of the Strait. It generally grows on the
trunks of the trees in tufts, and its narrow fronds vary in size
from twe to five or six inches in length, by a sixth to a fourth
of an inch in breadth. It is a very rare occurrence, I may”
here observe, throughout this region of almost perpetual rain,
to find a tree which has not its bark almost entirely covered
_ with lichens, mosses, Jwngermannie, and ferns (Hymenophyllee
Y
$22 NATURAL HISTORY OF
being the prevailing forms among the last mentioned) ; and the
trees frequently grow so thickly together that we often, when
on shore, walked considerable distances on the low branches
and prostrate trunks at a height of several feet from the
eround-—-an experience likewise recorded by the old navigator
Sarmiento in his account of these parts.
On the beach of this island I picked up some dead valves
of a large Pecten which I had not seen before, and which
made me hope to procure live specimens in the dredge, but
in this I was disappointed. We intended to have moved
onwards on the 17th, but rain fell in torrents throughout the
day, concealing the land from view to such an extent as
would have rendered it very difficult, if not impossible, for us
to thread our way through the various intricate passages
which lay before us, and we accordingly remained at anchor.
On the 18th the weather had greatly improved, rain falling
but slightly; and though there was a very cloudy sky over-
head, the sun occasionally shone out brightly for a few
minutes, and we began to hope that the climate was not quite
so bad as we had at first supposed. We left the Otter
Islands in the morning, and passed northwards, entering the
Sarmiento Channel, where, after a prolonged but unavailing
search for a suitable anchorage, we halted in a small cove
in Piazzi Island at six P.M., and there remained for the night.
We passed through some very fine rugged scenery this
day, noticing many remarkable mountain-peaks, and gain-
ing a view for a short time of a magnificent glacier of great
extent. Next morning we continued our northerly course,
rain descending in floods without intermission during most
of the day ; and about five pM. we anchored in Puerto
Bueno, a fine harbour on the coast of the mainland in the. i
northern part of the Sarmiento Channel. Here there were —
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. o20
more signs of life than had been seen since we left Sholl Bay,
a good many steamer-ducks being startled on our approach,
and a kingfisher observed flying about the harbour.
The morning of the 20th, when we left this port, was fine,
and a bright, clear, calm day followed, which allowed us fully
to appreciate the glorious scenery on either side of us as we
steamed onwards. The nearer hills rose sheer out of the
water, clothed nearly to their summits with trees displaying
a fine variety of shades of green, while the more distant had
their peaks capped with snow ; and the gorges of many were
occupied by extensive glaciers, the dazzling white of whose
upper surface contrasted finely with the splendid blue and
green tints exhibited by the crevasses, and the general outline
of some suggesting a stormy sea suddenly frozen into repose.
Early in the day, as we approached the entrance of the Guia
Narrows, a party of Indians paddled up to us in their canoe,
There were five adults present, all of them apparently of the
male sex, and they struck us as larger in stature, more mus-
cular, and with plumper faces, than our friends at Sholl Bay.
_ They had their faces painted red and white, and one had a cap
seemingly formed of the white breast-plumage of a cormorant.
Late in the afternoon we saw one or two miniature icebergs
rising out of the water, and shortly before six P.M. we passed
the entrance of a beautiful winding inlet, with snowy hills in
the distance. As we did not succeed in finding a suitable
ancHorage, and the weather continued fine and settled, Captain
Mayne decided on proceeding onwards all night. When the
sun set, a sensation of sharp cold became most distinctly
perceptible, and we glided quietly on our way through the
still frosty night, the steep mountains on either side pre-
senting a singular and ghostly appearance to the view.
Early next morning (21st) I was roused by hearing
B24 NATURAL HISTORY OF
shouts from the look-out man, of “Ice on the starboard
bow,” “ice on the port-bow, “ ice right ahead,” repeated at short
intervals, and presently the bows of the vessel came in con-
tact with a large fragment with a force that made her shiver.
A little later the officer of the watch sent to let me know
that we were surrounded by masses of ice, and on going on
deck the spectacle presented was very remarkable. We
were now passing the entrance of Eyre Sound, and the
water all around us was studded with large blocks of ice,
some many yards in extent, derived from the glaciers of the
Sound, and now illuminated by the beams of the rising sun,
their submerged portions appearing of a vivid green tint,
while those above the water were dazzling white. It was a
fine frosty morning, followed by an even more beautiful day
than the preceding, and we had an endless succession of the
most lovely views of densely wooded islets, winding inlets,
and snowy mountains. We noticed many ridges that were
knife-like in their sharpness, and at one place a peak which
presented almost an exact representation, on a smaller scale, of
the famous Matterhorn. In the course of the forenoon several
‘large whales were seen not far from us, one of which, when pre-
paring to make a dive, lifted the characteristic tail-fin several
feet out of the water. They were blowing vigorously, the sound
produced, as usual, resembling a loud sigh. Wealso observed
numerous seals gambolling about in the water, and a number
of gulls, cormorants, and penguins, as well as a couple of -
vultures, perched ona low island. Between ten and eleven A.M.
we anchored in Eden Harbour, at the head of Indian Reach,
and immediately to the south of the English Narrows, to
allow of sights being obtained; and two of the officers, with
myself, at once landed for a ramble. We spent about an hour ~ r
and a half on shore very pleasantly, the sun shining brightly
4 THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 325
and diffusing a wonderfully genial heat. We saw several
humming-birds and kingfishers; and I was greatly interested
by the discovery, on the part of one of my companions (Dr.
Campbell), of a minute frog, striped with narrow longitudinal
bands of purplish black and pale primrose yellow, and with
the under surface of the feet of a pale vermilion colour.*
Several plants were also obtained for the first time, and among
these a fine Coniferous tree of the tribe Taxinew, the Podocar-
pus nubigenus, which I afterwards found to be common
throughout the Messier Channel, as well as at Port Otway,
in the Chonos Archipelago, andat Chiloe. Hitherto, I believe,
it had not been met with to the south of the Chonos Archi-
pelago. A second discovery was that of a curious little
dwarf conifer, forming a low undershrub, with decumbent
branches thickly covered with small scaly imbricated leaves,
and which was extensively distributed over the low ground
near the landing-place. I could not then succeed in finding
any specimens in fruit, and did not know, till I had the
pleasure of meeting Professor Philippi at Santiago about six
months later, that it was the Lepidothamnus Fonki described
by him from specimens obtained in the mountains of Val-
divia and the Chonos Archipelago, at a height of about 2000
feet. The following season I found that it was extensively
distributed throughout the Channels, extending as far south
as Mayne Harbour, in one of the Owen Islands (Sarmiento
Channel). Owing, I suppose, to the difference of latitude in
the Channels, it does not there appear to attain such an alti-
tude, extending from the sea-level only to an elevation of 500 or
600 feet. It does not occur in the Strait of Magellan, and I
did not observe it at Port Otway (peninsula of Tres Montes) ; _
* This little creature afterwards proved to be the type of a new genus, to
which Dr. Giinther has given the name of Nannophryne.—Proc. Zool. Soc.
1870, p. 401.
326 NATURAL HISTORY OF
but there I did not ascend to any considerable height. The
male amenta are of a fine purplish plum-colour when fresh.
A third novelty was the Mitraria coccinea, a shrub with a
scandent habit, common in Chiloe and the Chonos Archipelago,
but, I believe, not previously found south of the Gulf of
Pefias. With its dark green, glossy, ovate-acute leaves, and
scarlet tubular flowers, it presented a very beautiful appear-
ance. Fuchsias and Despontaineas were also very plentiful,
their bright-coloured blossoms illuminating the edge of the
woods ; and a variety of other plants were met with, one
beautiful little moss, the Hypopterygium Thouini, specially
exciting our admiration from the resemblance it bore to a
miniature palm in its habit of growth—the branches, clothed
with minute leaves of a most lovely green, spreading at right
angles from a stem one to two inches high.
When the sight-party had accomplished their object, we
weighed, and passed through the English Narrows at four P.M.,
anchoring in Halt Bay, a narrow cove surrounded by high
steep hills, thickly covered with the usual vegetation. Imme-
diately after a small party of us borrowed the ship’s dingy,
and set out on a cruise in the neighbourhood, landing on
various islands and points of land. It was a perfectly still
_afternoon, and it has seldom been my lot to witness any scene
more serenely beautiful than was afforded by the wooded hills
bathed in sunlight, and the placid surface of the water, which
reflected the blue sky with its delicate clouds, and the trees
growing at its margin. The vegetation, we found, was very
similar to that of Eden Harbour, being chiefly composed of
Winter’s-bark, evergreen beech, Libocedrus, and Metrosideros
(which last is one of the few trees that, as a rule, has the
bark free from parasitic Cryptogamia), together with fine
specimens of Podocarpus nubigenus. A low tree, not observed
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 327
previously, was tolerably abundant, and attracted our attention
from the peculiar character of its pinnate leaves, the joints of
the petiole of which were winged in a rhomboid manner.
This was the Weinmannia trichosperma, one of the Cunome,
and common at Chiloe, where we afterwards saw it. Like
other plants already mentioned, it does not appear to have
been previously recorded south of the Chonos Archipelago.
I also picked up the branch of another tree that was new to
me, but of which I did not succeed in finding the owner on this
occasion—namely, the Lomatia ferruginea, one of the Prote-
ace, common also at Chiloe, but also not previously recorded
to the south of the Gulf of Pefias. The following season I
traced it throughout nearly the entire extent of the Channels,
though I did not observe it in the Strait of Magellan. In
comparatively open spaces in the woods, Lomaria boryana was
growing in the utmost luxuriance, presenting a striking
resemblance to a dwarf palm or cycad ; and many other Cryp-
togamia were met with, including, among others, a Hymeno-
phyllum, with a long narrow deeply-cut hairy frond, which I
had not seen before. Mytili (M. Chilensis) of large size
abounded on the rocks, and were pronounced to be excellent
_ by those who partook of them ; and a few specimens of a small
erab, the Trichodactylus granarius, afterwards found in great
abundance at Chiloe, were also captured.
The 22d was another glorious day. We left our anchorage
in the morning, and pursued our way through the Messier
Channel, the perfectly calm surface of the water of which pre-
sented a lake-like appearance ; while the mountains on either
side rose sheer out of it, clothed with trees from the edge to a
height of upwards of a thousand feet, with numerous cataracts
rushing foaming down their sides, some appearing as threads
of silver, while others were concealed from view by the thick-
328 NATURAL HISTORY OF
ness of the vegetation, till they poured their waters into the
Channel. Shortly before noon a canoe was observed pulling
off to us, and, as she drew near, we stopped to let her come
alongside. Her occupants consisted of a woman, partially
clothed, who steered ; a man who had his head and part of his
body whitened with some pigment, and whose attire consisted
of an apron of goose-skin, and an old waistcoat which did not
meet in front ; two youths, who sat near the bows and paddled,
one entirely destitute of clothing, and the other with a piece of
cloth about a foot and a half square on his shoulders ; a girl,
apparently ill, wrapped up in seal-skins ; a little child, and
two dogs with erect ears and stiff wiry hair. They approached
us with the usual noisy demonstrations, and were presented
with some biscuit and tobacco, after which we moved
on, while they paddled off to the wooded shore. We passed
out of the Messier Channel into the Gulf of Pefias between
five and six P.M., and the retrospect was very striking; the
high rugged hills on either side of the entrance of the Channel,
many of them of the most wild and fantastic forms, appearing
like the portals of a gateway, and becoming flooded with a
rich deep purple tint as the sun went down. On this day the
unpleasant discovery was made that, owing to our supply of
coal being much less than was supposed, we would be obliged
to make the voyage to San Carlos, Chiloe, under sail alone.
The screw was accordingly got up as soon as we were clear
of the land, and soon after the wind headed us, and, as we
encountered an extremely heavy swell towards the entrance
of the gulf, and the vessel was very light owing to the small
amount of coal, she pitched in a most unpleasant manner,
prostrating, without loss of time, all those of our number
who were liable to sea-sickness, as well as many who in
general experienced a complete immunity from that malady.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 329
Under these circumstances we made very little way during the
23d, and matters were but little improved on the 24th—the
wind and-swell continuing with unabated force, and causing
us to roll about very uncomfortably in the trough of the sea,
while albatrosses sailed about the vessel in numbers.
A favourable wind, however, sprang up at length soon
after noon on the 25th, and freshened steadily, so that by
eight P.M. we were making upwards of nine knots on our
course. That night there was a magnificent display of phos-
phorescence. It was very dark, and, as the vessel sped on
her way, she threw out from her bows broad waves flashing
with light and sparkling with brilliant stars. On the 26th
the wind gradually fell, and there was a very heavy swell ; but
by the morning of the 27th the sea had gone down, and it was
nearly dead calm throughout the day, and beautifully bright
and warm. A most remarkable spectacle was furnished by
the flocks of albatrosses (Deomedea exulans), which were
peacefully resting on the calm surface of the water around
the ship. Though the appearance of these birds when on the
wing is very fine, they look singularly awkward when
swimming, their great heavy heads, and large strong beaks,
suggesting a child’s first attempts at drawing water-fowl. At
one time about twenty of them were close astern of us,
growling hoarsely as they fought over the garbage thrown
overboard from time to time. Several were taken on baited
lines, and hauled in with considerable difficulty, as they
struggled most vigorously, aiming violent blows at their
captors with their powerful pinions. Some disgorged what
they had been feeding on, which consisted principally of large
Cephalopods of the genus Ommastrephes or Loligo. I killed
two specimens with the aid of chloroform, the skin of one
of which I afterwards preserved, and several more were
330 NATURAL HISTORY OF
slaughtered by the ship’s company for the sake of certain of
their wing-bones (the radii) which are held in much esteem
for pipe-stems. The largest captured measured ten feet nine
inches in expanse of wing, while that which I preserved was
somewhat smaller. Attached to the leg and pubic bone
I found a well-defined superficial muscle, which does not
exist in most of the swimming birds examined by me. Some
beautiful Acalephee were observed in the water close to us, and
we put over the towing-net to endeavour to secure specimens,
but were obliged to haul it in again almost immediately, as
the albatrosses made an assault on it, and nearly tore it to
pieces.
Early on the morning of the 28th land was sighted, and about
half-an-hour before noon we entered the port of San Carlos de
Ancud, situated at the northern extremity of the island of Chiloe.
We anchored at first off the town of Ancud, but in conse-
quence of information received by Captain Mayne from the
governor, to the effect that the anchorage was not accounted
safe during the prevalence of certain winds, we removed some
hours later to Punta Arenas, a much more sheltered position,
about two miles further into the bay. The aspect of the
surrounding country, as seen on that fine day, the first we were
informed which the inhabitants of Chiloe had experienced
during this season, was very attractive, there being a most agree-
able mixture of woods and thickets, with cleared and cultivated
patches here and there, surrounding dwellings, often built of
a circular form, with high concavely-curved roofs, with pro-
jecting eaves, and which reminded one of the officers of
~ houses seen by him in Japan. A party of us landed Jate in
the afternoon, spending a couple of hours roaming about in
the neighbourhood ; and I was much delighted with the luxuri-
ance of the vegetation, which was much more varied in its
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. ool
character than that of the Channels. The tide was high when
we went on shore, and close to the edge of the water extended
a thick hedge of shrubs, from twelve to fourteen feet high,
composed of Fuchsias and Escallonias (2. macrantha), both in
full flower, together with an arboreous grass, the Chusquea
Quila, which recalled the clumps of bamboos with which we
were so familiar at Rio. A little farther from the beach a
variety of species of Myrtacee prevailed, some of them covered
with snow-white blossoms; and a tall shrub or low tree
(Citharexylon cyanocarpum), with spiny branches clothed
with small glossy dark-green veined leaves, and bearing
clusters of splendid bluish-purple berries, was also very
abundant. Several species of Gromeliacew also occurred, com-
municating a semi-tropical aspect to the scene, and one of these
(Bromelia bicolor) presented a most striking appearance with
its large tufts of long radiating spiny-edged leaves, the outer
of which are dark green, while the inner are brilliant red, as
if they had been dipped in arterial blood, surrounding a dense
mass of flowers, varying from bluish-white to turquoise blue.
The large rhubarb-like leaves (sometimes more than a yard in
diameter) and dense spikes of small orange-red fruits of the
“panke” (Gunnera Chilensis) speedily attracted our attention ;
and we collected many other plants which were new to us, in-
cluding Nertera depressa, which covered the surface of the damp
ground inmany spots withits prostrate creeping stems and bright
red berries ; and a variety of ferns, such as the little Asplenium
trilobum, the wedge-shaped fronds of which were plentiful on
the tree-trunks ; a Gontophlebium, also a tree-parasite with large
oblong brilliant orange sori, and an Aspleniwm (A. obtusatwm),
with very stout pinnate coriaceous fronds, which grew in clefts
on the rocks close to the sea. Numbers of a little humming-
bird (Trochilus forficatus) were flying about the flowers, and
eA NATURAL HISTORY OF
many hawks were observed perched on the branches of the trees,
and giving vent to occasional harsh screams. The tide was
too high to enable us to make a profitable examination of the
beach, but we found the dead shells of several Molluscs which
we had not previously encountered scattered about at high-
water mark, together with fragments of a sand-burrowing Crus-
tacean, the Hippa talpoides. We returned to the ship when
the light failed us, finding those who had remained on board
busily engaged in consuming oysters (Ostrea Chilensis s. cibialis)
which abound in the port. It is a curious circumstance that
Chiloe appears to be the only locality on the west coast of
South America where this Mollusc occurs, and the more so,
seeing that shells of an Ostrea abound in the recent tertiary
beds of Patagonia and Chili.
The 29th was a beautiful day, a surprising circumstance,
considering that we were in a climate where, according to a
familiar saying of the inhabitants, it rains thirteen months
out of the year. The atmosphere was very clear, enabling us
to gain a splendid view of the snowy cone of Osorno, between
7000 and 8000 feet in height, together with the more distant
Cordillera, which was also of a dazzling whiteness. It being
Sunday we remained on board during the forenoon, and in
the afternoon I landed with two companions, and had a very
pleasant walk through the woods, which are formed of a con-
siderable variety of trees, for the most part evergreens, and
among which the Quillai (Quzllaja saponaria), the bark of
which, being rich in saponine, is extensively used as a sub-
stitute for soap, was one of the most prevalent. We observed
some flowering specimens of an elegant species of barberry,
the Berberis Darwinii, and were much delighted with the
beauty of the ferns growing on the decaying trunks. Species
of Hymenophyllum specially abounded ; and we now saw for
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 333
the first time the beautiful undivided frond of the Hymeno-
phyllum cruentum, which we afterwards met with at Port
Otway and in the Messier Channel, as well as the handsome
H. caudiculatum, the frond of which occurred sometimes
nearly a foot in length. Another fern belonging to a different
tribe, the Lomaria aspera, was common on the ground beneath
the shrubs, and remarkable on account of the peculiarity of
its habit, certain of the fronds lying flat along the surface of
the soil, and taking root at their tips, so as to produce a new
plant, from which arise a second series of fronds, which take
root in their turn, a chain of plants, often many feet in length,
being thus formed. After spending some time in the forest,
we emerged from it to the cleared ground, and, seated on the
bank of a stream near a large fuchsia bush, watched the
humming-birds which were fiying about the flowers in num-
bers, their heads gleaming as with burnished gold in the sun-
shine. We then walked for some miles along the beach,
which is formed of rocks of rather hard yellowish sandstone,
abounding in spherical nodules of more compact consistence,
varying in size from an inch in diameter to the dimensions of
a cannon-ball. At one spot we observed a collection of water-
worn fossil trunks of trees, some of them evidently in the
position in which they had grown countless ages before.
The following day was again very fine, with the distant pro-
spect of Osorno and the Cordillera as clear as ever, and we began
to consider ourselves in luck. In the morning a boat came
alongside with a variety of articles for sale, including oysters
and other shell-fish, and the fruits of the Bromelia sphacelata,
esteemed by the Chilotes for their sweet taste, which some-
what resembles that of a pine-apple, and called by them
“Chupon.” There were also a few crabs, among which I
observed the Lthodes antarctica, a large species of Cancer,
334 NATURAL HISTORY OF
closely resembling our British edible crab, and one of the
Maiade, the Epialtus dentatus, which ranges throughout the
greater extent of the coast of Chili. It is ordinarily of a dull
greenish colour, and possesses large strong claws, which, how-
ever, it does not readily employ as weapons of defence, being
an animal of a sluggish disposition. I found it abundantly
afterwards in the Bay of Arauco and at Coquimbo, The
weather was so pleasant, that a party of five of us, the greater
number bent on sport, left the ship early in the day in the dingy,
and crossing over to the opposite side of the bay or creek, pro-
ceeded slowly along the coast towards the head of it ; some of
us landing, after a time, and walking along the beach. The
sun was shining brightly, and the humming-birds were flying
about in numbers, emitting a sharp chirping note, and occa-
sionally fighting with each other. Many specimens of a
beautiful lizard, the Letolemus cyanogaster, bright green
above, and orange and blue beneath, were darting about,
very difficult to secure, from the agility of their movements,
and indulging in the inconvenient custom of parting with
their tails on the shortest notice. We saw a flock of ban-
durrias (Theristicus melanoptis), several kingfishers identical
with the species occurring in the Strait and Channels, some
rather large pigeons (Columba Fitzroyit), many black vultures
(Cathartes aura), and brown hawks (Milvago chimango), which
last were very annoying from their habit of screaming; large
flocks of a small curlew (Vumenius Hudsonicus), feeding on
the mud-flats uncovered by the tide; some godwits (Limosa
Hudsonica), spur-winged lapwings (Vanellus Cayanus), gulls,
cormorants, steamer-ducks, and small grebes. Some pigeons,
curlews, and godwits, with a single grebe, were shot, the
last-mentioned bird being afterwards ascertained to be the
Podilymbus podiceps. A variety of beautiful plants occurred
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 335
not far from the beach, and among these a Gesneraceous creeper
the Sarmienta repens, was very conspicuous, covering the stems
and branches of the trees with its curious fleshy round leaves
and handsome scarlet flowers, which are about an inch long,
with a dilated tube narrowed at either end and surmounted
by five rounded small lobes. JMztraria coccinea also occurred
in great luxuriance ; and a plant of the mistletoe order, the
Loranthus tetrandrus, widely distributed in Chili, formed
large masses on many of the trees and shrubs—its narrow
tubular flowers in many places forming a perfect blaze of
scarlet. Another plant, not less beautiful but much more
familiar, was our common foxglove, Digitalis purpurea,
which seems to have become extensively naturalised in the
north of Chiloe, though I never observed it in any of the
localities visited by us at a later period in Chili proper.
This day a barque, the “Alianza,” bringing us supplies of
provisions and coal from Valparaiso, arrived.
On the 3ist I remained on board all day, busily occupied
in preserving and stowing away specimens. Heavy rain fell
during the most of the forenoon, but the weather cleared up
later in the day. Captain Mayne, who had been absent at the
town of Ancud, returned, bringing with him the cranium of
a Chonos Indian, and three stone hatchet-heads from the
Guaytecas Islands, given to him for my behoof by a Russian
gentleman whom he had met. The hatchet-heads resembled
closely in their details those of the aborigines of many parts of
the world, hardly differing from ancient specimens of British
manufacture, and thus affording a striking exemplification
of the similarity which often prevails between the primitive
implements of nations widely removed from each other.
Another curious instance of “ homoplastic” resemblance
noticed by me soon after this was furnished by the primi-
336 NATURAL HISTORY OF
tive Chilian plough, which hardly differs from that in use
in Abyssinia at the present time.
On the 1st of April it rained heavily in the morning, but
cleared up before long, so that early in the forenoon Dr.
Campbell and I left the ship in the steam-cutter to view the
town of Ancud, which we had not yet visited. On land-
ing, our impressions of it were far from favourable, the
aspect of things in general being dirty, squalid, and dismal in
the extreme. The town contains about 5000 inhabitants, the
native portion of which are for the most part stunted and
miserable-looking, evidently possessing a considerable amount
of Indian blood in their veins, and bearing no small resemblance
to the aborigines of the Channels, although, of course, they
are much more civilised than those people. They have
very dark hair and complexions, and wear the Chilian national
costume of a poncho over a shirt and trousers generally much
the worse for the wear. Nearly all the houses are wooden,
with steep roofs, often thatched, and displaying a deeply con-
cave curve and projecting eaves; and as Ancud boasts a
bishop, it also is endowed with a wooden cathedral. The
streets are steep and very crooked, and paved with round stones
most unpleasant to walk on, especially with thin boots. We
called on an old Irish doctor who had spent twenty-one years
in the settlement, and spent some time in talk with him,
receiving a large amount of information on a variety of sub-
jects, including frightful accounts of the rapacity and pro-
fligacy of the priesthood. After a visit to the club, of which
we had been constituted honorary members, we set out on a
walk into the country behind the town, following the meander-
ings of a winding road running between high green banks, on
which Rubus geoides was flowering profusely, along with a~
little yellow Oxalis, Potentiulla anserina, etc. On the roof-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 337
trees of most of the cottages which we passed, hawks or
vultures were perched, while great lean pigs, covered with
long black hair, prowled about the doors, and miserable-
looking curs barked at us till we were out of sight. We
observed one field covered with foxgloves running to seed,
and obtained a single peloric flower of the usual form.
After ascending a rising ground which commanded a good
view of the Pudeto Creek, and a stream of considerable size
running into it, we retraced our steps to the town, which we
left for the ship at five P.M.
The forenoon of the 2d was marked by the arrival of the
mail with our letters, and the afternoon was devoted to
botanising on shore, some additional ferns being procured.
The 3d and 4th were fully occupied by most of us in writing
letters to be despatched by the mail, a considerable num-
ber passing the afternoon of the latter day on shore. On
this occasion I obtained several other plants, including a
handsome species of Chilian nettle (Zoasa), which revealed
its nature in an unmistakable manner by severely stinging
my hands when gathering it. We saw a single specimen of
a scissor-bill (Rhynchops melanura) flying along close to the
water, with its beak wide open, and the elongated under man-
dible as it were ploughing the surface. On the rocks on the
beach I obtained for the first time a small live specimen of a
remarkable Gasteropod, the Concholepas Peruwviana, which ad
heres to its site with the firmness of a limpet, and several
examples of a strong thick Turbinoid shell with a purplish-
black epidermis, the Chlorostoma atrum. The former molluse
is widely distributed along the coast of Chili and Peru in the
Laminarian zone, where it holds on with great tenacity to the
rocks, and, being regarded as a delicacy, is much sought after as
an article of food by the inhabitants of these countries, from
Z
338 NATURAL HISTORY OF
whom it receives the denomination of “Loco.” I never suc-
ceeded in obtaining live specimens to the south of Chiloe,
though on two occasions, on the following season, I found
dead shells in the Channels; but there appears to be good
evidence that at one time the species existed at all events as
far south as the Messier Channel, as in Captain Stoke’s nar-
rative of his surveying cruise on the west coast of Pata-
gonia, as given by King in the voyage of the “ Adventure ”
and “ Beagle,’* it is recorded that at Port Santa Barbara,
island of Campanha, specimens “were found adhering to
the rocks in great numbers.” Stokes alludes to the shells as
“used by the Magalhaenic tribes as drinking-cups ;’ and
probably this is the true explanation of the occurrence of the
two worn shells of the species found by me in two different
localities in the Channels, and one of which was obtained at an
old Indian camp. As there appears to be no evidence of the
occurrence of the species in the Strait or Channels at
the present time, it seems most likely that those employed in
the manner mentioned by Stokes had been brought from a
great distance by the Indian tribes in the course of their ex-
tensive wanderings. No reference to their employment by
the Magellanic tribes is made by King, Fitzroy, Darwin, or
any other voyager with whose narrative I am acquainted, with
the exception of that of the ill-fated surveyor who states the
circumstance. The Chlorostoma is also widely distributed on
the coast of Chili—Port Otway (peninsula of Tres Montes)
being the southernmost locality where I met with it.
In addition to these molluscs, I obtained on this day
several other marine animals, including specimens of a rather
large species of Porcellana (P. tuberculifrons) with very
broad pincer-claws of a beautiful bluish violet colour, with
* Vol. i. p. 167,
}
i
$
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 339
which it dispensed on very slight provocation, and an Annelid
with long pink tentacula, which existed in such myriads in
burrows in the wet muddy sand, as to communicate a pale
pink tint to it, which I at first supposed to be due to the
presence of decaying Alge.
Sunday, the 5th, was a most dismal day of wind and rain,
but the weather was considerably improved on the 6th. On
the forenoon of that day, in the course of skinning specimens
of humming-birds obtained two days before, a more easy task
-than might be imagined, owing to their skins being strong
and tough, though very greasy, I found a number of Teenioid
worms in the abdominal cavity of one of them. In the after-
noon, as the tide was low, a party landed to search for marine
animals, and met with a considerable amount of success.
Among the molluscs obtained were another live specimen of
Concholepas, some fine Pissurelle (fF. nigra), Calyptrew, and
Crepidule (C. dilatata), several Chitons (C. Bowenwi, Chilo-
ensis, etc.), a Turbinoid shell with a thick calcareous opercu-
lum (Amyxa niger), a yellow Doris, and some fine simple
and compound Tunicates. The Crustacea included a Hippo-
lyte, and several crabs, such as Yantho planus, X. Gaudi-
chaudu, Epialtus dentatus, and Pilumnoides perlatus ; and a
variety of Annelids and Sponges were also found. A little
grebe, distinct from that earlier mentioned, the Podiceps cali-
- parius, was shot, and from a seining-party which had been
despatched from the ship I obtained a small Cephalopod
(Loligo Gaht), a specimen of Galathea subrugosa, and two
curious fish, one a little mailed species (Agonus Chiloensis),
afterwards found at Port Otway, and the other a small speci-
men of the southern Chimera (Callorhynchus antarcticus),
The latter I often met with subsequently on the coast of
South Chili, and it appears to be not uncommon at Chiloe,
340 NATURAL HISTORY OF
as I found several specimens of its remarkable horny egg
lying on the sandy beach near our anchorage. This pro-
tective structure bears a general resemblance in texture and
appearance to the eggs of the rays and sharks, but differs
from them considerably in form. It is of a dark greenish-
black colour, and in general measures from eight to nine,
or even ten, inches in length, by about three in breadth. It
consists of a central, somewhat spindle-shaped convex area
(between the horny walls of which the young fish lies), sur-
rounded by a broad plicated margin, which is fringed at the
edge, and covered on the under surface with fine light brown-
ish-yellow hairs. The accompanying sketch will enable the
reader to realise its curious appearance.
I was detained on board during the greater part of the
following day, as I had a number of specimens to consign to
my spirit-jars ; but towards the close of the afternoon I landed,
and had a short walk along the beach, finding many specimens
of the small crab (Z'richodactylus granarius) obtained at Halt
Bay, under stones, where small streams of fresh water joined
the sea. A scissor-bill was again seen, but was unfortunately
not within range. The 8th, 9th, and 10th were in no way
eventful. Having taken in our stores, and there being nothing
else to detain us, we left the port of San Carlos on the morning
of the 11th, to return to our work ; but a southerly wind soon
after sprang up, and freshened with such rapidity that about
two P.M. we altered our course, and returned to Ancud,
anchoring off the town at about six P.M. There was a very
fine sunset that evening, the most brilliant we had seen for a
long time past—the sky in these humid regions, even when
the day has been sunny, becoming in general clouded over
before evening. ,
Egg of Callorhyncus Antarcticus
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 341
CHAPTER XI.
LEAVE SAN CARLOS—-OSCURO COVE—TRICUSPIDARIA—MUSSELS AND
HUGE BARNACLES—PORT SAN PEDRO—-PORT OTWAY—COLUMNEA
AND OTHER PLANTS—CHIASOGNATHUS— OTTER—WHITE EGRET—
FISH—-MOLLUSCS_ECHINODERMS——CROSS THE GULF OF PENAS
AND ENTER THE MESSIER CHANNEL—ISLAND HARBOUR—LARGE
HELIX—-HALT BAY—BARKING BIRD—PINGUICULA ANTARCTICA
—EDEN HARBOUR—CHANNEL INDIANS—COLEOPTERA—RAINY
WEATHER—HOSKYN COVE—TALL FERNS—TURKEY-BUZZARD—
RETURN TO ISLAND HARBOUR—ASCEND A MOUNTAIN—CAMPSI-
DIUM CHILENSE—GALE—REACH CHILOE—-TENOUN— HUITE—
SMALL OPOSSUM—-FROG—-FUNGUS—CINCLODES PATAGONICUS—
SCISSOR-BILL—-RARA—-NARROW ESCAPE FROM BEING WRECKED—
LOTA — LAPAGERIA — EUXENIA — BOLDU— MARINE ANIMALS—
COAL-MINE—TALCAHUANO—EXCURSION TO CONCEPCION.
THE 12th of April was a bright, clear, cold day, and in the
morning we made a fresh start, hoping for better luck this
time, as Captain Mayne had decided on this occasion to pro-
ceed southwards between Chiloe and the mainland, a course
which possessed the great advantage of enabling us to make
a portion of the voyage in smooth water. Passing through
the Chacao Narrows, on the steep sandstone cliffs of which
the great leaves of the Gunnera Chilensis formed a conspicuous
object, we entered the Gulf of Ancud, and steamed slowly
southwards along the east coast of Chiloe. The scenery,
alike of the foreground and of the distance, was extremely
pretty as viewed in the bright sunlight, there being a great
variety of colouring in the foliage of the shrubs and trees,
342 NATURAL HISTORY OF
while here and there a patch of pasture-ground occurred, or a
tiny village peeped out through a gap in the forest. Enter-
ing a winding passage between the main island and the islet
of Caucahue, we anchored at three P.M. ina beautiful sheltered
nook (Oscuro Cove of the charts), and soon after several of
us landed, and had a pleasant walk up to the head of the
cove. The vegetation, as at Ancud, was chiefly composed of
Myrtaceous shrubs, many of which were in bloom, and pre-
sented a very elegant appearance ; but we also observed a
few examples of a low tree which was new to us, and remark-
able for the possession of handsome, solitary, drooping, bright
crimson flowers, nearly an inch long, on elongated axillary
peduncles. This was the Tricuspidaria (Crinodendron)
Hookeriana, one of the Eleocarpee. Its petals, five in num-
ber, are saccate at the base, and toothed at the apex, and the
form of the flower at once strikes one as peculiar, the petals
converging from the base to the apex. Most of the flowers
had dropped off, and were succeeded by the capsules, which
were about the size of a large cherry, green in tint, some-
what downy, and containing from twelve to fourteen seeds in
irregular loculi. On the beach we found some very large
dead valves of the Mytilus Chilensis (“Choros” of the Chilians,
by whom they are much esteemed), one specimen of which
measured upwards of seven inches in length, as well as
accumulations of the outer shells of a huge barnacle, the
Balanus psittacus, which is likewise regarded as a great deli-
cacy. I believe it principally occurs on the southern part of
the coast of Chili, from Chiloe to Concepcion, and it frequently
attains dimensions of nearly six inches in length by upwards
of two in breadth. The terga are remarkable for being pro-
longed above into two slender elongated processes, whence
the specific name. We observed a considerable variety of
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 343
birds, most of which were very tame. They included hawks
(chimangos and carranchas), kingfishers (Ceryle stellata),
ducks, spur-winged lapwings, and brown herons. A colony
of the last named perched on the branches of a tree over-
hanging the beach, were amusingly bold, several not taking
flight till the stones which we threw at them struck the
boughs on which they were standing. We paid a visit
to the Chillote owner of a sawmill at the head of the
cove. As vessels very seldom visit this spot, the mhabitants
were much interested by the sight of Englishmen; and while
we sat for a short time in the miller’s house, the principal
room of which was heated, as is usually the case in Chili, by
means of a large wooden dish of charcoal placed in the
middle of the floor, a number of neighbours by degrees
gathered, the women sitting in silence, wrapped in their
shawls, in a long row on one side of the room, like so many
images. The miller, who handed round a large tumbler of
“aguardiente” to his guests, informed us that when the ship
appeared, they supposed that we were Spaniards, and were
under some apprehensions for their safety. It was curious to
see in this out-of-the-way place a sheet of the Illustrated
London News pasted up on one of the walls. How it got
there we did not find out.
The morning of the 13th was fine, with the wind favour-
able, and we left Oscuro Cove, continuing our southerly
course. The atmosphere was very clear for a time, and a fine
range of snowy peaks on the mainland, in consequence, well
seen, but rain set in in the course of the afternoon, and after
a time a thick fog settled down, so that we did not go to sea,
as originally intended, but anchored in Port San Pedro, at the
southern extremity of Chiloe, at about five P.M. Next morn-
ing we passed out into the open sea, and soon encountered a
344 NATURAL HISTORY OF
very heavy swell, causing the vessel to roll and pitch very
unpleasantly. The 15th passed little less uncomfortably, the
wind blowing hard during the night, and on the morning of
the 16th we were glad to sight Cape Tres Montes. Shortly
before noon we reached Port Otway, a fine harbour in the ~
peninsula of Tres Montes, and there anchored for the re-
mainder of the day. As usual, a party of us landed, and
passed the afternoon on shore, some in quest of sport, and
others on the look-out for specimens. I found the vegetation
intermediate in character between that of the north of
Chiloe and that of the northern Channels. Evergreen beech
and Winter’s-bark were among the prevailing trees in the
thick woods, which were as wet as those of the western part
of the Strait and the Channels. The stems of the trees were
everywhere covered with a profusion of lichens, mosses, and
ferns—species of Hymenophyllum, such as H. cruentwm, cau-
diculatum, pectinatum, etc. etc., and Grammitis australis, being
especially abundant. Philesia buarfolia, Mitraria coccinea,
and several other shrubs not yet identified, were plentiful
among the undergrowth ; and our explorations were rewarded
by finding specimens of a beautiful Gesneraceous creeper,
the Columnea ovata, which does not appear to have been
previously recorded to the south of Chiloe. It ascended
the trunks of the trees to a height of twelve feet or more,
and its beautiful deep red flowers, which occurred near
the tips of the branches, were somewhat difficult to pro-
cure. On one of the shrubs I captured a rather large beetle
of the family Lucanide, the Chiasognathus Reicher, new to
the national collection ; and the sportsmen shot a couple of
otters, Lutra Chilensis (an animal which ranges from the
Chonos Archipelago as far south as the Strait of Magellan),
some kelp-geese, several kingfishers, and a white egret (Ardea
pectinatum ¢
V-ars
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 345
egretta). The last bird, which we now saw for the first time,
appears to be not uncommon in Chiloe, and probably also
inhabits the Chonos Archipelago. The specimen shot on
this occasion, which I preserved, had numbers of a small
Dipterous insect crawling over the feathers. A variety of
marine animals also were taken in the dredge. Several
species of fish were present, among others the Agriopus his-
-pidus, taken many years before by Mr. Darwin in the same
locality, Agonus Chiloensis, the fry of a Trypterygium, some —
Nototheniw, and a young specimen of a pipe-fish, the Syn-
gnathus acicularis, not uncommon on the coast of Chili. Among
the Mollusca were the Nassa Gayi, Chlorostoma atrum, species
of Fissurella, etc.; and the Echinoderms comprised two species
of Echinide, one of them being the handsome Lechinocidaris
dredged at Sholl Bay, and the other an undescribed form, of
which, I am informed by Mr. A. Agassiz, another specimen
exists in the museum at Stockholm. But few Crustacea were
obtained, and these principally species common to the Strait
and Channels (Hurypodu, Porcellane, etc.)
On the morning of the 17th we left Port Otway, and
crossed the Gulf of Pefias, entering the Messier Channel in
the course of the afternoon, and anchoring about five P.M. in a
small cove off Fatal Bay in Wellington Island. Later in the
evening, when the ship swung with the tide, her stern almost
brushed the trees on one of the steep banks, and ropes were
accordingly laid out to the banks on either side, and fastened to
the trees, to prevent her suffering injury. Next morning we
moved slowly southwards, looking for harbours, and finally
anchoring in Island Harbour, on the coast of the mainland,
shortly after four P.M., immediately after which Dr. Campbell
and I landed to explore the neighbourhood. As is generally
the case in the harbours in the Channels, we found that there
346 NATURAL HISTORY OF
was almost no beach, the steep banks, densely covered with
shrubs and trees, rising nearly perpendicularly out of the
water. In many spots Metrosideros stipularis formed a regu-
lar fringe, with its lower branches dipping into the water.
We found specimens of several plants observed at Port Otway,
including a couple of creepers, one of them Bignoniaceous,
judging from its foliage, but met with little that was absolutely
new to us, one or two lichens excepted. Lomaria boryana
here attained a great size, the stems of some plants being as
much as eight to nine inches in diameter, by fully two feet
in height. As usual, there was a great destitution of animal
life, but one interesting discovery, due to Dr. Campbell (whom
I found on all occasions an invaluable coadjutor in my re-
searches on shore), was made, viz. that of a fine specimen of
a species of Helzx, fully an inch in diameter, of a depressed
form, with a wide umbilicus. The animal was of a purplish-
black colour. Although we anxiously sought for other indi-
viduals, we were completely unsuccessful, and we never met
with a second example in any locality later visited by us. Un-
fortunately, I have not been able to lay my hands on the soli-
tary example, which was sent to the British Museum along with
nearly all the invertebrate animals collected, so that I cannot
state with certainty to what species it belonged. In general
appearance it bore a considerable resemblance to the Heli
Audouinn of D’Orbigny.
The following day being Sunday, we remained at anchor.
The day was fine and bright, with only occasional rain, and
the harbour appeared to great advantage. At the head a fine
cataract comes rushing down, and at the foot of this three
porpoises were engaged for some time in disporting them-
selves in the perturbed water. The low trees of Winter’s-
bark, “ Cipres,” Maytenus, evergreen beech, and Metrosideros,
“THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 347
which clothed the banks, contributed a fine variety of tints to
the land in our immediate neighbourhood ; while, by gazing
out of the entrance of the harbour, a fine view was gained of
some distant mountain-tops freshly whitened with snow that
had fallen during the night.
The morning of the 20th was clear and frosty, and leaving
Island Harbour we proceeded southwards through the Messier
Channel, anchoring in Halt Bay between five and six P.M.
_The weather next day was glorious; calm, bright, clear,
and frosty ; and the snow, which was gradually accumulating
with the advancing season on the mountains, appeared ex-
quisite in its dazzling purity ; in some places sprinkled over
the jagged black peaks, and in others forming great wreaths,
exhibiting the most smooth and delicate curves, contrasting
finely with the lower forest-clad slopes. As the vessel re-
mained at anchor to allow the surveyors to carry on their
work, a party of the non-surveying officers, myself among the
number, borrowed the dingy, and spent the day most agree-
ably in pulling about a large bay communicating with our
anchorage, and landing at different points. Everywhere the
ground was soaking wet, with a covering several feet deep of
moss and decaying plants, and, as usual, we had to scramble
along, over and under rotting trunks, a rather fatiguing style of
progression. At one place, in ascending a low hill, the summit
of which commanded a good view of the bay (which was dis-
covered to have a fine port, since named, in honour of one of
the officers, Gray Harbour, opening into it), we observed the
recent tracks of a deer; and at another spot, a specimen
of a very curious bird, the “Guid-guid” or “ Barking bird,”
(Pteroptochos Tarnii), was shot while sitting on a bough giving
vent to its extraordinary cries. It is common in Chiloe and
in the Chonos Archipelago, but we did not expect to meet
348 NATURAL HISTORY OF
with it so far south, though, as I have since ascertained, it
was observed both in the Gulf of Pefias and at Halt Bay in
the course of a former survey. With its little wings, long body-
feathers, short tail, and great legs and feet, it presents a most
grotesque appearance. Mr. Darwin has justly remarked, that
the name of “barking-bird is well bestowed upon it,” ob-
serving that he defies “any one at first to feel certain that a
small dog is not yelping somewhere in the forest. Just as
with the cheucau, a person will sometimes hear the bark close
by, but in vain may endeavour by watching, and with still
less chance by beating the bushes, to see the bird.” This we
found to be the case alike with the barking-bird and the
cheucau (Pteroptochos rubecula) at Chiloe, often hearing their
strange cries in the course of our rambles, but very seldom
getting a sight of them. A specimen of a little owl (Glauci-
dium nanum), obtained in the course of the previous season
at Sandy Point, was observed in the woods, but not obtained.
In cruising about the bay we saw numerous individuals of a
little grebe, the Podiceps Rolland, common in the Strait and
Channels, but very difficult to shoot, on account of the rapidity
with which it dives, and the impossibility of predicting in
what direction it will come up. One was at length shot, and
I was struck by the exquisite ruby red colour of the eye.
They possess an exceedingly unpleasant fishy odour, which
becomes very perceptible in the process of skinning them. I
met with hardly any new plants on this occasion, but was
interested to find that the Hymenophyllum cruentwm extended
so far south. I also found many malformed flowers of
Mitraria coccinea, probably due to the attack of some insect
on the flower-bud.
The morning of the 22d was fine, but not very clear, the
atmosphere having a snowy appearance. In the forenoon,
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 349
while skinning the Pteroptochos obtained on the previous day,
I found a number of small scarlet mites around and within
the external aperture of the ear. The afternoon was directed
to rambling about the neighbourhood of Halt Bay. I again
observed a pinnate-leaved creeper seen at Port Otway and
Island Harbour, forming cords, sometimes as much as twenty
feet long, depending from the branches of the trees, and
sought eagerly for flowering specimens, but in vain. Heavy
rain set in between three and four P.M., and continued to fall
in torrents until the afternoon of the 23d, when the clouds
cleared off, and next day (24th) was splendidly clear and
frosty. A party of us devoted the afternoon to cruising about
from place to place in the dingy, two of our number ascending
a hill, from the top of which we had a fine view of the Messier
Channel, with its various islands and inlets. The only ad-
ditional plants procured were a handsome lichen and the little
Pinguicula antarctica, which had evidently long before passed
out of flower. We saw several humming-birds ; and in the
bay we shot a steamer-duck, and attempted to secure two
others, which, however, foiled us, by steaming off at a
tremendous rate (I should think not less than seven or eight
knots an hour), making a noise like that of a paddle-wheel
steamer in the distance, and leaving a wake of foam which
extended for several hundred yards behind them. On our
return to the ship, between five and six P.M., we learned that
a party of Indians had been on board and had bartered some
otter and deer skins for tobacco. Judging from the dimensions
of a deer’s foot, which was shown to me, the animal must
have been of considerable size.
The 25th was another day of great beauty, the frost still
lasting, and we left Halt Bay in the forenoon, and passing
through the English Narrows, anchored in Eden Harbour.
350 NATURAL HISTORY OF
Thereafter Dr. Campbell and I landed, and spent nearly a
couple of hours on shore, walking over some boggy ground,
where a Sphagnum of a deep purplish-red tint abounded.
Rain fell in torrents during the next two days, but on the
28th it was again fair, though cloudy ; and a party of the
non-surveyors left the ship immediately after breakfast, and _
spent the day pulling about among the islands outside the
harbour. On one of these I found a single specimen of an
Iridaceous plant, which I afterwards ascertained to be a
species of Zibertia, in seed; and it is a fact worth recording
that I never saw a second specimen of it south of the
Chonos Archipelago. On the beach of the same island I ob-
tained an example of a fish, the Lycodes latitans, previously
procured in various localities in the Strait and Channels ; and
a specimen of the grayish-brown night-heron (Wycticorax
obscurus) seen in the northern part of the Strait and the
Falkland Islands, was shot. We also saw many kelp-geese,
and several kingfishers, as well as two large flocks of
steamer-ducks, which were making a great tumult in the
water, raising a wave of surf fully a foot and a half in height,
and causing a loud rushing sound by the rapid movements of —
their little wings. Cormorants were also plentiful, some with
black and white, and others (young birds as we subsequently
ascertained) with entirely black plumage. One of the latter,
which was shot, had the skin of the feet raised into white
diseased patches. We had two very exciting chases after
otters, which at length escaped by taking to the land, and
concealing themselves among the rocks and bushes. They
swam with great rapidity, with only their brown heads out
of the water, and often dived, coming up again at a long
distance ahead of us. In initiating the dive, they bent their
bodies in a marked curve, the middle of the back emerging
above the surface of the water for an instant.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 351
Drizzling rain fell during the forenoon of the 29th, but
the afternoon was fair, though cloudy, and four of us pulled
up to the head of a cove, where the otters had been seen on
the previous day. Here I found some specimens of a rather
large Chiton, the C. granosus, which is not uncommon in the
Messier Channel, as well as at Chiloe. Later in the day we
went outside the harbour to the islands, to look for a party of
Indians who had come alongside the vessel in their canoe in
the forenoon. On firing at some kelp-geese on a small islet,
the Indians revealed themselves for a moment close to the
beach of a neighbouring larger island, which we just then
came in sight of, and, apparently frightened by the reports of
the guns, ran up the steep wooded bank, accompanied by
their dogs, and concealed themselves among the bushes,
leaving their canoe deserted. We then pulled up to the
shore, opposite one of the beehive-shaped wigwams which
are so common throughout the Channels, being used as tem-
porary habitations by the Indians in their wanderings from
place to place, and which, in this instance, was covered with
sheets of bark, and then lay on our oars, waiting till they
should have recovered from their alarm. Presently, an
elderly man appeared, attired in the usual cloak of otter-skins,
“and walked down to the boat, chattering something, which
of course was utterly unintelligible to us. One of the party
then gave him some tobacco, and made signs that he wanted
skins, which the man appeared to understand, as he went off
into the woods, and gave vent to some wild shouts for the
purpose of summoning the rest of the party. In a short
time, a woman leading a child, and accompanied by three
dogs, emerged from the trees, and soon after, a young man
with a sinister scowling expression, and with his counte-
nance decorated with two stripes of white paint, came out of
352 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the wigwam, and on being offered a knife and some tobacco,
divested himself of his only garment, which he handed to
the officer who was bartering with him, and marched off
complacently with his newly acquired treasures. Heavy
rain now set in, and continued all that night, and throughout
the next day, with brief intervals.
The morning of the 1st of May was, however, fine, and a
party of us accordingly left the ship early in the morning,
and spent the day ina cruise along the upper part of In-
dian Reach, to the south of the harbour. We first entered
the small cove (Lackawanna of the government chart), and
went as far as we could get up a small river which enters
the head of it, afterwards proceeding for some distance down
the coast, landing here and there in search of specimens,
but without obtaining any results of special value. Numbers
of steamer-ducks were seen, in general too wary to permit of
our getting near them, as well as numerous gulls (Larus
dominicanus) and cormorants, several kelp-geese, and a black
oyster-catcher. Several Cetacea of considerable size were
observed blowing, and we had a long chase after an otter,
which, however, succeeded at length in escaping us. The 2d
was a day of heavy rain, and on the 3d the weather was
only a little improved, there being but a few short intervals
when the rain ceased, and the mist cleared partially off the
mountains. Two kingfishers flew about the ship for some
time, uttering their harsh, peculiar cry, and one lighted on
the mizzenmast, sitting there for a short time. There was
but little rain on the forenoon of the 4th, but in the after-
noon it set in again in torrents. One of the members of a
wooding-party, who spent the day on shore, brought me two
species of Coleoptera, which he had found among the timber—
one a Rhyncophorous species, the Lublepharus nodipenms, and
me EO ae al
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 353
the other, a very handsome Longicorn, the Cheloderus chil-
dreni, previously recorded from Valdivia. It rained tremen-
dously throughout the rest of the evening, and all night
long, only ceasing for a short time on the morning of the 5th,
after which it began again with redoubled vehemence, and
continued during the 5th, 6th, 7th, and throughout the earlier
part of the 8th, enabling us to corroborate the sagacious
_ remark of a former surveyor as entered on the published plan
of Eden Harbour, that here was “good fresh water in abun-
dance,’—a statement which, however, equally applies to the
whole extent of the Channels and that portion of the Strait of
Magellan between Port Famine and the western entrance. The
weather was, however, far from affording material for mirth,
having a most depressing influence upon us, in consequence
of the enforced idleness which it necessitated, the land being
so shrouded in mist as completely to put a stop to surveying
operations ; and our situation was far from enviable, as we
lay at anchor, shut in on every side by steep mountains, on
which there was not a dry spot whereon to place our feet,
and which was for the most part covered by thick ever-
green forests, into which it was only possible to penetrate for
a very little distance. As we were not provided with proper
rain-awnings, moreover, the ship was in an unpleasantly
moist condition, her deck having never thoroughly dried since
we left Sandy Point, two months previously; and when our
clothes got wet through, as they not uncommonly did, it was
with the greatest difficulty, owing to our limited space, that
we could get them dried again.
After descending in perfect streams during the forenoon
of the 8th, the rain ceased for about a couple of hours
in the afternoon; and we then left our anchorage at
Eden Harbour, and moved northwards to a new berth near
2A
354 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the upper end of the English Narrows, named Hoskyn Cove,
in honour of one of the surveying officers. There had been a
heavy fall of snow during the previous night on the higher
eround, and many of the mountains in the vicinity of the
Narrows were whitened half-way down, and the innumerable
cascades which rush foaming down their sides greatly swollen.
It was raining again when we reached our destination about
five P.M., and heavy rain fell throughout the night and during
the forenoon of the 9th. On the afternoon of the same day,
as it had somewhat abated, and we were anxious to examine
this new locality, a party of four of us, encased in waterproofs
and sea-boots, took the dingy and left the ship for some hours.
The land rose in very steep, precipitous, wooded mountains
on all sides, so that it was with some difficulty that we could
get on shore, and that fairly accomplished, we found it im-
possible to scramble far. I, however, succeeded in finding
two plants that were new to me, and which I never sub-
sequently found in any other locality. One of these was a
fern, a species of Blechnum, apparently distinct from that
obtained at Chiloe; and another, a herbaceous plant, probably
Gesneraceous, with ovate-elliptical leaves and handsome scar-
let flowers, which was growing in the clefts of the rocks.
Unfortunately, it was almost out of bloom, so that I only
obtained a single flowering specimen. A tall branching fern
previously observed at Chiloe, the Alsophila pruinata, was
here growing in wonderful luxuriance, some of the fronds
attaining a height of upwards of twelve feet, and the steel-
gray colouring of the back communicating a very handsome
appearance to them. Callixene polyphylla, not previously
recorded to the south of the Chonos Archipelago, ascended
the trunks of the trees to a height of from seven to nine °
feet, and the pinnate-leaved creeper already mentioned as
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 355
seen at Halt Bay and Island Harbour, together with another
climbing plant, also with pinnate leaves, was abundant, as
were also Mitraria coccinea and Hymenophyllum cruentum.
This I may remark was the southernmost locality where I
met with this elegant little fern. A turkey-buzzard (Cath-
_ artes aura) was shot as it was flying over the water, and
afterwards skinned by me. It formed a truly disgusting
object when we picked it up, with its naked scarlet head
which resembled an unhealthy ulcer, its ruffless neck, dull
brown plumage, and ugly legs. The feet were partially
webbed, the nostrils very large, and the tongue deeply hol-
lowed out, as if for the purpose of scooping up filth. These
birds, though extremely plentiful in Chiloe, become rather
scarce to the southward. In the Channels and western part
of the Strait we saw them occasionally, but never more then a
couple of individuals at any one time.
Rain continued throughout the afternoon of this day ; in the
evening set in with increased vehemence ; and during the
whole of the 10th fell in torrents. By this time Captain
Mayne judged it advisable to leave the Channels for the
season, as the weather was so extremely bad that very little
work could be accomplished. On the 11th, accordingly, when
the weather was somewhat improved, we left Hoskyn Cove,
and moved slowly northwards along the Messier Channel.
In the forenoon we met a Chilian vessel on her way to Sandy
Point, with emigrants and provisions for the colony, and we
availed ourselves of the opportunity thus presented to de-
spatch letters by her. While lying-to we observed several
Cape pigeons, birds we had never before noticed in the
Channels, and a sure evidence of bad weather outside. After
proceeding northwards for between twenty and thirty miles,
we anchored about four P.M. in a small new harbour in the
356 NATURAL HISTORY OF
mainland, named Connor Cove, in honour of one of the sur-
veyors, immediately after which three of the officers with
myself took the dingy and went off to explore a small
river which debouched at the head. This we found to be
tolerably wide and deep for some distance, succeeding in
pulling up the stream for nearly a quarter of a mile before
we grounded. Had it been earlier in the day, and the sun
shining brightly, it would have furnished a beautiful scene
for a picture, the water flowing slowly between steep wooded
banks, behind which high mountains arose. The only living
objects to be seen were a steamer-duck and a large fish swim-
ming rapidly about.
The 12th was nearly free from rain, and we left our anchor-
age early, reaching Island Harbour shortly before noon. As
it was determined that we should remain here for the rest of
the day, I resolved in occupying the afternoon in the ascent
of a very steep hill, about 2000 feet in height, on the left side
of the head of the harbour, and accordingly set forth at
one P.M., accompanied by one of the officers who was also
ambitious of the exploit. On landing we found the ground
even less adapted for walking over than we had calculated,
the land being disposed in steep ridges, with thickly
wooded, deep, and narrow intervening valleys, which re-
quired a severe amount of scrambling to cross. The ground
was everywhere wringing wet, and in many places we sank
far above the knees in pools of water, and were compelled to
circumambulate various streams and small lakes, which
caused our route to assume a very meandering character.
After we had accomplished a little more than a third of the
way, my companion, who was not in such good walking trim
as myself, gave in, and, after having vainly attempted to
dissuade me from going farther, sat down on a rock to
‘THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 357
await my return, while I pursued my solitary way over the
steep and rugged ground, alternately ascending and descend-
ing. At length I reached the top of a ridge separated
from the terminal sugar-loaf-shaped peak of the mountain
by a deep thickly-wooded gully, which descended steeply
on one side towards the Channel, and on the other was,
as it were, bridged over by a narrow neck of rock con-
tinuous with the peninsula over which I had hitherto been
walking. Here I at first thought that it would be impossible
to proceed farther, as the conical peak in front of me rose
almost perpendicularly, but, after due deliberation, resolved
to make the attempt. So, having disburdened myself of
my botanical case and geological hammer, I proceeded to
scale the peak by means of digging my feet into the thick
coating of moss which coated the rock-faces, and dragging
myself up by the tufts of wiry grass and stunted shrubs
which projected horizontally outwards. At last, after stren-
uous exertions, I gained the summit, and was rewarded by
a glorious view of the Messier Channel, with its inlets,
islands, and high mountains on either side, together with the
harbour, and two deep tarns, which fed the cataract which
poured down at its head. I was, however, disappointed in
what had been my principal object in undertaking the ascent—
namely, the hope of meeting with species of plants which did
not occur at a lower level. This result, I may remark, com-
pletely accorded with my subsequent experiences in these
regions, as, though I ascended many mountains in the course
of the following season, I found exceedingly few plants at
an elevation of from 1000 to 2000 feet, which did not also
occur equally plentifully at the level of the sea. This, I
suppose, may be reasonably explained by the fact that the
climate at the level of the sea in these regions is alpine or
358 NATURAL HISTORY OF
semi-alpine in its character, the snow-line descending in many
parts as low as 3000 feet or less. As a rule, the summits
of these mountains, which are not so high as this, are com-
posed of bare rock, either worn smooth by the constant flow
of water over them, or sharp and jagged like the teeth of a
saw. Nearly the only plants noticed on this occasion were a
few stunted bushes of Labocedrus, Berberis tlicifolia, and the
evergreen and antarctic beeches, together with a Lycopodium,
which occurs abundantly in the Strait and Channels, trailing
over the damp ground.
After resting for a short time on the summit, I began the
descent, soon finding that the only practicable method of
procedure was to sit down and slide, checking my velocity
as I best could by catching at the occasional stunted shrubs.
I had safely accomplished the greater portion of the way in this
manner at an express rate of speed, when I suddenly found
myself arrived at the top of a precipice whose height I could
not estimate. I therefore grasped a rotten stump at one
side, to enable me, if possible, to avoid my apparent fate,
but it treacherously snapped in my hand, and the next
sensation of which I was conscious was that of lying
extended on a bed of soft moss, with a somewhat bewildered
idea as to where I was, and blood flowing from my nose and
mouth. Ina few minutes I collected my senses and got up,
feeling considerably bruised, and then found that I had
fallen over a cliff about fourteen feet in height. After this
the descent was much more gradual, and, having recovered
my implements, I joined my companion in course of time,
and we retraced our steps together during the rest of
the way. In one of the wooded valleys near the foot of the
hill I was much delighted by at last finding the pinnate-
leaved, and, as I rightly judged, Bignoniaceous creeper,
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 359
observed at Port Otway, Hoskyn Cove, Halt Bay, and Eden
Harbour, in flower.” We first noticed some fallen blossoms
on the ground, and soon after, looking up through the
branches of a Podocarpus, observed the plant, with two
clusters of flowers, and numerous old capsules from which
the seeds had escaped. My companion benevolently climbed
the tree for these, and, on going a few steps farther, we
came upon the white skeleton of a dead tree, round which
a specimen had twined itself—clusters of the beautiful
rose-coloured flowers hanging down from the branches.
This fine plant I subsequently ascertained to be the Camp-
sidium Chilense, previously recorded from Valdivia, Chiloe,
and the island of Huafo, between Chiloe and the Guay-
tecas Islands; and its occurrence more than five degrees
farther south* than the last-named locality is, I think, of
considerable interest. Its flowers, when in the fresh state,
are never orange (as stated by Dr. Seemann ‘f), according
to my observations, but invariably of a fine rose-colour.
Six months later I observed the plant at Port Laguna, to
the north of the Darwin Channel, in the Chonos Archi-
pelago. It is apparently an evergreen, and the leaves are
impari-pinnate, there being from four to six pairs of lateral
pinne.
This day I also found, growing on an evergreen beech,
a fungus that was new to me, and which bore a very close
resemblance to, if indeed it were not identical with, the
Bulgaria inquinans of Great Britain.
On the 13th we left Island Harbour, and passed slowly
northwards through the Messier Channel, looking for har-
bours on the way, and emerging into the Gulf of Pefias in
* Eden Harbour, lat. 49° 10'S.
+ Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist. Ser. iii. No. 55.
360 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the afternoon. The wind was S.W., and the barometer
rising, so that it was considered advisable to push out at
once ; but on clearing the land we encountered a tremendous
swell, which caused the vessel to roll and pitch in such a
manner as, with all our previous knowledge of her capacity
in that line, we could hardly have thought possible, and
which caused many even of the oldest seamen in the ship to
suffer from sea-sickness. The night passed uncomfortably ;
but we went along more steadily throughout the greater part
of the next day, numbers of Cape pigeons, Fulmar, and
brown-headed petrels, accompanying us. On the 15th we
steamed full speed throughout the day against a strong
head wind—the jolting, shaking, rolling, and pitching thus
caused being almost insufferable, while, to add to our discom-
fort, heavy rain set in some time after. The weather soon
became so thick that it was impossible to ascertain our exact
position, and between six and seven P.M. the engines broke
down, so that we were obliged to lie-to for about four hours
in a most unenviable position—the night pitch dark, rain
descending in torrents, a gale blowing in our teeth, the
Guaytecas Islands under our lee, the island of Huafo out-
side, the rocky coast of Chiloe to windward, and no land seen
since one P.M. Providentially, before long the wind shifted,
and then died down, and in the course of time there was
nearly a complete calm. Land was at length sighted early
on the forenoon of the 16th, and about two P.M. we reached
Port San Pedro, where we remained for the rest of the day,
rain descending as if it never intended to cease. It may aid
in conveying to the reader an idea of the damp condition of
things on board in this weather, when I mention that dried
plants brushed free from mould one day were equally thickly
covered with it the next, and that I had the utmost difficulty
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 361
in getting my drying-paper sufficiently free from moisture
to be fit for use.
The morning of the 17th was fair and bright; a great
relief. We got under way, and proceeded along the east
coast of Chiloe as far as Tenoun Point, anchoring there be-
tween four and five P.M. Rain came on in the evening, and
next morning the aspect of the weather was so doubtful that
we remained at anchor, as our stock of coal was so much
reduced that we could not afford to steam against the wind,
should it arise. A few of us took advantage of this circum-
stance to spend a short time on shore, landing soon after
breakfast. There is a small village of Tenoun, with a church
like a Chinese pagoda, officiated in by a couple of padres,
whom we met. They were both young and rather pleasant-
looking, attired in low straw hats and a long gray woollen
garb, provided with a cowl, and reaching to the ankles.
Here, as at other places in Chili, Myrtacee prevailed largely,
and a species of Zoasa was plentiful among the herbaceous
plants, but out of bloom at this time. Rubus geoides was also
very common, and in pools of fresh water I found a Ricca
and a Lemna. In the afternoon, the weather appearing more
settled, we weighed and proceeded northwards, the unpleasant
‘discovery being shortly after made that we had not enough
coal with which to reach Aneud. We therefore proceeded as
far as Huite, close to Oscuro Cove, and there anchored in a
curious little harbour, bounded on one side by a long very nar-
row curved sand-spit, to lay in wood for steaming purposes.
Heavy rain, as usual, came on in the evening, and the 19th
was a day of thick mist and drizzling rain, with occasional
brief fair intervals. Early in the morning one of the officers
was despatched in the steam-cutter with our letter-bag to
Ancud, to endeavour to catch the mail, and soon after a wood-
362 NATURAL HISTORY OF
ing-party was sent on shore for timber. A party of four of
us landed in the rain after breakfast, and had a walk, finding
everything in a universal state of sponge. We saw a white
egret, similar to that obtained at Port Otway, some steamer-
ducks, oyster-catchers, and cormorants, and picked up some
very large valves of Mytilus Chilensis, and great fragments of
Balanus psittacus. I obtained but little that was new to me
in the botanical line, with the exception of a few ferns and a
curious fungus, several examples of which I found growing in
the sand of the beach, above high-water mark. This was a
species of Clathrus or Ileodictyon, and consisted of a cup-like
volva partially buried in the sand, and formed of a rather
tough membrane, enclosing a mass of gelatinous substance,
possessed of an extremely fetid odour, resembling that of the
common Phallus fetidus; and of a branched reticulated cage-
like receptacle of a snow-white colour, with its lower extremity
imbedded in the fetid jelly. Some of the specimens of this
receptacle were as much as six or seven inches high, by
between three and four in diameter.
Rain fell in torrents throughout the whole of the next
day. The wooding-party were again on shore, and early in
the day brought on board a curious little quadruped, taken
in the fork of a large tree which they had felled. I was
much interested to recognise it as a Marsupial, and on subse-
quent examination ascertained it to be the Didelphys elegans,
not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Valparaiso and
Concepcion, but which, I believe, had not previously been
observed farther south than the River Lieubu, in lat 37°
33’ S., the present locality being to the south of lat. 42°.
The body measures between four and five inches in length, and
is clothed with grayish fur above, while beneath it is nearly
white. The eyes are very large and protruding. The feet
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 363
are well fitted for climbing, and the tail is remarkably stout,
and thick at the base. I found the body loaded with fat, and
the skin extremely greasy. Later in the day the officer in
charge of the wooding-party brought me off a small frog of
the genus Cacotus.
The 21st was a tolerably fine day, and we left our anchor-
age after breakfast, with the intention of reaching Ancud.
Unfortunately, however, the wood used for steaming proved to
be so thoroughly wet as to be of but very little value as fuel, and
our rate of progression, at first sufficiently moderate, became
by degrees slower and slower, till at length we feared that the
revolutions of the screw would cease altogether. Crawling
along at a snail’s pace, we reached, after some hours, the en-
trance of the Chacao Narrows, when the tide helped us. While
passing slowly through the Narrows, we descried the steam-
cutter close to one of the shores, and she shortly after jomed
us, with a supply of letters from England, bearing date of
only two months back. We anchored in the Narrows that
evening when the tide turned against us, and next day, which
we were surprised to find bright and sunny, we remained
stationary until noon, when the tide turned in our favour, and
then went slowly on to the bay of Ancud, reaching our old
position at Punta Arenas between three and four P.M. Soon
after that I landed, and had a walk with two companions. On
the sandy beach numbers of an Amphipod (Orchestoidea tuber-
culata), much resembling our common sand-hopper in general
appearance, were skipping out, and in a small rock-pool, not
much more than two feet in diameter, I observed hundreds
of a small pale-coloured Actinia, each individual of which
had its base fixed in a hollow in the rock, and withdrew from
view on being touched. Many of the plants had gone out of
flower, owing to its being the beginning of winter, only a few
364 NATURAL HISTORY OF
lingering blossoms remaining on the fuchsias and Lscal-
lonias, but the scarlet Loranthus was still in full bloom, and
brightened up the dense thickets.
The morning of the 23d was fair, and the horizon beyond
the bay remarkably clear ; the distant Cordillera rising hard and
sharp against the sky, its peaks showing black like the teeth of
asaw. Two of the officers and I landed early, with the inten-
tian of spending the day on shore, and walked for some miles
along the beach in the direction of the head of the harbour.
In the water we saw several specimens of a large grebe, ap-
parently the same with one observed at the river Gallegos
and at the eastern entrance of the Strait ; and on the rocks a
pretty little gray bird, with a white line on each side of the
head, the Cinclodes Patagonicus, very common in the Strait
and Channels, was hopping about, approaching very close to
us at times. This little creature has the curious habit of
lighting on the floating masses of kelp not far from the shore,
and searching the fronds for its food, which consists principally
of marine animals. On the west coast of South America it
extends, at least, as far north as Valparaiso. A second species
of the genus obtained in the Strait, where however it does
not appear to be nearly so common as the former, was the
Cinclodes fuscus. Heavy rain came on about noon, and as it
showed no symptoms of abating, we retraced our steps to the
landing-place, and got on board about three P.M. It rained
and blew hard during the night ; and though it was calm on
the morning of the 24th, the deluge continued as great as
ever, and the wind again got up later in the day, and all that
night it blew and rained. The rain continued unabated
during the whole of the 25th and 26th, coming down with a
roaring sound, and such vehemence that five minutes’ experi-
ence of it would have been sufficient to drench one to the skin.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 365
It was fair, however, on the morning of the 27th, and Captain
Mayne, Dr. Campbell, and I, went over to Ancud, where some
of the officers were being photographed in surveying costume,
for the edification of their friends at home. After a walk into
the country beyond the town, we re-embarked early in the
afternoon, and returned to the ship. Later in the day a few
of us spent some time on shore, and one of the officers suc-
ceeded in shooting a male and female scissor-bill (Rhynchops
melanura.) On the morning of the 28th we weighed, and left
the bay of San Carlos on our northerly voyage, but soon en-
countered the wind right in our teeth, with a very heavy swell,
and therefore altered course and returned to our anchorage,
reaching it some time after noon. It rained very heavily
throughout the remainder of the day, and throughout nearly
the whole of the 29th—a N.W. gale blowing at the same time,
accompanied with a display of very vivid lightning and loud
peals of thunder. The 30th was fair, though still blowing
pretty hard. In the forenoon a large flock of very beautiful
cormorants (Phalacrocorax Gaimardt), with bluish-gray and
white plumage, yellow bills, and scarlet legs, ighted on the
water not far from the ship, but we were unable to procure
any. One of the officers recognised them as specimens
of a species of which he had seen two examples on one occa-
sion on the Messier Channel, but there they must be very
rare, as I never saw any to the south of Chiloe. In the
afternoon Dr. Campbell and I landed, and obtained by means
of his skill specimens of several small birds, including the
lesser woodpecker of the Strait (Picus ligniarius), some
thrushes, and two individuals of the “ Rara” (Phytotoma rara),
regarding whose affinities a considerable amount of difference
of opinion has prevailed among ornithologists. Molina was,
I believe, the first to describe this curious bird, which, in
366 NATURAL HISTORY OF
general appearance, resembles a large finch or bunting, but is
at once distinguishable by the remarkable peculiarity of the
edges of its mandibles, which are regularly serrated, in his
Saggio sulla Storia Naturale del Chili;* remarking that it
feeds on green herbs, and that, for mere pastime only, it is
very destructive to various vegetables which it does not feed
on, so that a continual war is carried on against it by the
peasantry of the districts in which it occurs, in consequence
of which it frequents solitary wooded places, where it builds
its nest high up in the shrubs. :
This day I also obtained fine flowering specimens of a tall
Malvaceous shrub, the Sida vitifolia, with tomentose five-lobed
leaves, and large handsome flowers varying from pale purple
to white, and sometimes exceeding two inches in diameter.
On the 31st it was raining and blowing hard during the
earlier part of the day, but the wind gradually fell, and the
rain ceased after three PM. On the Ist-of June we again
left the bay, making very little way during the day, as the
wind. was against us, and being under sail alone, we were
consequently obliged to tack repeatedly. In the evening the
wind shifted in our favour, and we accomplished a consider-
able distance during the night; but on the 2d it was again
unpropitious, compelling us to tack perpetually. On the 3d
the same state of things continued, save that we progressed
rather more quietly. The 4th was a thick misty day, the
wind still against us, causing us to alter course frequently ;
and an anxious look-out for land was maintained, as, from the
sun not having been visible for the last few days, no ob-
servations had been-obtained, and we had therefore a very
vague conception as to our true position, Suddenly, about
one P.M., there was a shout from the look-out of “ Breakers
*-P, 200,
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 367
ahead!” and the mist opening for a moment disclosed a long
reef, over which a furious surf was breaking. Orders were
immediately issued to put the ship about, an operation which
fortunately was successfully accomplished, as, had she con-
tinued five minutes longer on her course, her fate, and probably
that of most of her inmates, would have been sealed. Subse-
quent examination of the charts rendered it, I believe, evident
that this spot, on which we were so nearly being wrecked, was
in the vicinity of Tucapel Point, to the south of which H.M.S.
“Challenger” was lost in 1835.
The 5th was thick and misty in the morning, but the
weather cleared up in the course of the forenoon, and land
was sighted, enabling us to determine where we were; and we
therefore steamed straight for Lota in the great bay of Arauco,
Captain Mayne having determined, before we left Ancud, to
stop there in order to take in a supply of fuel, there being ex-
tensive deposits of tertiary coal in that district. In the course
of the afternoon, as we were passing along near the coast, we
observed several large patches of discoloured water ; but, as I
did not succeed in procuring any for examination, I could not
ascertain the cause of the phenomenon. The land along which
we passed was thickly wooded, though not nearly so much so as
that at Chiloe, and some of the strata seen in section on the
cliffs were very obliquely inclined. There was a rather heavy
swell till we entered Arauco Bay, after which we had quiet
water, and we reached the little bay of Lota about eight P.M,
and soon after anchored. It was a lovely moonlight evening,
and the settlement presented a very striking appearance, from
the numerous lights of its copper-smelting furnaces, across
which shadowy human forms were to be seen moving, and
the columns of thick white smoke which were issuing from
the mouths of the chimneys. We found several ships lying at
368 NATURAL HISTORY OF
anchor, the greater number laden with cargoes of copper.
The morning of the 6th was calm, and at first rather hazy,
but before long brightened up into a warm sunny day, very
agreeable to us after our wet experiences in the south.
Two of the officers and I landed, soon after breakfast, at the
end of a long jetty, used chiefly for embarking coal, and
visited the town, which is divided into two parts, one of
which (Upper Lota) is situated on the top of a low hill to the
north of the anchorage, while the other (Lower Lota) les in
a small valley at the head of the bay. Much rain had fallen
lately, and we found the centre of the streets of the lower part
of the town knee-deep in clayey mud, through which oxen
were dragging carts moving on solid wooden wheels, which
emitted a succession of creaks and groans, testifying to the
difficulty of progression. The town presents a rather squalid
appearance, all the houses being constructed of wood, and the
greater number of them only one storey in height, on account
of the numerous earthquake shocks to which this neighbour-
hood, in common with that of Concepcion, about thirty miles
to the northward, is liable. There are, however, one or two
very good detached dwellings, principally tenanted by the
officials employed by the Lota Company, and one, standing on
the top of the hill on the north side of the anchorage, serves
as a mess-house, where several gentlemen breakfast and dine
together.
After spending a short time in strolling through the
streets, we descended to the smooth sandy beach below the
town, finding the tide high, and a rather heavy surf breaking.
Here I found a few specimens of a crab resembling our British
Corystes,—the Pseudocorystes sicarvus, widely distributed on
the coast of Chili—as well as some large masses of curiously-
shaped molluscan ege-cases. Looking out on the waters of
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 369
the bay we observed a remarkable object at some distance,
which we by-and-by ascertained to be the horns and upper
part of the head of a bullock, which was swimming to the
shore from one of the ships lying at anchor. On approach-
ing the land it had some slight difficulty in getting through
the surf, in which it was entirely immersed for a moment or
two, but soon stepped out on terra jirma, where two poncho-
clad horsemen, provided with lassoes, were waiting to receive
it. It was, however, by no means disposed to be caught, and
ran off through the streets close to the beach, exciting a most
ludicrous amount of terror among the inhabitants, who rushed
into their houses with wonderful rapidity. After waiting to
see it lassoed, a process speedily accomplished, we proceeded
southwards along the coast of the bay, scrambling over that
portion of the rocks not covered by the tide, and climbing the
steep shrubby banks above them. Not far from the shore we
observed one or two remarkable large rocks used by cormo-
rants as resting-places, one of which presented a striking
resemblance to a couching lion. We had not gone far before
I had the delight of seeing for the first time that exquisite
twiner Lapageria rosea, the “Copigue” of the Chilians, with
the appearance of which, as seen in hothouses, some of my
readers are doubtless familiar. The plant winds over shrubs
and low trees in a very elegant manner, and the flowers, shaped
somewhat like those of a lily, are often as much as three
inches long, of a thick waxy consistence, and of a most
splendid deep rose-colour, minutely spotted with white in the
interior, and marked at the base of each segment with a small
blotch of dark purple. A white variety of the flower is also
to be met with, but is of much rarer occurrence. The plant
is a near ally of the beautiful Philesca buaifolia of the Strait,
but is much handsomer, and possesses a greatly more limited
2B
370 NATURAL HISTORY OF
range, apparently only extending from the north of Valdivia
to the north of Concepcion, a space of between three and four
degrees, while Philesia ranges over nearly fifteen. One inter-
esting fact with regard to the Copigue, is its extreme hardi-
ness, being almost the only plant that can exist in the area
covered by the sulphureous smoke of the smelting-furnaces.
This was remarked to me by the manager of the Lota Com-
pany’s works, to whom, as well as to the various officials of
the company, we were indebted for much attention; and I
verified the observation for myself subsequently, finding speci-
mens in a flourishing condition winding around the skeletons
of shrubs killed by the smoke. The Chilians sometimes make
use of the flowers tor poultices.
This being the winter season, most of the plants were out
of bloom, but I met with several that interested me, including
a yellow-flowered Composite, forming a tall shrub (Huaenia) ;
another very tall fragrant shrub or low tree, belonging to
the order Monimiacee, the “ Boldu” of the Chilians (Pewmus
Boldu); and a species of dodder (Cuscuta), known by the
name of “ Cabellos de Anjel,” or angel’s hair, which twined over
many of the shrubs, and was, I was informed, like the Euro-
pean kinds, very destructive to crops. Among the ferns, an
Adiantum, similar to one common at Chiloe, and the widely-
distributed Polystichuwm aculeatum, were specially plentiful,
and many plants of Aspleniwm obtusatum also occurred among
the clefts of the rocks above the beach. On the rocks, un-
covered by the tide, we found myriads of a small Gasteropod,
like a large Hzssoa, as well as numbers of a species of JLit-
torina, and many examples of Jonoceros glabratwm, Amyxa
miger, and a variety of Chitons. On this and the succeeding
day I was much struck with the exquisite beauty and wonder-
ful diversity of the Actinze in the rock pools. Their principal
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 371
colours were white and various shades of pink, purple, and
green, one or two being of a splendid emerald hue. A few
Crustacea were met with in the pools, and among these I may
mention an olive-green shrimp-like species (Beteus scabro-
digitus), which was difficult to capture from the extreme
agility of its movements, and a small crab (Acanthocyclus
Gayv), which stoutly resisted attacks made on it, giving most
savage nips with the great pincer claw of its right or left arm,
which always greatly exceeded in size that of the correspond-
ing side. At high-water mark we further observed several
specimens of the horny egg-case of the Callorhynchus, and many
large dead shells of Concholepas, Fissurelle, etc., as well as one
or two dead specimens of Olwa Peruviana, and two examples
of a Corystoid crab (Bellia picta), which appears to be a rare
Species, as in the British Museum, in addition to those found
by me, there are only a couple from the coast of Peru. With
the exception of cormorants, we noticed but few birds of any
description, almost the only ones observed being the Cureus
aterrimus, so common in the Strait and Channels, and a
flock of pigeons similar to those seen at Chiloe. On our
return to the town we visited the copper-smelting works, and
were conducted through them by the overseer, a north-
country Englishman, who was most polite, explaining to us
all the details of the process, and also presenting us with
specimens of the copper in various stages. It was strange
to look in at a hole in the side of one of the furnaces, and see
the golden surface of the molten metal as clear as a mirror,
and stranger still to watch the liquid stream flowing out into
the moulds of sand constructed for its reception.
The morning of the 7th, Sunday, was very foggy, the sun
sometimes breaking through the veil for a few minutes, and
then again disappearing. We had hoped to have had the
372 NATURAL HISTORY OF
opportunity of going to church on shore in the forenoon, as
Lota is one of the stations of the South American Mis-
sion; but owing to the absence of the Rev. Mr. Gardiner,
the resident clergyman, who was then in England, we were
disappointed. Between one and two PM. a party of us
landed to take a walk, with the intention of gaining a view
of the neighbouring bay and town of Coronel. In passing
through some grounds surrounding the house of the pro-
prietor of the Lota mines, it was pleasant to recognise a
number of our familiar garden favourites at home, such as
mignonette, wallflower, stock, candytuft, snapdragon, and
others, which we had not seen for nearly two years. The
town presented the usual Roman Catholic Sunday aspect—
knots of people, many of them half intoxicated, lounging
idly about the streets, while, issuing from the miserable
wooden hovels, we heard songs, accompanied by the “tweed-
ling” of guitars. As unfortunately the afternoon was very
misty, we failed in our object, and after a time made
our way down to the beach to the north of Lota, and
walked along the rocks, which in certain spots were very
remarkable, stretching out from the base of steep sandstone
cliffs, so as to form broad, flat plateaux, exhibiting numerous
deep fissures and hollows, produced by the action of the
surf, which at this time was beating violently outside. A
pretty purple starfish, apparently a species of Asterina, was
abundant on the flat rock in moist places, and the pools
abounded in Actinia, Mollusca, and Crustacea. At one spot
a regular hedge, about a foot high, of a stout, branching,
shrubby sea-weed, stretched along for many yards, rising
and falling upon the top of the surf.
On the 8th, Captain Mayne and I landed in the morning
for the purpose of taking a long ride into the country, but
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 373
rain unfortunately came on, and lasted so long as to prevent
our carrying out the project. At the house of a gentleman
who acts as consular agent, etc., I was shown a small col-
lection of cryptogamic plants from Valdivia, and I found
that by far the greater number were identical with species
which I had collected in the Strait and Channels. Later in
the day the engineer of one of the coal-mines (that nearest
the town) having kindly offered to take any of us who felt
disposed to visit the pit, two of the officers, with myself,
availed ourselves of the chance presented, and, arrived at
the mouth of the shaft, descended it in two relays, in a cage.
The depth of the shaft is fifty-five fathoms, but I was in-
formed that the mine in some parts sinks to a hundred.
There are three workable seams of Lota coal, the lowermost
five feet in thickness, the middle four, and the upper three ;
but of these, only the two lower were displayed in this mine.
Above the lowermost seam occurs a very thin stratum (about —
an inch and a half in thickness) of very finely laminated
sandstone, abounding in the leaves of dicotyledonous plants ;
and between this and the next seam of coal a band of
compact grayish-green sandstone about ten feet thick inter-
-venes. Provided with miners’ lamps, we explored the mine
for a considerable distance, under the guidance of the over-
seer, passing through a passage little more than three feet
high for part of its extent, and seeing the coal worked, each
of us going through the orthodox process of hewing out a
sample with a pick for ourselves. The miners were naked
to the waist, on account of the heat ; and we were told that
most of those employed were half-breed Araucanians. From
what I could learn, these Chilian miners appear to be quite
as improvident in their habits as colliers frequently are in
England ; for they are paid once a fortnight, and then no more
374 NATURAL HISTORY OF
work is to be got out of them till the greater part of their
money is squandered in drink. Like their northern brethren,
they are also fond of good living.
On the 9th, at seven AM, we left Lota for Concepcion
Bay. The day was rather hazy, though fine, so that we could
not take in the full extent of this fine bay, as we entered it,
passing the island of Quiriquina at its mouth, early in the
afternoon. We anchored at about half-past two off Talca-
huano, the seaport of Concepcion ; and soon after I landed
with some of the officers, and we crossed over the narrow
neck of land which separates the bay from Port San V1-
cente to the southward. Owing to the season of the year,
and the sterility of the soil, there were very few plants
in flower, a yellow @nothera and the Phacelia circinata, pre-
viously obtained in the Strait of Magellan, being nearly the
only species met with, with the exception of a leafless spiny
Rhamnaceous under-shrub, a species of Colletia, which was
very abundant. We noticed several specimens of the bur-
rowing owl common in the Strait, and captured a snake
(Tachymenis Chilensis) and several specimens of a curious
little spotted frog, the Pleurodema Bibroni, provided with a
prominent gland on each side of the loins. The sandy beach
of San Vicente Bay was strewed with hundreds of fragments
of a crustacean of the genus Hippa, the H. talpoides, but very
few perfect examples were present. On our return to Talca-
huano, we occupied a few minutes in the inspection of the
town, which presents a very squalid appearance. By this time
the mist had cleared off, allowing us to gain a fine view of
the bay, and a lovely serene sunset was succeeded by a fine
starlight evening. Arrangements were made that night for a
ride over to Concepcion, about nine miles distant, next day,
the British Consul, Mr. Cunningham, having kindly placed
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 375
at Captain Mayne’s disposal three horses, one of which was
allotted to me.
The morning of the 10th was beautifully bright and clear,
and the air delicious, in fact everything that could be wished
to make a ride thoroughly charming, and shortly after nine A.M.
I landed with Captain Mayne and one of the officers, and we
proceeded to the consul’s office. While waiting for the horses,
we had a considerable amount of talk with Mr. Cunningham,
who possesses a most extensive knowledge of Chilian affairs,
and I then inquired of him if anything was accurately known
as to the numbers of the Araucanian Indians, receiving for
reply that it was impossible to ascertain precisely, but that
they probably numbered about 50,000, although they were
rapidly disappearing—a fact that one could not hear without
regret, as there can be no doubt that these people constitute one
of the finest aboriginal races in the world, and they have main-
tained their independence, ever since the Spanish conquest,
in an almost marvellous degree. Shortly before ten A.M. we
mounted our steeds and rode out of the town, passing the
entrance of a hotel where five of the officers were selecting
horses wherewith to follow us. The ride proved most delight-
ful, the country, though rather flat and sterile in many places,
looking very attractive in the clear sunlight. As we rode
along I observed numerous winding rifts in the ground, pro-
bably due to the frequent occurrence of earthquakes. On
passing various hovels from time to time, we were assailed
by packs of curs, who rushed after us, barking furiously and
snapping at our horses’ heels. Here and there some pretty
Acacias, not natives of the country, were in flower, and the
rounded bushes of the Boldu prevailed in the uncultivated
tracts. We did not gain any prospect of Concepcion till we
were close upon it, owing to its straggling over a flat de-
376 NATURAL HISTORY OF
pressed tract of country, and the greater number of the
houses, on account of the earthquake shocks, being built
only one storey high. On riding into the town, we dismounted
at a hotel, where we were joined by the others. Here we
remained for about a couple of hours, and had luncheon,
where we tasted for the first time a very good red wine of
the country, which goes under the name of “ Mosto.” After
this we got into our saddles, and proceeded, under the escort
of a soldier, sent for that purpose by the Intendente, to whom
Captain Mayne brought an introduction, to view the environs
of the city. Our guide first conducted us to the summit of a
low hill, whence we had a good bird’s-eye view of Concepcion,
and then led to a spot on the banks of the Bio-Bio river
where there is a ferry, which a coach which runs between
Concepcion and Coronel daily crosses. Our sight-seeing over,
we rode rapidly back to Talcahuano, and soon after went on
board, immediately after which we got under way for Val-
paraiso. The evening was calm, but a thick fog settled
down, and we steamed along all night at arate of from six
to seven knots, the steam-whistle being blown at intervals to
give timely warning to any other vessels that might be in
the way. The 11th was perfectly calm, but very foggy for
some time. _ We steamed along through a sea like oil, noticing
thousands of large Acalephee floating in the water, and many
specimens of a pretty gray petrel resting on its surface ; and
very early on the morning of the 12th we anchored in the
bay of Valparaiso.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 377
CHAPTER XII.
VALPARAISO — WALKS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD — EXCURSION TO
SANTA ROSA—BAD STATE OF THE ROADS—CACTUS-CLAD HILLS—
ADOBE WALLS—VIEW OF THE CORDILLERA—BOTANY OF QUE-
BRADAS NEAR VALPARAISO—PROCEED TO COQUIMBO—STERILE
ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY—PLANTS—SHELL-BEDS—DREDGING—
TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE ANIMALS—EARTHQUAKE SHOCK—NEW
TUBULARIA — EXCURSION INLAND—SAMO—OVALLE— TORRE—
TAMAYA—-PANULCILLO—INDIAN GRAVES—GIANT HUMMING-BIRD
—CAMARONS—RETURN TO VALPARAISO—DIEZ-Y-OCHO—PLANTS
—EXCURSION TO SANTIAGO—-MUSEUM—VALDIVIA’S HOUSE, ETC.
THE morning of the 12th was bright and sunny, though
rather chilly, and on coming on deck we naturally gazed
with a considerable amount of interest on the surrounding
scene, which was new to most of us, and destined to serve as
our winter quarters for the next three or four months. I
must confess that my first impressions of the city and sur-
rounding country were those of great disappointment. I
suppose I had formed extravagant ideas of the attractions
of Valparaiso, from the various accounts of it which I had
heard, and was surprised to behold a shabby-looking large
town, the main streets of which stragegled along a narrow
strip of ground at the foot of a bare, rugged, steep, saddle-
backed, reddish-coloured range of hills upwards of 1400 feet
in height, furrowed with numerous narrow ravines or que-
bradas, with their sides piled up with dwellings of a very
mean description of architecture, tenanted chiefly by the
378 NATURAL HISTORY OF
poorer part of the population. In the Channels trees were
rather in excess; but here, wherever we directed our
gaze around the sides of the bay, we beheld an entire
destitution of vegetation higher than low shrubs, with the
exception of a very few trees in the gardens of some houses
situated near the top of one of the hills, the Cerro Allegre,
and which we afterwards learned were chiefly tenanted by
English merchants. But if there is little that is interesting
or attractive in the immediate vicinity of the city, there is
amply sufficient in the distant prospect to satisfy the observer's
sense of wonder and beauty; for on casting the eye eastward
on a clear day, he will see the horizon bounded by the snow-
clad range of the Andes, including the magnificent precipitous
mass of Aconcagua, upwards of 23,000 feet in height, and
generally regarded as the highest mountain of the New
World. We were favoured with a large amount of clear
weather during the earlier part of our stay, and day after day
I watched with unabated interest these “silent pinnacles of
aged snow,” as they stood “ sunset-flushed,” the tints varying
from a delicate pale blush to crimson with blue shadows.
Undoubtedly the two great drawbacks to Valparaiso, as a
port, are the depth of the anchorage and its entire openness
towards the north, thus affording no shelter to the shipping
during the winter months, when violent northerly gales
prevail, producing a very heavy sea in the bay, and fre-
quently causing much damage to merchant vessels by driv-
ing them on shore. These “northers,” as a rule, last from
one to three days ; and from our experience of them, I have
no hesitation in stating my opinion that, as regards the
discomfort they occasion, I would quite as soon be at sea as
in port during their continuance.
There was a considerable amount of merchant shipping
; THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 379
in the bay on the morning of our arrival, as well as repre-
sentatives of the navies of most European nations—Great
Britain furnishing, in addition to ourselves, the “ Pylades,”
“Malacca,” and “Nereus,” the last a large vessel of the
antique type, permanently maintained at Valparaiso as a
store-ship. The forenoon was fully occupied in the perusal
of a large supply of letters from England, which we found
awaiting us, while in the afternoon many of us landed
to inspect the city. The streets were much narrower, and
appeared much shabbier in general aspect, than those of
Monte Video; while the shops, as a rule, were poorer
looking, and nearly all the articles contained in them were
extravagantly dear—upon an average, I should think, twice
as expensive as at Monte Video, and four times more so
than in England.* A ferro-carril, or iron railway, is laid
down through some of the principal streets, and upon this
numerous omnibuses drawn by two horses run, so as to
make a circuit of the lower part of the town, the terminus
being at a railway station at one end. Some of the buildings
still bore evidence of the Spanish bombardment about a
year previously, the custom-house being yet in ruins, and
cannon-balls sticking in the walls of some of the houses.
The churches, like most South American edifices of the kind,
are exceedingly poor as regards architecture, stucco largely
_ prevailing in the interior, and the spires in general being
constructed of wood—in one instance painted green! The
population seemed to be pretty equally divided between
English, Germans, and Chilians ; and the excessive fondness
of the last mentioned, alike young and old, for sweetmeats,
* I may mention, as a good example of the prices we required to pay for
comparatively inexpensive articles, that a quire of stout blotting-paper cost
me two dollars and a half !
380 NATURAL HISTORY OF
was evinced by the inordinate amount of confiterias, or
confectioners’ shops, as well as the numerous stalls devoted
to the same purpose at the corners of the streets. Many of
the manners and customs of the Chilian part of the popula-
tion, which afterwards became so familiar to us as not in
any measure to attract our attention, struck us on this
occasion as peculiar; and among these I may instance the
predilection which appeared to prevail among the male
portion of the community for enveloping their necks in huge
comforters, a habit which somewhat oddly contrasted with
that possessed by the ladies of walking bonnetless about the
streets. The “vigilantes,” or policemen, formed also a conspicu-
ous feature, as they marched along in their uniforms with swords
by their sides. At night the streets resound with the noise of
the bone whistles which they carry, and blow as signals to
one another. As far as I could learn, they do not appear to
be regarded as by any means a very efficient body.
On the following day (12th) we drove in one of the
omnibuses on the ferro-carril to a public garden near one
end of the town. It being winter, and the climate extra-
tropical, most of the trees were comparatively destitute of
leaves, and many of the plants were out of flower. Some
handsome Acacias were, however, in full bloom, and about
these a number of humming-birds were flying. This garden
appeared to us but a poor affair at the time of our first
visit, but farther on in the season it often became the
terminus of our afternoon walks ; and two or three months
later many fine plants were in flower, including various
handsome Malvacew, Magnoliacew, A pocynacee, and numerous
representatives of other orders, among which I may mention
the Floripondio, Datura (Brugmansia) arborea, a tall shrub,
much cultivated in Chili on account of its large, drooping,
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 381
fragrant, trumpet-shaped white flowers.
lated “Caramba!” with great emphasis. He informed us that
there was a good French hotel at Santa Rosa, and kindly
volunteered to go with us, and introduce us to the landlord
thereof. We stopped for a few minutes at a house by the
wayside at his request, as he wished to see some friends
there ; and presently a man appeared at the coach-window
with a great tumbler of “aguardiente,” an intensely fiery
spirit, tasting strong of anise-seed, which he presented to us
in the most polite manner. We of course tasted it for
civility’s sake, but rather astonished him by not drinking it
right off. This ceremony over, we again set forth, and reached
Santa Rosa about seven, alighting at the French hotel,
“ Hotel Colon,” on one side of a large Plaza, planted with
four rows of trees. Here we were introduced to the landlord,
who shook hands with us very cordially ; and as one of our
party was an excellent French scholar, we were soon on the most
agreeable terms. Our friend then took his leave, and we sat
warming our feet over a charcoal brazier, as we were some-
what cold after our long journey, while dinner was being got
ready for us. On making inquiries from our host as to the
sights of Santa Rosa, he recommended us to ride on one of
the following days to the top of a steep hill in the neigh-
bourhood, named “Il Cerro de los Indios,” from being the
last place in this district where the Indians had held out, and
from whence they made raids on the neighbourhood, telling
us that the view from the top was esteemed very fine, and
volunteering to be our guide thither. After talking for some
time, we retired to rest. The bed-chambers were ranged
round a court paved with round stones, like a stable-yard,
and opened directly upon it. They possessed no windows pro-
perly so called, being lighted from the doors, the upper parts
of which were formed of strong parallel iron rods, with inter-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 393
spaces about four inches wide, so as to present a rather
prison-like appearance. These interspaces were not glazed,
but hinged shutters were attached on the inner side of the
door, and closed at night to exclude the cold. We found
rooms and beds alike remarkably clean and wonderfully
comfortable, and altogether, from our experience of this
hotel, I can strongly recommend it to the attention of
visitors.
The morning of the 2d was remarkably fine, being clear,
cool, and invigorating. After an early breakfast we spent an
hour in a vain attempt to procure horses or mules, only
succeeding at last in arranging that we should be supplied
with them on the morrow. We thereafter resolved on stroll-
ing out along the road leading into the Cumbre Pass, and
spending the day in the open air. Leaving the town, we
slowly wended our way along a road following the course of
the river Aconcagua, and bounded on each side by low walls
of “adobe” (sun-dried bricks made of mud and straw, and
frequently of very large size. Some which we saw were at
least three feet long, by a foot broad and two feet thick.)
These walls were thatched on the top with brushwood, to
prevent the rains washing them away, an arrangement which
communicated to them rather an odd effect. We passed a
vineyard,. where the people were engaged in bruising the
purple grapes in a kind of winepress for the manufacture of
“chicha,” or some kind of country wine. The bunches of grapes
were heaped on a sort of hurdle made of saplings, laid
on the top of a vat of bullock’s hide placed on the ground
in an inclined plane. The men bruised the bunches over
the hurdle, so that the pulp, juice, and a considerable part of
the rind also, were squeezed through into the vat below,
where they formed a large mass on which numbers of bees
394 NATURAL HISTORY OF
were crawling about. From this mass the juice distilled,
flowing in a stream through an opening at the lower end of
the vat into a wooden tub sunk in the ground. On tasting
the juice in the tub, we found that it possessed no flavour
but that of sweetness. At some distance beyond the vine-
yard we passed a remarkable suspension-bridge over the river,
at one end of which was a hovel, with walls formed entirely
of reeds and saplings ; and farther on we noticed many more
habitations of an equally primitive description. Three
methods of building seem to prevail among the dwellings of
the lower classes in the country. In the first, the walls are
formed of adobé bricks, in the second of saplings plastered
with mud, and in the third of saplings with the interstices
left open. About noon we ascended a hill of about eight
hundred feet in height, for the sake of the view to be gained
from the summit, which was very fine. The tall Cereus
abounded everywhere on the hills ; and on cutting out pieces
from the circumference of some of the plants with a pocket-
knife, I observed an abundance of spheraphides, which fell
out like little white grains of sand. On the parasitic Lo-
ranthus, I found many examples of an insect apparently allied
to Coccus, with a thick gummy secretion covering the dorsal
surface. After descending this hill, we continued to follow
the road for some miles, at length leaving the mud walls
behind us. As it was winter, very few plants were in bloom,
a pretty purple-flowered shrubby species of Witheringia, and
a Leguminous shrub (Psoralea), with racemes of small bluish-
white flowers, being almost the only specimens obtained. A
characteristic feature of these mountain-roads was furnished
by long cavalcades of mules carrying great hide panniers, the
leader provided with a bell which tinkles as he goes. We
spent some time watching with interest a couple of peons
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 395
engaged in lassoing a wild ox, which made violent efforts to
gore their horses, but was successfully captured without
inflicting any damage upon them. On our way back to
the town, as we were approaching a cottage, three men
marched out to meet us with a hornful of liquid, which we
were informed was “chicha” and which we were requested
to drink. Complying with this invitation, we found the said
chicha most refreshingly acid, and very grateful to our
parched palates. We reached the hotel in time for the table-
dhote at five o'clock. A number of people were gathered
round the table when we arrived, and in a few minutes after,
a self-important looking individual, probably the Intendente
of the town, or some other lecal dignitary, came in, and took
his place at the head of the table, all the guests, with the
exception of ourselves, standing up to receive him. In con-
formity with Chilian customs, a large number of courses
were handed round, some eight or nine at the least I should
think, and the landlord, to do honour to his English guests,
produced a bottle of Worcester sauce, which was examined
by the other members of the company with much curiosity.
Some hours later, our Chilian acquaintance of the day before
came to pay his respects, and the artist of our party ex-
hibited the sketches which he had taken that day. One of
the spectators was a young Chilian, who spoke very good
English, and gave us much information about the country,
kindly offering, rather to my amusement, to furnish me with
introductions to some of his friends in the neighbourhood of
Chillan, although he was entirely ignorant of my name.
After strolling about the Plaza for a short time, listening to
the music of a very good military band, we retired for the
night, anxiously hoping for a fine day on the morrow for our
ride to “ I] Cerro de los Indios.”
396 ‘ss NATURAL HISTORY OF
Heavy rain fell during the night, and when we got up
next morning, though it was fair, the sky was entirely veiled
by a canopy of grayish-brown clouds, and the mountains
were shrouded with mist. Presently rain began to descend
again, but fortunately did not last long, and we set out on
a walk before breakfast to consider the appearance of the
weather, which showed symptoms of improvement. By the
wayside I observed several bushes of a thorny Acacia (A.
cavenia), with orange-yellow flowers. This species, which is
known under the popular name of “Espino,” is widely dis-
tributed in Chili, and from the hard compact nature of its
wood, which takes a fine polish, is employed for a variety of
purposes in carpentry. On our return to the hotel the
landlord informed us that he thought we might as well
attempt the proposed ride, and after a good deal of delay,
caused by his equipping himself with a breech-loading gun
of peculiar construction, and other sporting appliances, we
mounted our horses and left the town, accompanied by a
peon who acted as guide, and presented a most picturesque
appearance, attired in the national costume of a poncho, with
his feet in the great carved wooden triangular-shaped stirrups
so commonly employed in Chili, and which weigh sometimes
as much as two or three pounds. Our route lay through the
valley for a time, after which we gradually ascended a range
of hills, riding along their crest till we reached the Indian
mountain. The sure-footedness of our horses was here put to
the test, as part of the way lay along the sides of a very
steep hill, where the track was so narrow and the ground so
insecure, that it would have required some care even on the
part of a pedestrian to maintain a footing. We found, after
attaining a certain elevation, that the Cacti were succeeded
by a variety of shrubs and low trees, a circumstance pro-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 397
bably resulting from a more copious supply of moisture. The
day gradually cleared up, and the view from the summit of the
hill (about 1600 or 1700 feet above the level of the valley, which
is, I should observe, between three and four thousand feet above
that of the sea), was remarkably fine, as we saw at a glance
the entire valley of the Aconcagua, extending green and fertile,
here and there dotted with long rows of poplars and weeping
willows, reminding us of pictures of the plains of Lombardy ;
herds of sheep and cattle pasturing on the meadows, through
which the silver thread of the Aconcagua wound its way ;
while on every side towered up the snowy mountains, with
their summits partially enveloped in mist, and long lnes of
cloud reposing half-way up their sides. A universal silence
reigned around, only broken by the distant flowing of the
river, and it seemed as if the valley was hushed to sleep
under the shadow of the everlasting hills. Ina little more
than an hour we commenced the descent, which was so
steep in many parts that we realised the advantages of the
peaked Chilian saddles, without which it would have been
difficult to avoid slipping over our horses’ heads. In the even-
ing our Chilian friend again came to see us, and we bid him
good-bye as we were obliged to leave Santa Rosa next morning.
On the 4th we started at half-past seven a.m. for San
Felipe, where we breakfasted (nearly all the dishes served to us
tasting horribly of garlic), and then taking our places in another
coach, began the return journey to Llaillaii We were unfortu-
nate enough on this occasion to have a very stupid dilatory
driver, and just as we had reached the top of the winding road
leading down into the valley of Llaillai, we saw, to our
dismay, the train from Santiago coming up in one direction,
while that from Valparaiso approached in another. As we
had been informed that the train only waited for a quarter
398 NATURAL HISTORY OF
of an hour, we doubted much whether we would manage to
catch it, and anxiously watched for any symptom of its moving
as we rattled down the hill and plunged through the mud of
the valley. Arrived at the station, we dashed out of the
coach in between the two trains, and into an empty carriage,
apparently much to the amazement of the phlegmatic
Chilians, who were watching our movements. In a few
minutes, as the train still remained stationary, we bethought
ourselves of the advisability of procuring tickets, and one of
the party then got out to endeavour to obtain them, running
in the first place along to the engine and telling the stokers to
“hold on the train,’ receiving in answer an “ Ay, ay, sir,” for
the officials were English. Our object was successfully accom-
plished, and soon after we left Llaillai behind us, and reached
Valparaiso at about five P.M., having enjoyed a most delight-
ful trip.
Some days after this Dr. Campbell and I had a pleasant
walk, under the guidance of two of the officers of H.M.S.
“‘Topaze,” over the hills behind Valparaiso, to some beautiful
little green quebradas at the back of them. Here we met
with several plants that we had not observed previously, as
well as several old friends, among which was the handsome
blue-berried Citharexylon cyanocarpum, so common in Chiloe,
and the Winter’s-bark (Drimys Wintert, var. Chilensis), which
was flowering most luxuriantly. A barberry, with curiously
palmated prickles (B. actinacantha?), a yellow - flowered
Ribes (R. punctatum), an Escallonia, with the Boldu, the Tupa
salicifolia, and the Litré (Litrea venenosa), were among the
prevailing shrubby plants. The two last are both possessed of
highly poisonous properties, the former abounding in a milky
acrid juice, and the latter having the reputation of causing
swellings on the bodies of those who gather it, or even sit
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 399
under its shade. Among the herbaceous plants noticed, were
a white Anemone, the Habranthus hesperius, and last, but not
least, the beautiful TZropwolum tricolor, which was just
beginning to come into bloom. Later in the season its elegant
twining stem and lovely flowers, coloured with yellow, scarlet,
and dark purple verging on black, clothed many of the
shrubs with a glory not their own. The day being splendidly
bright and clear, we had a wonderful view of the distant
Aconcagua, its glorious mass of glistening snow being dis-
played against a cloudless blue sky.
The remainder of July passed without any events specially
worthy of notice, and on the 30th, shortly before noon, we
left Valparaiso Bay for Coquimbo, whither three British men-
of-war, the “Topaze,” “Malacca,” and “ Mutine,” had some
days earlier preceded us. We encountered a considerable
swell outside the bay, but had a very quiet passage, on the
whole, keeping not far from the land, the coast-line of which
is very bold and fine, the dark-coloured hills of the foreground
contrasting finely with the snowy range of the Cordillera
rising above them in the distance. The 31st was a beautiful
clear day, and between three and four we rounded the rocky
promontory which separates the small port of Herradura from
the bay of Coquimbo, and entered the latter, passing not far
from the Pajeros Ninos rocks, on which a group of brown
pelicans (Pelecanus thagus) were sitting with their heads rest-
ing on their breasts, while other individuals were employed
in fishing about the neighbourhood. We anchored near the
other British ships, off the town of Coquimbo, the vicinity of
which presented a singularly sandy desert-like appearance,
and here we remained throughout the month of August,
enjoying delightful weather, and, thanks to the kindness of
the English residents, passing the time very pleasantly.
400 NATURAL HISTORY OF
The ist of August was a fine, though rather hazy day, and
in the morning Dr. Campbell, Mr. Gray, and I, landed, and
took a long walk, finding the country remarkably dry and
parched up, which was not surprising, as we were informed
that no rain had fallen for eight months back. There were,
however, some green patches of cultivated ground artificially
irrigated, and consisting principally of “ Alfalfa” (Medicago —
sativa), While in the distance various narrow tracts of verdure
were to be seen, marking the course of streams in the little
valleys between the hills. The hills, in most places, were
covered with plants of a tall Cereus, much like that seen at
Valparaiso and Santa Rosa, but branching more, and with
weaker and more flexible spines, together with a species of
humbler growth with bright purplish-red flowers. On the low
undulating sandy ground, which stretches inwards from the
sea for some miles, I found a considerable number of plants
that were new to me, a few of which I may here briefly
notice. A Mesembryanthemum (M. Chilense), with long trail-
ing stems, fleshy trigonal leaves, and pink flowers, covered the
ground in several spots in the neighbourhood of a line of rail-
way, along which we pursued our way, and a Nolanaceous
plant, a species of Sorema, with large blue convolvulus-like
flowers, was also abundant on the sandy soil. Among the
patches of “alfalfa,” a very pretty little crucifer, the Schizo-
petalon Walkert, with deeply pinnatifid white petals, and the
beautiful Schizanthus punnatus, occurred. A Witheringia here
and there formed bright purplish-blue patches, and various
species of Composite and Malvacez, and representatives of the
genera Hritrichium, Verbena, Helrotropium, Spherostigma, and
Fagonia, were met with, as also a white-flowered liliaceous
plant (Leucocoryne alliacea), smelling strong of garlic. Several
species of birds were observed, one about the size of a wheat-
‘THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 401
ear, and resembling that bird in its movements, being specially
abundant, and we found a dead specimen of Tinochorus rumi-
cworus, Which had apparently been killed by a hawk. A
single individual of the Painted Lady butterfly (Cynthia
Cardut), which we had already seen at Rio Janeiro, Monte
Video, Lota, and Valparaiso, was captured, but very few
- Insects occurred to us. I spent some time examining, with
much interest, the beds of fossil shells, forming regular terraces,
which extend for several miles inland, attaining an elevation
of 250 feet, of which Mr. Darwin has given an account, and
obtained numerous representatives of the genera Oliva, Chorus,
Monoceros, Concholepas, Turritella, Fissurella, Calyptrea,
Ostrea, Pecten, Arca, etc., most of them, apparently, belonging
to existing species, as well as a portion of the pincer-claw of
a large crab, several sharks’ teeth, and many fragments of the
bones of Cetacea. Some of these were found scattered on the
surface of the rising grounds, and others were imbedded in a
soft sandy rock, some good sections of which were displayed
on the line of railway. A much older bed, which I subse-
quently observed, occurs a little above high-water mark, at
the foot of a steep bank about fifty feet in height, at one end
of the town of Coquimbo, and appears to be exclusively com-
posed of large and massive oysters in a matrix of hard sand-
stone. The cardinal area of one of these shells, which I dug
out on a later occasion, measured between five and six inches
in depth. On leaving the shell-terraces, we descended to the
sandy beach of the bay, where I picked up a few specimens
of marine animals, including a live example of the Oliva
Peruviana, which, on being handled, emitted a yellow fluid,
which, on exposure to the air for a short time, changed to a
rich purple hue; and a single individual of the Hippa
talpoides, taken previously at Chiloe and in the Bay of San
2 D
402 NATURAL HISTORY OF
Vicente. Many pelicans and gannets were flying about over
the water, the latter disappearing below the surface in pursuit
of their prey with the characteristic splash.
On the afternoon of the 6th, I walked, with two compan-
ions, over the rocky hills of the promontory which separates
the bays of Coquimbo and Herradura, to the smelting works
at Guayacan, on the coast of the latter. Our route lay through
a rocky desert, abounding in tall branching Cacti, a species
of Cassia with large bunches of orange-yellow flowers, and a
shrubby Oxalis, the O. gigantea. The last plant, the Churco
of the Chilians, attains a height of from three to six feet, and
in those districts where it occurs its branches are often
used as a substitute for lathsin building houses. The bark
is thick, and possesses a very astringent taste; the small
trefoil leaves are acid, like those of nearly all the other species
of the genus; and the flowers are of a lemon-yellow colour.
Another plant, which specially attracted our attention, was
an Aristolochia (A. Chilensis), with variegated leaves and
curious tubular flowers of a lurid purple tint, covered in the
interior of the tube with thick white hairs, with their points
directed downwards. Their general form recalled that of the
pitchers of Nepenthes, and they emitted a most offensive
odour, suggestive of carrion. I was afterwards informed by a
friend that the plant is esteemed among the lower orders in
Chili as a remedy for small-pox. I also obtained specimens
of the Habranthus hesperius, the Tropewolum tricolor, which
was twining around the Cacti, a fine purplish-blue W7ther-
ingia, and a low shrub with curious green flowers, and a lobed
bladdery capsule, the Zlagunoa glandulosa, belonging to the
order Sapindacee. At the smelting works we saw the process
of running off the liquid metal in its second-last stage into -
moulds of sand, as had been previously witnessed by us at Lota.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 403
On the 5th I had a walk of about sixteen miles with
Dr. Campbell and an officer of the “'Topaze,” past Herradura
Bay in the direction of Tongoi. The scenery had that
desert-like rocky aspect so characteristic of the country,
tall Cacti and the Oxalis gigantea forming the most prevalent
features of the vegetation ; while the occasional flocks of goats,
wandering about and browsing on the latter plant, added
materially to the peculiar effect of the landscape. Here and
there the tall flower-stems of the Puya coarctata formed con-
Spicuous objects in the distance. One of these, which we cut
down, was about nine feet in height, the beautiful pale yellow,
somewhat lily-like flowers forming a dense spike between
three and four feet long. A rather curious, thorny, stiff-
growing shrub, with abruptly pinnate leaves and _ bluish-
purple flowers, seen for the first time, was the Porlieria
hygrometrica, the specific name of which is derived from the
property which the leaflets possess of closing and folding them-
selves upon the branches at sunset. We observed two fine
condors soaring at a considerable elevation, and numbers of a
grotesque-looking little bird, the “ Tapacolo,” Pteroptochos
albicollis, were hopping out among the rocks with their tails
cocked over their backs, and giving vent to a curious variety
of notes. On the sandy beach of Herradura Bay I found
several specimens of Hippa talpoides creeping rapidly along,
as well as two dead individuals of the Pseudocorystes sicarius
previously met with at Lota.
The afternoon of the 6th I devoted to the shell-beds, and
obtained a good collection of the prevalent forms ; and on the
morning of next day a small party of us set out in the dingy,
with the intention of shooting pelicans on the Pajeros Nifios
rocks at the entrance of the bay. We found, however, that
unfortunately the surf was too great to permit of our landing
404 NATURAL HISTORY OF
on the rocks, and the pelicans flew off before any could be
procured. On another rock (Pelican Rock of the chart) a
group of beautiful terns (Adnous inca), with dark plumage,
and a long white feather on each ear-covert, were sitting,
and a couple of specimens of these were shot. We also
obtained a specimen of a huge starfish (Heliaster helianthus),
with thirty-eight rays, bearing a general resemblance to the
British Solaster papposa. Later in the day we pulled far
into the bay, which was alive with shoals of large and small
fish, on which terns (Sterna cassint) and black petrels (Wectris
amaurosa) were feeding, darting about in pursuit, and filling
the air with their discordant cries. Now and then a pelican
would sail past, its great bill giving it a most peculiar
aspect, or a flock of gannets would suddenly appear not far
from us, and dive into the water simultaneously after their
prey. Several scissor-bills were also seen skimming along
the placid surface of the bay, and one fine specimen was
shot. We occupied some time in dredging, and brought up
from the fine sandy bottom numbers of beautiful specimens
of Oliva Peruviana and Chorus xanthostoma.
The neck of land already mentioned as separating the
two bays of Coquimbo and Herradura was a favourite
locality for an afternoon’s ramble at this time. The yellow
granitic rocks of which it is composed are most singularly
disrupted, immense blocks of many tons’ weight having been
to all appearance violently torn from their original resting-
place, and piled upon each other in the most picturesque
confusion. Among them I met with several plants that did
not occur elsewhere, among which was a species of a myrtle,
and a plant whose name I forget, with the most deliciously
fragrant flowers, recalling the odour of jasmine. On turning ~
over the stones we were certain to meet with small scorpions,
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 405
which ran about, turning up their tails with intent to sting;
and a handsome lizard (Proctotretus Gravenhorstui) of a
bluish-green hue was very common, basking on the rocks,
on which the sun was beating, sometimes associated with a
smaller species, spotted with black (Letolemus nigroma-
culatus). On the rocks at the end of the peninsula, where
the surf was almost always breaking with violence, great
Chitons of two species, the C. magnificus and aculeatus, were
to be seen in numbers, adhering firmly to the clefts and
ledges, the latter frequently with an extensive growth of
sea-weed on them; their collection being attended with a
considerable amount of difficulty and danger. In _ less
exposed situations, a species of sea-urchin, the Echinocidaris
nigra, with a depressed shell three to four inches in diameter,
and long purplish-black spines, was very abundant, adhering
to the rock with much tenacity by means of its suckers.
On the 11th, in the course of a long walk of about
eighteen miles inland through a gorge in a range of hills, I
found a beautiful Nolanaceous plant of the genus Alona in
profusion, forming a low shrub, with viscid leaves and
branches, and exquisite blue convolvulus-like flowers, as
well as a species of Carica (C. pyriformis), with very glossy
green leaves. This plant abounds in a greasy milky juice,
and its stem is so brittle as to admit of being broken across
as easily as that of a cactus. Numerous flocks of a small
dove were observed on this occasion, as well as one or two
condors, and a specimen of the snake previously taken at
Talcahuano was secured.
On the evening of the 13th, at about half-past six, while
we were all seated at dinner in the wardroom, the vessel
shook suddenly, as though she had received a blow. The
same thing was repeated in the course of a few minutes, and
406 NATURAL HISTORY OF
we thought it probably due to the shock of an earthquake
putting a strain upon the cable. Soon after, the quarter-
master on watch reported that the vessel was swinging round
with a current of a force of from four to five knots. On has-
tening on deck to observe the phenomenon, no doubt remained
that an earthquake had taken place, and that the current
was due to the wave produced. At short intervals, the ship
- continued to swing rapidly round, and soon we heard shouts
from some merchant-vessels at no great distance, which were
anchored close to one another. Ona boat being despatched
to ascertain the cause of the disturbance, we learned that the
vessels were fouling each other, so as to smash their top-
masts and jib-booms. The surface of the water continued
perfectly calm, but we heard the sound of a great wave
breaking on the beach, and as there was no possibility of
judging what might happen next, all the British men-of-war
got up steam, to be ready to go to sea should matters assume
a more serious aspect. Fortunately, however, the necessity for
this did not arise, and, before next morning, the waters of the
bay had assumed their normally placid condition. We learned
that though the water had arisen about seventeen feet above
the ordinary level, comparatively little damage had been sus-
tained on shore, and that no shock had been experienced there.
As may be readily imagined, we waited with anxiety for
intelligence as to whether other portions of the coast had
been equally affected ; but it was not until some days after
that we knew of the frightful catastrophe that had taken
place to the northward, by which nearly 30,000 individuals
in Peru and Ecuador had lost their lives, and an enormous
amount of property had been destroyed. The earthquakes
continued in force in these regions from the 13th to the
16th of August, many important cities being laid in ruins ;
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 407
while in South Chili, Talcahuano, the seaport of Concepcion,
was almost swallowed up by the wave. As, however, full
details of the disaster appeared in nearly all the leading
newspapers of Great Britain about six weeks later, I shall
not attempt any further account of it.
On the 17th some specimens of a beautiful Tubularian polyp,
procured on the copper of H.M.S. “ Topaze,” were sent to me,
and a few days later the copper of the “ Nassau” yielded addi-
tional examples of the same species, which being regarded by
one of our highest authorities on the subject (Professor Allman)
as hitherto undescribed, has been named by him Tubularia
polycarpa. The afternoon of the following day, as the tide was
very low, I devoted to a search for marine animals among the
rocks at the entrance of the bay, and met with a consider-
able amount of success. Among the spoils obtained on this
occasion, I may mention a small Octopus (O. Fontanianus),
a specimen of which, discovered under a stone, was at first
of a dirty grayish-white tint, but changed almost in-
stantaneously to a rich dark purplish-red as the little creature
swam off, tail first, with great rapidity and the directness of
an arrow, propelled by the rapid movements of its arms. I
also procured some very fine specimens of the Chiton aculeatus
and C. magnijicus, by dint of watching my opportunity as the
wave retired, and rapidly removing them from the rock with
the large blade of a clasp-knife. Two other species of the
same genus, of smaller size, but very elegantly marked, which
I found on this occasion, were the Chiton Cumingw and the
C. elegans. Fine specimens of Concholepas, Crucibulum ferru-
gineum, etc., also abounded, and I further procured several
Crustacea that were new to me, including a fierce crab of the
genus Grapsus (G. planifrons), generally ensconced in deep
narrow Clefts, from which it was difficult to dislodge ; several
408 NATURAL HISTORY OF
beautiful Porcellane with broad flat claws, which they snapped
off with the greatest agility on being handled, and many
individuals of a beautiful prawn-like Decapod with a mov-
able rostrum, the Rhynchocinetes typus, which were swimming
about in the pools, their legs and bodies exquisitely banded
with delicate shades of brown and red. A variety of star-
fishes and Zchini were also met with, as well as some very
finely coloured Actinic, in which ultramarine blue, brilliant
orange, emerald green, and white, were the prevailing tints.
Many sponges also occurred, their colours varying from orange
and yellow to light blue.
On the 19th I set out on an excursion inland ith Captain
Mayne and Mr. Gollan, H.B.M. Consul at Coquimbo, leaving
the town by train at nine AM. The country through which
we passed presented the usual aspect of bare, burnt-up plains,
with occasional green patches of “alf-alfa,” succeeded after a
time by cactus-clad hills. We at length arrived at the foot of
a “cuesta,” up which the train goes, and halted there for a time
to take in luggage. As there seemed some likelihood of delay,
I got out, and receiving the comforting assurance from the
guard that he would not go on without me—a piece of atten-
tion not commonly to be met with in railway officials—I
spent some time strolling about the neighbourhood, without
however observing anything specially noteworthy. After
nearly an hour had passed we resumed our journey, and the
line, in ascending the “cuesta,” being very remarkable from
its excessive tortuosity and the steepness of the ascent (I
believe in some parts as much as one in twenty-five feet), we
took up our position on a platform in front of the engine to gain
the full benefit of it. As we slowly wound about the hill, I
noticed a variety of beautiful plants which I had not pre-
viously seen, and felt much tantalised at being unable to pro-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 409
cure them. The “cuesta” passed, we proceeded onwards to
the railway station at ‘“ Higuerita,” where we were met by a
gentleman (Mr. Hamilton) who had kindly undertaken to act
as our cicerone on the trip; and after we had partaken of a
substantial breakfast or luncheon provided by a hospitable
Chilian, we mounted our horses, which we had brought with
us from Coquimbo, and rode off to Samo, a farm about twelve
miles distant, in the valley of the Rio Hortado, in the hands
of a Chilian gentleman, Senor Sasso. After riding for the
greater part of the way along a winding road, and crossing
two streams (a sufficiently rare phenomenon in this parched-up
district to be worthy of notice), we ascended to a sort of table-
land, which we crossed, descending thereafter bya winding road
into the valley of the Rio Hortado, which, though sufficiently
arid-looking regarded as a whole, possesses a green tract ex-
tending on either side of the stream from which it derives its
name, and which on this occasion presented an attractive
appearance, from the various shades of the foliage of the
willows, olives, and myrtles fringing its banks, and the
lovely pink glow of the peach-blossom in the orchards.
We reached the farm about five P.M., and passed some time
roaming about in the neighbourhood of the stream, two of the
party carrying guns in quest of snipe. A few of these birds
were seen flying about at a considerable elevation in the air,
as well as some “zorzals” (Zurdus fuscatus) and “ tortil-
litos” (little doves), but they were all very shy, so that few
were obtained. Before long Sefior Sasso made his appearance,
and we were then conducted by him to his house, which, with
the farm-offices, occupies three sides of a large square, and
installed in the guest-chamber, provided with four iron
beds ranged around the walls. Refreshments in the form of
beer and cognac were brought to us, and soon after we were
410 - NATURAL HISTORY OF
summoned to a very excellent dinner, with only too many
courses, and treated to some very good light wine, manufac-
tured at Santiago, and known under the name of Ochagavia.
After dinner we adjourned to the “salon,” where we spent
the rest of the evening, the young ladies of the house contri-
buting to our entertainment by playing on their guitars, and
some of the members of our party being induced to take part
in the “ Zamecuaca,” the national dance of Chili. The evening
was terminated with a song improvised as a welcome to the
visitors, whose Christian names were introduced and celebrated
with a variety of compliments.
Next morning we left the farm on our way to Sauce
mine, the property of Mr. Hamilton. Following the course
of the valley, between one and two P.M. we reached a very
pretty farm the name of which has escaped my memory,
where we breakfasted and remained for about a couple of
hours, investigating the garden and vineyard appertaining
to it. The vine-stocks were very old and gnarled, and the
young wood does not appear to be trained, as is generally
the case in Europe, so that at a distance a vineyard of
this sort looks much like an orchard of stunted old apple-trees.
We then rode on to Pangue, a farm close to the bank of the
stream running through the valley. Here we dismounted
and remained for a short time, being shown the apparatus
used in the manufacture of “chicha” the national beverage.
Some enormous earthenware jars, employed for holding the
fluid, had been in use, we were informed, for 150 years.
They were about five feet in height, by between three or four
in diameter, the mouth, which was furnished with a lip, being
about a foot and a half wide. At this place there was a
beautiful orchard, carpeted with sweet violets, and filled with
peach-trees in full blossom. On leaving Pangue we followed
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 411
a curious winding road leading up some hills for nearly 2000
feet to the mine, where we were to spend the night. In the
course of our ascent I observed several specimens of a curious
Echinocactus which was new to me. It was of a nearly
spherical form, like a large deeply-ribbed gourd, bristling with
_ spines, and from nine inches to a foot in height. The mules,
I was told, when suffering from thirst, often strike off the spiny
rind with their hoofs, and eat the watery succulent pulp. It
was a beautiful evening when we reached our destination soon
after sunset, and shortly after we had dined we retired to rest.
The morning of the 21st was gloriously bright and clear,
and after inspecting the copper of the mine we mounted our
horses and rode down the hill, On our way we passed within
a short distance of three parrots, banded with brown and yel- -
low, which were perched on a Cereus, and screeching dis-
_cordantly. Unfortunately there was no gun ready, and they
accordingly escaped without injury. As before we reached
Samo, a distance of about eighteen miles, our horses showed
signs of fatigue, and the day was rapidly wearing on, we
determined on spending another night there before proceeding
onwards to our next stage.
On the 22d we left Samo at seven A.M. accompanied by —
our kind host, who wished to introduce us at a farm named
Torre, where we designed to make a halt at noon. Ascending
the winding road which led us down into the valley on the
19th, we crossed an elevated plain nearly as flat as a board,
and from thence descended into the valley of Ovalle. We
rode through the town of that name, which appears rather a
flourishing one, possessing about six thousand inhabitants,
and alighted for a short time in the principal Plaza, where
a guanaco was tethered. The signs over some of the doors of
the shops were very eccentric, a large blue mermaid figuring
ably NATURAL HISTORY OF
over one, and a carnivorous animal of appalling aspect, per-
haps intended as a representation of a jaguar, over another.
After following for some distance the course of this valley,
which appeared much more fertile than that of the Rio Hor-
tado, we crossed over a low singularly narrow ridge into the
large and beautiful valley of the Limaree, which I was in-
formed was almost entirely in the hands of one proprietor,
who, by judicious speculations, had attained to great wealth.
Here I observed many specimens of two birds which I had
not noticed in the immediate neighbourhood of Coquimbo—
namely, the Turco (Pteroptochos megapodius), a very odd-look-
ing creature, somewhat like a gigantic wren, which hops about,
cocking up its tail, and giving utterance to a variety of strange
noises, and a kind of starling (Agelaius thilius) with bluish-
black plumage and a yellowish-white patch on the shoulder.
We reached the farm of Torré (so named from two curious
monuments, believed to be of Indian origin, situated upon it)
soon after noon, and experienced a most hospitable reception
from the owner, Sefior Lucas Valdivia, a brother-in-law of
Sefior Sasso’s, and a fine-looking man, with very dark eyes
and long black hair and beard. While breakfast was being
prepared, we went over the garden and large vineyard ; and
thereafter we strolled about for some time inspecting the
live stock. We then remounted our horses, and bidding
farewell to Sefior Sasso, who returned to his own home,
rode on to visit the celebrated Piqué mine at Tamaya. The
greater part of our route lay along an extraordinary zigzag
path winding up the side of a very steep hill, from the
summit of which we gained a commanding view of the
Limaree valley. We then descended the other side of this
hill for some way, keeping not far from the marvellous ser- °
pentine line of the railway, which conducts the copper from
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 413
the mines at Tamaya to the bay of Tongoi, some distance to
the south of Coquimbo. As we rode along we gazed with
astonishment at the extraordinary aspect presented by the
precipitous Piqué mountain, with its mines, winding zigzag
paths, and long rows of whitewashed miners’ houses, which,
placed at various elevations, presented exactly the appearance
of fortifications. A gradual ascent brought us at length to
the Piqué House, belonging to the proprietor of the mine of
that name, and remarkably situated at the top of a steep
precipice, at an elevation of 3800 feet above the level of the
sea. Here we remained for the night, being very kindly
received by a German gentleman, the cashier of the mine.
The following morning was at first misty, but before long
cleared up to a bright sunny day, and the view from this
elevated situation was of a most remarkable character. The
small garden perched on the top of the cliff in front of the
house overlooks a large deep valley covered with a reddish
soil bare of vegetation, and surrounded by an amphitheatre of
hills in the form of a horse-shoe, of which the Piqué mountain
forms the central and highest part. Beyond this desert valley
extends the green fertile tract of the Limaree, and this is in
turn succeeded by range after range of hills, the view being
at last bounded by the snowy wall of the Cordillera. The
morning was occupied in the inspection of the works at the
Piqué mine, which, I believe, produces the richest quality of
copper ore in the world ; and early in the afternoon we took
our departure, riding over to Panulcillo, about sixteen or
seventeen miles distant. Here, where we were cordially wel-
comed by the managing partner of the mining company, we
spent a very pleasant evening, and in the course of the follow-
ing forenoon visited the celebrated copper-mine of Panulcillo,
exploring part of it under the guidance of the captain of the
414 NATURAL HISTORY OF
mine. The vein, though not a rich one (the ore in most
places yielding I believe not more than nine or ten per cent
of pure metal, while that of the Piqué mine yields from
thirty to upwards of fifty), is very large, being as much as
sixty feet wide in some places where it has been worked. On
raising the lamps with which we were provided, we could
clearly perceive that the walls of the mine were glistening
with the yellow metal. larly in the afternoon we left
Panulcillo by train for Coquimbo, and reached the port about
five P.M. On getting on board, I found that, as usual, during
my absence, a variety of specimens had been collected for me,
including some beautiful Crustacea, among which was a
very fine specimen of the Hepatus Chiliensis and other marine
animals, as well as a sooty albatross (Diomedea fuliginosa),
which was tied by the leg to the rails of the bridge.
The following afternoon a seining-party was despatched
from the vessel, and by this means I reaped some benefit,
obtaining specimens of a pipe-fish, Syngnathus acicularis,
and of a curious parasitic crustacean, the Cymothoa Gaudi-
chaudii.* On the 27th, Captain Mayne, Dr. Campbell, and I,
proceeded by train to Compania, and from thence had a very
agreeable ride to visit some old Indian graves, under the
escort of Mr. E. F. Ffrench, a gentleman possessed of great
scientific talents, and whose kindness in furthering my re-
searches and observations, not only during our stay at
Coquimbo, but since my return to this country, I desire
very gratefully to acknowledge. The greater part of our way
lay over a succession of low hiils, on which I noticed a
variety of plants that were new to me; among others, a curious
* A few days later I obtained from some fishermen fine specimens of two
remarkable Crustacea, the Platymera Gaudichaudii and Gonodactylus styli-
ferus.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 415
greenish-flowered Orchid, the Bepinnula mystacina, with
* some of the segments of the perianth remarkably fimbriated.
After visiting the Placeres copper-mine, we spent some time
excavating graves for skulls, but without very great success,
and then rode on to Brilliador, the oldest mine, I believe, in
Chili, where we were very kindly received by Mr. Bennett,
who works the vein. Some days later, in the course of another
excursion among the hills in the neighbourhood of Compania in
Mr. Ffrench’s company, I obtained some fine specimens of the
giant humming-bird (Patagona gigas). Mr. Darwin has well
remarked of this species, that “ whilst hovering over a flower,
it flaps its wings with avery slow and powerful movement,
totally different from that vibratory one common to most of
the species which produces the humming noise.” While flying
about, its motions reminded me of those of a swallow.
On the 29th of August I had a ramble in the neighbour-
hood of Serena, walking down to the sea-beach, where I
found hundreds of specimens of a bivalve, the Mesodesma
donaciwm, lying. In some fresh-water marshes I noticed two
men wading about waist-deep, apparently in search of some-
thing, and on approaching them, to inquire what they were
doing, I was informed they were catching “camarons,” a
large species of prawn (Palemon ccementarius) of an olive-
green colour, and provided with large claws. The capture of
these animals was carried on by one of the men holding a
wicker-work basket, into which the other shook armfuls of
weeds which he pulled up from the bottom of the water.
The prawns were then picked out from among these, and
transferred to a small bag, which the man holding the basket
had tied round his waist. In Gay’s Historia Fisica de
Chili it is stated that this species of camardn is to be met
with “en los embocadores de las riveras, donde construyer
grandes cavidades que cubre con tierra.”
416 -NATURAL HISTORY OF
The period of our stay at Coquimbo having drawn to a
close on the 8th of September, Dr. Campbell and I landed for
a last ramble over the sandy ground not far from the sea,
where we found several beautiful plants which had lately
come into flower, including the handsome Leucocoryne ixiordes,
the elegant little 7richopetalum stellatum, the inner divisions
of the white perianth of which are delicately fringed, so as
to resemble three small white feathers, and a beautiful species
of Calandrinia, with a mauve-purple flower, drooping when
in bud, but erect in full bloom. The plains were in some
places so thickly covered with the blue convolvulus-like
flowers of a Nolanaceous plant, as to appear like sheets of
water. We also found specimens of a curious milky-juiced
creeper of the Asclepias order, the Oxypetalum Hookert.
On the afternoon of the same day we weighed, and proceeded
southwards on our way to Valparaiso, halting for a few min-
utes in Herradura Bay, where I got a couple of hauls in the
dredge, and procured thereby three Gasteropods which I had
not met with previously, the Triton scaber, Chrysodomus
alternatus, and Chlorostoma bicarinatum.
We reached Valparaiso on the 7th, on a damp, misty
forenoon, and during the four following days heavy rain fell
with but little intermission—a sufficiently rare phenomenon
in these parts, and attributed by the imhabitants to the
agency of the recent earthquakes.
The 18th, or “diez-y-ocho,” was a national holiday, being
the anniversary of the independence of the republic of Chili.
Invitations having been issued to the officers of the various
ships lying in the bay to be present at the celebration of
Grand Mass in the church of San Augustin, a party of us
landed in the morning, and proceeded to the Intendencia,
where we were ushered into a large room in which the Inten-
OE as 0 ie ema
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. ALY .
dente, a variety of consuls, anda number of Chilian, American,
and English officers, were assembled in full uniform. In a
short time a stout old padre in a white vestment made his
appearance, which was the signal for a general rising, the
company forming in procession, and marching two and two,
preceded by him, through the streets, which were gaily decorated
with flags, to the church in the Plaza de la Victoria. Passing
into the square, which was crowded with. gazers, and enter-
ing the church (the body of which was filled as full as it could
hold with female worshippers attired in black, kneeling on
their praying carpets, and the aisles with a miscellaneous
assemblage of onlookers), we took possession of a number of
chairs reserved for us, and ranged into two long rows on
either side of the building. On a raised platform in front
of the altar'a number of priests in white were seated, three
of whom were possessed of upper garments glittering with .
gold and silver thread. The altar was blazing with tinsel
and numerous candelabra, and though it was broad day the
edifice as a whole was illuminated with gas, and decked
out with festoons of artificial flowers, and the flags of the
- nation. The musicians were established in a small gallery
over the principal entrance of the building, and as the services
of the principal opera-singers had been secured, the music
that followed was exceedingly fine. The service soon com-
menced, and lasted a long time ; but as I was quite unable to
comprehend the ereater part of the pantomimic ‘performances
of the ecclesiastics, I will not attempt to describe them, but
' may merely observe that a vast amount of rising up and sitting
down was required on the part of the onlookers, and that, at
one juncture, a priest preceded by an individual bearing a
little silver wand marched from the altar to the other end
of the church, where the Intendente was seated, and pre-
25
418 NATURAL HISTORY OF
sented to him a large volume (which I presume to have been
the Bible) and the wafer to kiss. After a time, we had a
long sermon from a very intelligent-looking priest attired in
a simple black gown. He spoke very distinctly, so that,
even with our limited acquaintance with Spanish, we were
able to make out the general topics of his discourse, which
was adapted to the occasion, and delivered with a very con-
siderable amount of eloquence, the leading subject appearing to
be the progress of the nation under the guiding hand of Pro-
vidence. ‘The sermon concluded, a very fine musical perform-
ance ensued, after which we left the church, and, accom-
panied by a brass band and a rabble, marched back to the
Intendencia. On our arrival, we were conducted up a stair,
and ushered into a couple of drawing-rooms communicating
with one another, where a short time was occupied in conver-
sation, after which we adjourned to a large room where a good
luncheon was set out. After a considerable amount of execution
had been done in the way of eating and drinking, the Intendente
rose and proposed the first toast, which was of course the Presi-
dent of the Republic, and was drunk with great enthusiasm, the
Chilian “Vivas” being, however, rather drowned by the English
and Yankee vigorous “Hip, hip, hip, hurrahs.” A succession
of other toasts then followed, and were still going on when
our party took their departure between four and five P.M.
In the following afternoon several of us walked to
the Playa-ancha, a wide flat space of ground on the high
land to the west of the town, to witness a review of a
part of the Chilian army. A vast concourse of spectators were
assembled, and numbers of booths, where eating, drinking,
dancing, and playing games of chance, were being carried on
with great vigour, were erected in various places. A good
many people were also running races in a most reckless
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 419
manner on horseback, their main object being to endeavour to
ride one another down. A strong breeze was blowing, causing
a vast amount of dust, which partially concealed the move-
ments of the soldiers, who presented rather a mean appear-
ance, arising from the smallness of their stature.
The heavy rains which had recently fallen had clothed
the arid hills of Valparaiso with verdure, the Calceolarias
forming splendid golden masses on many of the slopes, and a
multitude of beautiful flowers coming into bloom. Thus, in
the course of a single day spent in rambling about among the
quebradas behind the town, I obtained three species of
Calceolaria ; three of Loasa, or Chilian nettle, with white,
yellow, and orange blossoms ; two handsome Orchids of the
genus Chlorea; the Trichopetalum stellatum; a beautiful
Liliaceous plant, the Pasithea cerulea, with grasslike leaves, °
and a flower-stem often exceeding two feet in height, bearing
a loose panicle of exquisite blue flowers ; Lewcocoryne ix1-
ovdes, with flowers varying from purple to bright blue ; a large
orange-flowered Geum; an @nothera, with large white flowers,
growing in marshy places ; the Alonsoa incisefolia, denomi-
nated, on account of its bright scarlet corollas, “Flor de
Soldado ;” several Vetches ; a purple Ozalis ; several species
of Valerian ; Mimulus parviflorus; Gunnera scabra; an
Acena; a Polygala, with blue flowers; a blue Myosotis ;
two species of Zupa; several species of Sisyrinchium; a
Verbena, Tropeolum tricolor, etc. etc. A few weeks later
many other species came into bloom, among which I may
mention a climbing Composite, with its leaves terminated by
tendrils, the Mutisia latifolia ; the Salpiglossis sinuata ;- seve-
ral yellow-flowered species of Oxalis, and the lovely Caly-
dorea speciosa, whose deep blue flowers, with yellow hearts,
abounded on the sun-baked slopes of many of the hills.
420 NATURAL HISTORY OF
On the 30th Dr. Campbell and I started by the ten a.m.
train for Santiago, the Chilian capital, about a hundred miles
inland, and somewhat to the south of Valparaiso. The first
part of the line, ae. as far as the station of Llaillai, though
not new to us, was yet greatly improved in appearance since
the time of our journey to Santa Rosa, the pastures being
beautifully green, and a great variety of flowers being in
bloom on the plains and hill-sides, and the railway banks
covered with Calceolarias, the Tropeolum tricolor, and many
other species. At the Quillota station, in addition to baskets
of lucumas, cherimoyers, and oranges, “ peje reys” (Ather-
inichthys microlepidotus), “ camarons” (Palemon cementarius),
and small cheeses, were offered for sale; while beggars in
troops planted themselves before the windows of the carriages,
and droned out petitions for aid. Soon after passing Llaillai,
the line les for a time through bold hilly country, pursuing
its course through several remarkable cuttings, and over -
some ingeniously constructed bridges—one of which, of con-
siderable length, exhibits a striking lateral curve. We reached
Santiago between four and five o’clock, and drove ina “ coche”
to the Hotel Oddo in the Calle Alumeda, passing through
part of an avenue of Lombardy poplars, which extends
throughout nearly the entire breadth of the town, and is
termed the “ Alumeda.” Arrived at the hotel, we were estab-
lished in one of a series of rooms ranged around a courtyard,
and in about half-an-hour the table-d’héte was ready ; after
which we walked out to view the streets, which did not
appear to much advantage, owing to their being very imper-
fectly lighted, as there was supposed to be moonlight, although,
owing to the cloudy state of the atmosphere, we obtained little
or no benefit from the luminary. We entered a large church
where vespers were going on, but as there was an exceedingly
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 421
“dim religious light,” we could see very little, and so did not
remain long, but passed the rest of the evening pacing up and
down a fine arcade, which, being brilliantly lighted, and
abounding in handsome shops, is a favourite resort for the
beauty and fashion of Santiago. |
Next day, October 1st, after breakfast, we walked to the
little rocky hill of Santa Lucia, ascending it in an orthodox
manner to obtain the view of the city, for which it is justly
celebrated. It was a clear, sunny morning, so that the pro-—
spect more than came up to our expectations: the combined
effect produced by the city, with its countless church towers
and spires, extending for several miles over a flat green plain,
and the surrounding mountains, some of which exhibited
beautiful shades of purple, while others were white with
snow, being remarkably fine. The regularity of the style
in which the- streets are laid out, so as to cross each other at
right angles, and the manner in which the houses, roofed
with reddish-brown tiles, are built so as to form hollow
squares enclosing courts and gardens, with oranges and a
variety of other trees and shrubs planted in the centre, con-
duced to form a very striking scene. After spending some
time on the summit of the hill, and inspecting an old fort on
one side, built by the Spaniards to repress the incursions of
the Indians, we took a long walk through the streets, visiting
many of the churches, some of the pictures and images in
which were among the most revolting I have ever seen, as
‘well as the site of the church burnt down in 1863, and a
private house, built at an enormous expense, in imitation of
the Alhambra; and then returned to our hotel to luncheon,
afterwards proceeding to the Museum to call on Dr. Philippi, the
‘distinguished director of it. We were much at a loss where
to find him when we reached the shabby building which we
422 NATURAL HISTORY OF
were informed was the Museum, but after a time were
directed to his colleague Mr. Landbeck, who informed us that
Dr. Philippi was not then at the Museum, and courteously
offered to send a person with us to show us the way to his
house. We thankfully accepted this proposal, setting forth
preceded by our guide, and after walking for a considerable
distance, were fortunate enough to encounter the object of
our search, to whom we accordingly introduced ourselves.
Dr. Philippi was kind enough to accompany us to the
Museum, where we spent a couple of hours in his company
in the examination of specimens of Chilian plants and ani-
mals, receiving a great deal of information from him regard-
ing the fauna and flora of Chili, of both which the Museum
possesses, thanks to his zeal, an admirable representation,
causing us to regret all the more the poor accommodation
allotted to it by the Chilian government. The ornithological
and malacological collections, as well as the herbarium, struck
me as particularly fine, and remarkably well arranged for
purposes of study.
After leaving the Museum we called on a Chilian-gentle-
man to whom I had been given an introduction by one of the
English merchants in Valparaiso, and in the evening dined
with him at a large club, of which he was the secretary.
As he possessed an excellent knowledge of the English
language, we gained much information from him regarding
Santiago and its inhabitants. Although a Roman Catholic,
he appeared to entertain the very lowest opinion of the
morale of the priesthood, describing their general character
in very forcible terms, and giving us plainly to understand
that they possessed but little religious influence, save with
the female portion of the community. On the forenoon of °
next day, which was very fine, though the distant prospect
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 423
was not so clear as on the 1st, we took a long circuit through
the streets, crossing the river Maypu, which flows through
part of the town, and walking out into the suburbs. We
entered a large cemetery, and were strolling carelessly about
in it when we accidentally lighted upon the plot of ground
where the remains of the women, burnt in the conflagration
of the church in 1863, are interred. The ground is railed in,
and in the centre of the space a large metal cross is erected,
while fixed to the railing in front are two marble tablets,
bearing an inscription recording the tragical event, and term1-
nating with the words, “Restos de sus Victimas, 2000 mas
o menos.” Although the dastardly conduct of the priests on
that occasion excited the utmost indignation at the time, the
lower classes appear to be still thoroughly priest-ridden, and
Santiago gives one the impression of a city where Roman
Catholicism, in its worst form, is rampant.
In the afternoon we visited, under the guidance of the
Chilian gentleman above mentioned, a most interesting relic
of the Spanish conquest, namely, the original house of the
celebrated Pedro Valdivia, a very miserable-looking little
dwelling, to which we gained access through the politeness of
an ecclesiastic. After that we walked to the so-called Botani-
cal Gardens, which appeared to partake of the nature of a
wilderness, returning to our hotel in time for the table-d’héte.
Next morning our brief sojourn was brought to a close, and
we left Santiago at ten A.M. reaching Valparaiso between
four and five in the afternoon.
ADA NATURAL HISTORY OF
CHAPTER XIIL
LEAVE VALPARAISO—ARRIVE AT LOTA—LONG RIDE—LUCO BAY—
ROBLE — BUDDLEA — TRACHYPTERUS — TORPEDOS— PLANTS — ;
MARINE ANIMALS — QUELS — PIURE — REACH SAN CARLOS DE
ANCUD—CORMORANTS AND PETRELS—-EDWARDSIA MICROPHYLLA
— QUEHUY — CALCEOLARIA — LUZURIAGA — RHINODERMA —
INDIAN INHABITANTS OF QUEHUY—GUAYTECAS ISLANDS—PORT
MELINKA — CAVE WITH BONES OF CHONOS INDIANS — PORT
LAGUNA—PLANTS—MYOPOTAMUS—DARWIN CHANNEL— ENTER
THE MESSIER CHANNEL — LEBETANTHUS — GRAY HARBOUR —
CHILINA—PORT GRAPPLER—FISH—CURIOUS PLANT— CRANIUM
OF DEER—-PUERTO BUENO—AMPHIBIA—OXALIS MAGELLANICA—
FORTUNE BAY — INDIANS — FISH-—MEET A WHALING SCHOONER
—OTTER ISLANDS — WILLIWAWS — SHOLL BAY — CROSS THE
STRAIT TO THE ISLAND OF DESOLATION — TUESDAY BAY
CHRISTMAS
BAY——-MEET OUR PROVISION BRIG.
THE month of October passed without the occurrence of any
events meriting a special notice in this place, and early on
the evening of the 3d of November we bid farewell to the
Bay of Valparaiso, and began our southerly voyage. The 4th
was a fine sunny day, but the wind was unfavourable, oblig-
ing us to keep under steam. On the evening of the 5th we
reached Lota, and there anchored, and the following morning
I landed with Captain Mayne, and had a very pleasant long
ride with him into the country beyond the small town or
village of Coronel, some miles to the northward of Lota.
The day was all that could be desired, and the country was
looking most beautiful ; rich in trees and shrubs, and with a
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 425
profusion of flowers in bloom, some of which, such as the
large white-flowered Wnothera mutica, the exquisite blue
Pasithea cerulea, and the Tropeolum tricolor, I had already
observed in the north, while others were now seen for the
first time. Among the latter -were the Chilian strawberry
(Fragaria Chilensis), and a handsome twining Amaryllid, the
Bomarea Salsilla, with umbels of purple flowers. Lapageria
rosea Was completely out of flower on this occasion, though I
recognised many specimens of its young shoots. When we
started on our ride we had some idea of going as far as Con-
cepcion ; but as, after riding sixteen miles, we were informed
that the city was yet twenty miles distant, it appeared that
it would be impracticable for us to reach it without being
much later in getting back to the ship than seemed advisable,
and we therefore relinquished the attempt, and halted for a
time at a pretty little hacienda, the steward of which had
passed some years in San Francisco, and spoke English toler-
ably well. He very hospitably invited us to his house, where
he entertained us with some excellent home-made bread and
butter, and “chicha manzana,” namely—chicha made from
green apples, an extremely acid composition. He possessed
a variety of dogs, among which was a black cross between a
bull-dog and mastiff, which, despite its ferocious appearance,
was a most amiable creature ; and a fine set of beehives, some
of the inhabitants of which were swarming. He informed us
that pumas were common in the neighbourhood, and some
ludicrously ill-stuffed specimens of these quadrupeds, some-
what resembling four-legged bolsters, were suspended from the
rafters of a shed.
Next morning a party of us landed, and after a ramble
along the beach to the south of Lota in search of marine
animals, in the course of which we encountered a consider-
426 NATURAL HISTORY OF
able variety of Mollusca and Crustacea, climbed up to the
high ground, where I found several plants that were new
to me, including a beautiful species of Zigridia, with pale
bluish-purple flowers, beautifully variegated at the base of
the outer segments of the perianth with dark purple dots,
which occurred among wheat, and an Anagallis, the A. alter-
nifolia, with pale pinkish-white blossoms. Many specimens
of a pretty little green and blue lizard, the Lezolemus pictus,
not previously seen, were observed running about, and one
was captured and added to my collection. We returned to
the ship between one and two P.M., and immediately after-
wards we weighed and left Lota, but finding the wind very
strong against us, only moved on as far as Luco Bay, one
of the subdivisions of the bay of Arauco, and there anchored.
The 8th was a lovely day, but the wind still so strong
outside that we remained at anchor. As usual, the dredge
was made use of, and in the morning we obtained, by means
of it, specimens of an Isopodous crustacean, of the genus
Serolis, the S. Gaudichaudu. The aspect of the country, as
seen from our anchorage, was remarkably attractive—steep
grassy banks, beautifully diversified with trees and shrubs,
rising above smooth yellow sandy beaches and steep sand-
stone cliffs; and the greater number of us in consequence
landed in the afternoon for a walk, in the course of which I
observed many fine examples of the Robleé (Fagus obliqua),
forming beautiful spreading trees, which afforded a pleasant
shade, and I also saw for the first time the Buddlea globosa,
whose rounded heads of orange-yellow flowers diffused a
heavy honey-like perfume. A seining-party, which had been
despatched early in the afternoon, returned in the evening
with a large supply of small fish, including some fine
Pleuronectide, resembling plaice in general appearance, a
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 497
large number of the curious Callorhynchus australis, and
several Torpedos (a species of Duscopyge, 1 believe), which
inflicted severe electric shocks on those who handled them.
A single specimen of a very remarkable fish of the family
Trachypteride was likewise taken —viz. the Tvrachypterus
altivelis, previously known from a single specimen in the
Vienna Museum, which was captured at Valparaiso. The
body of this fish is so much compressed from side to side
as to resemble a knife-blade in thinness, and is covered
with minute silvery scales, and the dorsal and caudal fins,
like those of the other species of the genus, are of very
peculiar form.
The 9th was also a beautiful day, but it was still blowing
hard outside, and accordingly, after a fruitless attempt to
make headway, we returned to the bay to remain for the day,
and a large party, of which I formed one, landed early, and
passed some very pleasant hours on shore. On the sandy
beach, where a stream ran into the sea, I found a very rich
deposit of magnetic iron ore, and, above high-water mark,
a blue-flowered species of Sorema and a Euphorbia were
growing luxuriantly. The hills also yielded me a consider-
able variety of plants. The Zvgridia obtained at Lota was
exceedingly common in many places, and communicated a
most beautiful appearance to the banks. Its petals were,
however, unfortunately so exceedingly fugacious, that I did
not succeed in preserving any of the flowers. An Hmbothriwm
(Z. lanceolatwm) formed a tall shrub, loaded with brilliant
scarlet flowers. It is a handsomer species than the JF.
coccineum, which I did not meet with to the north of Chiloe.
Among the other plants met with were a tall Lauraceous
shrub, with viscid leaves ; several Composite that were new
to me ; a small purple @nothera, Pasithea cerulea, the Chilian
428 NATURAL HISTORY OF
strawberry, an orange-flowered Zinwm, two species of
Chlorea, a Inbertia (L. txioides ?), etc. I stopped at noon at
a rancho, where I saw a girl engaged in the preparation of
cheese, squeezing the consolidated curd through her hands,
which were not over clean, into a wooden mould. In the
course of the afternoon I descended to the beach to explore
the rocks, some of which were very bold and striking, formed
of sandstone of various degrees of hardness, and remarkably
furrowed and hollowed out by the action of the waves. On
the sides of a deep cleft a number of fish of the genus
Gobiesox were clinging to the rocks, between four and five
feet above the level of the water, by means of a strong sub-
thoracic sucker ; but I failed in obtaining specimens of them,
as they all let go their hold and dropped into the water on
my approach. Among the marine animals observed were—
Fissurelle, Concholepades, and Patelle, many large specimens
of Amyxa niger, and some bright purple encrusting sponges.
Numerous gulls and terns were flying about, and a large
flock of pelicans lighted on a reef of rocks at no great
distance from me. Some of the officers had taken their guns
on shore with them, and some pigeons, as well as a solitary
partridge (Nothura), were shot, and several spur-winged
plovers (Vanellus Cayanus) and woodpeckers (Colaptes pitius)
seen.
The 10th was also fine, but as the wind still continued
adverse, Captain Mayne resolved on remaining for another
day where we were. Before breakfast, an “ Englishman,”
who, we had been informed by some Chilians, was ‘living on
the coast of the bay, a weather-beaten, rather rough-looking
large-made man, of between fifty and sixty, came on board, and
informed us that there were some remarkable ancient tumuli
on a piece of land belonging to him, offering to show them to
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 429
us if we thought them worthy of examination. I therefore
applied to Captain Mayne for a few of the men to carry-on |
excavations, and shortly after landed with our informant.
In the course of conversation with him on our way on shore,
I accidentally learned that he was a Scotchman, from Edin-
burgh, and on my telling him that I hailed from the same
quarter, he gave me a sketch of his history, which was not a
little curious. He had been educated at the High School of
Edinburgh, but having a passion for aroving life, had run
_ away from home, joined an outward-bound ship, and been
wrecked. on the coast where he now lived, in 1839, never
having, since that time, moved many miles from his house
and the small piece of land which he possessed. He had
married a Chilan wife, and had a family, about whose educa-
tion he was a great deal taken up. He had evidently a great
zeal for reading, and asked me many questions about Carlyle’s
and Hugh Miller’s works, and as to what was thought of
Mr. Darwin’s Origin of Species. He was also very anxious to
hear news about Edinburgh, and inquired whether the National
Monument on the Calton Hill was yet completed. On land-
ing we ascended one of the steep hills to the nearest tumulus,
a grass-grown mound resembling a barrow, and about four
feet in height, and leaving the men to excavate this, we
walked on for a couple of miles to look at some other tumuli.
As we went we had much talk, alike of the old country and
Chili, and I received a good deal of information from him
about the latter. He dwelt much on the rapacity and tyranny
of the priests, mentioning many instances of the manner in
which they fleeced the poorer classes. We at length ascended
to a height of, as nearly as I could calculate, a little under
- two thousand feet, from whence we had a magnificent view of
the surrounding country and the bay of Arauco. Here were
430 NATURAL HISTORY OF
some more of these tumuli, which my guide stated were not the
work of the present Araucanian Indians, who appeared to be
entirely ignorant of their origin, and termed them quels. He
also mentioned that some examples which he had seen were
between thirty and forty feet in height. He had had several
interviews with the Araucanians, who, on one occasion, had
despoiled him of some of his possessions, and mentioned that,
like many other Indian nations, they bury garments and pro-
visions along with their deceased friends, in order that they
may be suitably provided in their journey to the “land of the
hereafter.” On our return to the first tumulus we found that
the diggers had met with no results, and as our time was but
limited, I did not deem it expedient to prosecute the search
farther. In the course of a stroll along the rocks later in the
day, I found a curious social Tunicate, the “piure” of the
Chilotes, occurring in great abundance, along with extensive
colonies of a Sabelloid Annelid. The “piure,” which is also
common in Chiloe, is regarded as a considerable delicacy. It
appears to have been first described by Molina, who remarks
that it scarcely deserves the name of a living animal, and that
it is as remarkable for its figure as for the manner in which
it is lodged, observing that the animals are enclosed in a firm
envelope of various forms, and that one of these cases often
contains eight or ten distinct individuals, separated from each
other by partitions formed of a strong membranous substance.
My other zoological captures on this occasion consisted
of a fine swimming-crab (Platyonychus purpureus), many indi-
viduals of which were taken by a seining-party, a small
slender snake, the Dromicus Temminckw, and a few Coleoptera,
including two female specimens of a large Longicorn species
(the Acanthinodera Cuming), which emitted a very un-
pleasant odour on being handled.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 431
The wind gradually fell in the evening, and at four A.M.
on the 17th we got under way, and stood out along the coast,
proceeding southwards very quietly. The 12th was fine, but
the wind unfortunately considerably against us, and a pretty
heavy swell on, which elicited the usual amount of heavy
rolling, for which our vessel appeared to have a remarkable
aptitude. The 13th was of much the same nature, and on the
14th, before breakfast, a most dismal morning of heavy
drizzling rain, which caused us to realise that we were enter-
ing the region of almost perpetual wet, we reached the bay
of San Carlos de Ancud, and anchored at our old station off
Punta Arenas. The rain, however, gradually cleared off, and
by noon the sun was shining brightly. The land appeared
rather less green than it did at the time of our first visit,
owing in great measure to the young foliage of many of
the shrubs, especially those belonging to the order Myrtaceae,
possessing a reddish-brown hue. As usual, several of us landed
in the afternoon, and remained on shore till between five and
six PM. The Fuchsias and Hscallonias were beginning to
make a show, and the tall Malvaceous shrub observed in the
month of May was covered with its large white and pale
purple flowers. Both the white and purple varieties of our
native foxglove were also flowering luxuriantly, and the stems
of many of the trees were covered with the scarlet flowers of
the Sarmienta repens, and the beautiful white blossoms of
Callixene polyphylla, and of a species of Luzuriaga. On the
cliffs near the sea I obtained a splendid Calceolaria, which I
had not before observed, as well as a species of Lzbertia, with
large handsome white flowers ; and at the edge of the woods,
Buddlea globosa, Berberis Darwinii, Codonorchis Lessonii, and
many other plants, all in flower. I also found a single speci-
men of a frog of the genus Cystignathus (C. teniatus), described
432 NATURAL HISTORY OF
by Girard from specimens obtained in the vicinity of Santiago,
as well as a handsome golden-green Lamellicorn beetle, the
Lrachysternus viridis ; and among the marine animals procured
on this occasion was an exquisite little Nudibranchiate mol-
luse, marked on the mantle with elevated orange spots.
The 15th was a beautiful day, the horizon gradually
clearing, so as to afford a fine view of Osorno and Quellaype,
and the peaks of the Cordillera, all dazzlingly white with’
snow. I landed in the afternoon with two companions, and
walked for some miles along the beach, noticing large flocks
of the Phalacrocorax Gaimardu, and of a diving petrel, which,
flying along a few feet above the surface of the water, would
suddenly drop into it hke so many stones, emerging again at
a considerable distance. I found for the first time, on this
occasion, specimens of the yellow flowers of a low Leguminous
tree, the curious four-winged pods of which had attracted my
attention on our former visits. This was the Edwardsia
microphylla, one of the Sophorec, characterised by having the
filaments of the stamens not united into a bundle like the
majority of the order to which it belongs. It is principally
to be met with in South Chil, but also, I believe, occurs in
the island of Juan Fernandez. On the 16th, which was also
fine, I was one of a party who spent the day cruising about
the head of the bay in quest of sport. We saw an enormous
flock of the small curlew observed on former occasions, as
well as several godwits, turnstones, oyster-catchers, and teal,
but did not discover anything new. On the afternoon of the
following day Dr. Campbell and I landed, and procured speci-
mens of some small birds, including a pretty little slate-coloured
and white finch, the Diuca grisea, which was very common,
flying in small flocks over the cleared patches of ground,
‘ and a woodpecker (Colaptes pitius), which was feeding on the
opt ar ee ee, ar <=
tpt eee eee
o> Foe et
rf '
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 433
ground on ants’ larve. On the 19th I landed on the opposite
side of the bay from our anchorage, and spent some hours
botanising, finding in the woods a small species of Libertia
which was new to me. In open spaces there was a splendid
display of white and purple foxgloves, and I found the
Tricuspidarta or Crinodendron observed in the preceding
April in abundance, its low trees being red with a multitude
of the fine drooping crimson flowers. I also obtained flowering
specimens of the Proteaceous Lomatia ferruginea, which I
have previously mentioned extends far down the west coast of
Patagonia. Another tree belonging to the same order, which
occurred rather plentifully, was the Quadria heterophylla,
with rather large pinnate evergreen leaves, and a small edible
fruit of a nutty flavour, on account of which it is termed
“avellano” by the Chilian country people.
On the afternoon of the 20th we left the bay of Ancud,
and passed into the Chacao Narrows, anchoring for the night
in Lacao Bay. Next morning we got under way, and pro-
ceeded southwards to the island of Quehuy, situated about
half-way down the east coast of Chiloe. The day was at
first bright and clear, and the view of the dark frowning
headlands and snowy peaks beyond was remarkably fine.
We anchored off the island soon after noon, as we had been
informed that two Englishmen lived there who were well
acquainted with the Chonos Archipelago, and Captain Mayne
was anxious, if possible, to secure the services of one or other
of them to pilot us through the intricacies of that imperfectly
known region, which we were desirous of seeing something of.
Heavy rain set in by the time we came to our anchor, and
continued throughout the remainder of the day, but this did
not prevent a considerable number of us from landing, and .
spending the afternoon on shore. I at first pursued my way
2 ¥
434. NATURAL HISTORY OF
for some distance along the beach at the foot of some soft
sandstone cliffs, varying from thirty to sixty feet in height,
and abounding in magnificent specimens of Gunnera Chilensis,
and the fine Calceolaria obtained at Ancud. Several plants
of the latter attained a height of upwards of three feet, and
were profusely covered with the large yellow blossoms. Near
the edge of the cliffs were some fine low trees of Embothrium
coccineum, glowing with the scarlet flowers, about which
numbers of humming-birds were flying. On leaving the
beach I followed for some distance a narrow path which led
into a thick wood, where I found the Zuzurvaga obtained at
Ancud in wonderful profusion, clothing the stems of the trees,
its masses of delicate fragrant white flowers and orange
berries producing a most beautiful effect. At the edge of the
woods I met with two species of Solanum not previously
obtained, one forming a sort of climber, and the other a stout
shrub. Chimangos and carranchas were among the few birds
observed, a fine specimen of one of the latter being shot by
one of the officers, and I made a single new zoological capture,
in the shape of a curious little Batrachian, the Rhinoderma
Darwinii, with its skin blotched with black and white, and
possessing a projecting dermal appendage on its muzzle.
The morning of the following day was showery. We were
besieged at an early hour by nearly the entire population of
the island, who came off with the view of selling potatoes,
eges, fowls, and small sheep. Many of them possessed
thoroughly Indian features, and I was informed that there
were a considerable number of them who were pure Indians,
speaking the Huilliche language. In the afternoon Dr. Camp-
bell and I landed, and took a long walk, in the course of
which we met a man named Burns, who afterwards acted as
our pilot through the Chonos Archipelago, as well as many of
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 435
the islanders, to whom we appeared to be objects of much
curiosity. They were very anxious to be polite to us, one
- man on horseback coming a long distance out of his way to
offer to carry us across a stream in whose neighbourhood we
were. As a rule, we found the Chilians, both of the upper
and lower orders, exceedingly kind and hospitable. Often, on
passing the poorest hovels, their owners would come out to ask
us to come in and rest, offering us “chicha” or “aguardiente”
by way of refreshment. Upon the sandy beach of this island
I found fragments of the great hands of a burrowing Crusta-
cean, the Callianassa wncinata, and I was informed that it
was very commonly to be met with burrowing in the sand.
On the 23d I was roused at four A.M. by the officer on
watch to witness the sunrise, which was magnificent in the
extreme—the range of the Cordillera, with its numerous sharp
peaks, being of a deep purple tint, and a great mass of cloud,
mottled with crimson, and purple, and gold, projected against
a pale green sky. The day that followed was splendid, and
as we steamed southwards, the mountain scenery on the
mainland. was very fine, the Minchinmadiva, Corcovado, and
Melimoya mountains being specially noteworthy on account
of their sharp peaks covered with snow. Between four and
five P.M. we reached Port Melinka, on the eastern side of
the largest island of the Guaytecas group, and there anchored,
immediately after which four of us left the ship in the dingy
to explore a neighbouring islet, where we had been informed
there was a cave containing bones of the extinct Chonos
Indians. After a rather long pull, we reached this island, and
proceeded along the coast, keeping a sharp look-out for any
indications of the presence of a cave, and after a time halted at
a low sandy spit, off which the wreck of an old schooner was
lying. Here we landed for a few minutes, and I made a
436 NATURAL HISTORY OF
small collection of plants, the principal of which were the
Chusquea so abundant at Ancud, several MMyrtacee, the
Edwardsia microphylla, Citharexylon cyanocarpum, Sarnuenta
repens, a purple Labiate, an Uncinia, the large white Libertia
common at Chiloe, and a handsome purple Lathyrus, new to
me. We saw a number of kelp-geese (Chloephaga antarctica),
as also some steamer-ducks, and a few parroquets. On the
way back, as we pulled along the coast of the island, we
maintained an anxious scrutiny for the cave, and at length
stopped at a spot where there seemed to be an opening in
the rocks, On landing, I was much pleased to find that we
had hit upon the right place ; and on entering the small cave,
which must have measured about four yards long by nearly
four feet and a half in height, and the same in breadth, we
were rewarded by the discovery of four crania,* and a number of
other bones, which we carried off in triumph to the vessel.
On the 24th we got under way at four A.M., but after pro-
ceeding about fifteen miles southwards, in the course of which
we passed over various islands as laid down in the chart, rain
and mist set in so thick that we anchored at Port Balena, in a
eroup of islands not honoured with any specialname. Here I
obtained two small species of Crustacea, a Beteeus and Palemon
or Hippolyte, inthe dredge. We remained at anchor till shortly
after noon, when the rain and mist cleared off, and we got
under way, passing southwards between the mainland and
the myriads of islands of which the Chonos Archipelago is
composed, and halting for the night at or in the immediate
neighbourhood of Port Nevada, which, like the two preced-
ing anchorages, was not laid down in the Government chart,
but which is situated somewhere on the western side of the
northernmost large mass of the Archipelago, and consequently —
to the north of the Ninualac Channel.
* Now in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, London.
ees
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. - 437
Next morning, 25th, we left our anchorage, and proceeded
southwards to Port Laguna, considerably to the north of the
Darwin Channel, reaching it at about eleven A.M., and remain-
ing there for the rest of the day. Several of the officers, with
myself, landed at one P.M., and spent the afternoon on shore,
where I found that the vegetation exhibited a very gradual
transition from that of Chiloe to that of the Channels. The
following were the principal plants observed :—Podocarpus
nubigenus, also seen at Port Melinka ; Metrosideros stupularis ;
a tree first observed in the western part of the Strait, and
which appears to be a species of Panax ; Embothriuwm coc-
coneum, in flower ; Lomatia ferruginea, in flower ; Lscallonia
macrantha, ditto ; Drimys Wintert; Pernettya mucronata; an
arbutus-like shrub, first observed at Chiloe ; Desfontainea
spinosa; Berberis Darwinit and B. dulcis; Campsidium
Chiliense; the Columnea previously obtained at Port Otway ;
Philesia buartfolia; Chusquea Quila; the Libertia obtained
at Ancud and Port Melinka (probably JL. elegans, Poeppig) ;
Callixene polyphylla, in fine flower; several shrubs not yet
identified ; an Uncinia ; and the usual Hymenophyllous ferns,
including H. cruentum, caudiculatum, tortwosum, pectinatum.
This was the southernmost locality in which I met with
LEscallonia macrantha, Berberis Darwinn, and Chusquea Quila,
and the last occurred very sparingly. Sarmienta repens, I may
here remark, was not observed south of Port Melinka.
We saw an otter, and picked up some skulls of the Coy-
pou (Myopotamus), and several specimens of Chloephaga polio-
cephala were shot, as wellas a teal and a black oyster-catcher.
On the beach I found live specimens of Amyzxa niger, a
Monoceros, and two species of Patella; and a single specimen
of a crab, T'richodactylus granarius, previously found at
Chiloe and in the Messier Channel, was captured by one of
438 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the officers in a small lake of brackish water from which the
port derives its name.
On the 26th we got under way at an early hour, and
having parted with our pilot, who joined a wooding party
from Quehuy, we passed into the Darwin Channel, the
scenery of which is of a very bold, striking nature, and
passed into open water about noon. There was a very
heavy sea on when we cleared the land, but fortunately a
strong wind in our favour, so that, though the style of our
progression was far from agreeable, we made good way
through the night, rounding Cape Tres Montes next morning,
and then crossing the Gulf of Pefias to the Messier Channel,
which we entered early in the afternoon, finding heavy rain
descending as usual. We anchored in Connor Cove between
six and seven P.M., and it rained hard all night and through-
out the greater part of next day, with occasional furious
squalls, which made us feel thankful that we were lying in a
comfortable berth, instead of being out at sea. As the rain
cleared off in the evening, a few of us pulled up the stream
opening into the head of the cove, and landed in various spots,
finding everything drenched with moisture. I noticed some
fine flowering specimens of the Campsidium, but they occurred
too high up on the trees to be attainable ; and I found for
the first time specimens in bloom of a pretty heath-like plant
common in the Straits and Channels, and ascending the stems
of the trees to a height of ten feet or more. This was the
Lebetanthus Americanus, the sole South American representa-
tive, I believe, of the order Epacridaceée. The flowers are
small, of a pretty pink colour, and deliciously fragrant.
On the morning of the 29th we got under way, and
moved onwards to a new port, Gray Harbour, immediately to
the south of Halt Bay. Many heavy showers fell throughout
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 439
the day, with bright sunshiny intervals between them, when
the wooded mountains, on the summits of many of which
snow had fallen the night before, appeared very beautiful.
_ We reached the harbour between one and two P.M., and there
anchored, soon after which some of the officers made an ex-
cursion in one of the boats toa large lake-like expanse of
water at the head, with a river flowing into its upper end.
On their return they brought me specimens of a fresh-water
shell of the genus Chilina, which was new tome. The follow-
ing morning was showery and very cold, the snow-crowned
hills in our vicinity presenting a decidedly wintry aspect ; and,
after an interval of between five and six months, we resumed
our fire in the wardroom. Three of the officers, with my-
self, left the ship soon after breakfast, and pulled up the
river for some distance. In a small bay, communicating with
the lake-like expanse already referred to, we found many
specimens of the Chilina, procured the day before, associated
with live barnacles in brackish water. Many of the shells
had their apices much eroded. Onshore I found a spider of
considerable size inhabiting a burrow in the soft decaying
moss, wide enough to admit of one’s thumb. It had a large
bag of eggs attached to the abdomen; and on taking hold of
it with a pair of forceps to place it in a phial of spirit, it
ejected a jet of fluid to a distance of several inches from the
extremity of the abdomen. I obtained fine flowering speci-
mens of Lscallonia serrata and Pinguicula antarctica, as well
as of a white-flowered Valerian, new to me; and I found
Lepidothamnus Fonkt both in flower and fruit.
On the 1st of December we left Gray Harbour, and passed
southwards through the Englsh Narrows and Indian Reach
to Port Grappler on the mainland, opposite the north-east
corner of Saumarez Island. We reached our destination, a
440 NATURAL HISTORY OF
remarkably fine spacious harbour, between six and seven
p.M., and shortly after we anchored one of the men caught a
fish about nine inches long, which was, as usual, handed over
tome. This was the Chenichthys esox, one of the Trachinde
described some years ago by Dr. Giinther from an old stuffed
specimen in the British Museum, which had formed one of a
collection of fish made by Captain King at Port Famine.
‘When newly caught its sides were elegantly barred with
narrow bands of grayish-black and violet-purple. Attached
to the skin I found several specimens of a parasitic crustacean of
the genus Caligus, which, being apparently the type of a new
species, I have named C. chenichthydis.
On the 2d the surveying officers were busily occupied in
making a plan of the harbour, and several of those who were
not engaged in this manner, including myself, left the ship
early in the forenoon to explore the surrounding land. Up
at the head of the harbour was a space of flat and tolerably
open ground, overgrown with coarse grass, and here we observed
some geese (Chloephaga poliocephala) feeding, several of which
were shot from the boat. We then landed to capture the
wounded, and spent some hours rambling about in search of
game and specimens. [obtained some handsome lichens and
mosses on the trees, but did not observe anything novel till
I arrived at an open space of mossy ground, when I suddenly
perceived the foliage of a plant with creeping stems, with
which I was unacquainted, and to my delight recognised as a
species for which I had been hunting for the last year—namely
one, of which a specimen, not in flower, had been sent home
by Captain King nearly forty years before, and deposited with
his collection in the Kew Herbarium, and of which Dr.
Hooker was anxious that I should, if possible, procure flower-
ing examples, with a view to the determination of its true
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 44]
affinities. At first I could perceive no flowers, but on going
down on my hands and knees, and crawling over the ground
in this fashion, I after a time found flower-buds, and then
fully opened flowers, and last year’s fruit. The plant is, I
believe, regarded by Dr. Hooker as an aberrant member of
the order Saxifragacee, forming, in his opinion, the type of
- a new genus, which I hope will be described fully ere long.
A detailed account of it would be out of place in the present
narrative, and I shall therefore content myself with stating
that the corolla is formed of five white petals, that the ovary
is trilocular with axial placentation, and that the fruit is a
capsule opening by three valves. Later in the day we visited
several Fuegian camping-places at different parts of the har-
bour. The low beehive-shaped skeleton wigwams were in
general surrounded on three sides by Fuchsia bushes, which
formed an excellent shelter from the wind, and heaps of dead
shells (among which I found a single specimen of an old worn
Concholepas) and an abundant crop of nettles were, as usual,
to be seen in the vicinity. The sites of these wigwams could
almost invariably be readily recognised at a distance by the
bright green tint of the herbage, which contrasted remark-
ably with the more sombre hues of that around. At one
of these encampments I picked up a portion of the cranium
of a deer in a good state of preservation, and I also found
numerous plants of an elegantly cut fern (an Aspidium), not
met with by us before or since in any other locality. Two
distinct forms of it occurred, differing so conspicuously in the
cutting of the pinne, that had I not found them growing
side by side, and connected by intermediate links, I should
certainly have attributed them to distinct species. I also
obtained very fine flowering specimens of Lepidothamnus on
this occasion.
449 NATURAL HISTORY OF
The 3d was a day of very heavy rain, and after devoting
the forenoon to drawing the details of my new plant, I
sallied forth with two companions in the dingy, and we
pulled up to the head of the harbour, where some more
geese were shot, after which we followed the winding course
of a stream for a quarter of a mile, when the rapid shoal-
ing of the bottom placed an arrest on our further progress.
On the 4th we left Port Grappler in the morning, and
passed southwards through Wide Channel, examining the
coast for harbours. About five P.M. we met a Chilian vessel,
the ‘“ Arauco,” on her way from Sandy Point to Valparaiso,
and despatched letters by her; and three hours later we
anchored in, or in the vicinity of, Tom Bay, near the northern
extremity of the Concepcion Channel, on the east coast of
the Madre Islands. Next morning we again moved south-
wards, looking out for harbours, and after spending some
time in the examination of a cove in the Guia Narrows,
we passed on to Puerto Bueno, anchoring there between
eight and nine P.M. The morning of the 6th was rather
fine, so that this very pretty harbour, which well deserves its
name, appeared to full advantage. Close to the water’s edge
is a narrow strip of grass, and immediately behind this a
high bank covered with a belt of trees consisting of ever-
green beech, Winter’s-bark, Zbocedrus, etc., while beyond, as
far as the eye can reach, extend bare hills, with occasional
patches of stunted shrubs, and extensive tracts of bogey
ground, covered with a thick low vegetation of Lepidothamnus,
Caltha appendiculata, and C. dioneefolia, Astelia, and G'at-
mardia. Some of the officers, who landed in the morning to
take sights, brought me off several specimens of a pretty
Carabus (C. sutwralis), previously found at Sandy Point, a
Succinea, and some earth-worms. As early in the afternoon
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 443
it was only raining slightly, Dr. Campbell and I landed, as
usual encased in mackintoshes and sea-boots, and had a long
ramble over the nearer and lower ranges of hills. The rain
soon increased in vehemence, and lasted throughout the whole
time we were on shore, but the comparatively open nature of
the ground rendered walking not so fatiguing as usual, although -
water was squeezed out of the soil wherever we placed our
feet. We came across a number of deep lakes of no great
size, several of which were connected in a chain by means of
a rapidly flowing stream. The principal plants observed
were stunted specimens of Metrosideros stipularis, evergreen
and antarctic beeches, Hmbothrium coccinewm, and Lomatia
Jerruginea, together with a variety of the universally distri-
buted bog-plants. A few geese, some black starlings (Cureus
aterrumus), and many of the little creeper (Oxywrus), were
seen, the last mentioned hopping about the stunted bushes in
small flocks, and accompanying us from place to place. On
the 7th heavy rain fell throughout the day, during which I re-
mained on board, and the same was the case on the 8th, the
afternoon of which I spent on shore. I was much interested
on the latter day by observing some tadpoles in the pools of
water on the boggy ground, showing that Amphibia extended
as far south in this wet region (the climate and vegetation of
which are almost identical with those of Fuegia) as lat. 51° S.;
and two days later one of the men, a zealous collector of
objects of natural history, brought me specimens of the
little striped frog (Nannophryne variegata) discovered the
previous season at Eden Harbour, as well as an example of
the genus Hylodes, which Dr. Giinther considers as identical
with the H. leptopus (Bell), of which but a single specimen,
in a very bad condition, previously existed in the British
Museum, procured by Mr. Darwin at Valdivia, to the north of
444 NATURAL HISTORY OF
lat. 40°. The species therefore possesses a geographical
range of between six and seven hundred miles. I think it
therefore far from improbable, judging from these facts, that
some future naturalist may discover Batrachia to the south
of the Strait of Magellan.
On the 9th heavy rain fell throughout the day, and snow
descended thickly on the nearer hills, while towards the
evening sleet fell heavily on deck. It was bitterly cold, and
the landscape presented a most wintry appearance about
nine P.M. when the weather cleared up for a short time, the
snowy hills appearing very close to us, and the bare rock-faces
looking most drearily black. And this, the reader will bear
in mind, was mid-summer! On the 10th two of the officers,
with myself, landed early in the afternoon, and walked to a
neighbouring inlet, in the vicinity of which I obtained for the
first time the pretty little white-flowered Oxalis Magellancca.
From the summit of a hill upwards of a thousand feet in
height I gained a fine view of the Channel, and watched
a magnificent snow-cloud gradually sweep down it. Heavy
rain fell throughout the next three days, but on the 14th
there was a very considerable improvement in the weather,
which we made use of to get under way and continue our
southerly course, looking for harbours on the way, our
researches being rewarded by the discovery of a fine new
anchorage in the Sarmiento Channel, on the west coast of the
largest of the Owen Islands, which subsequently received
the name of Mayne Harbour, in honour of the head of the
survey. Here we spent about an hour, and I landed for a
walk, and procured fine specimens of Lebetanthus Americanus
and other plants. This, as I have earlier observed, was the
southernmost locality in which I observed the curious
Lepidothamnus. In the evening we reached Columbine Cove,
ea ee ee
he — _
aS ox
?
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 445
on the east coast of Newton Island, and there remained
for the night, weighing early next morning, and moving
onwards. Leaving two of the boats to survey Victory Pass,
between Hunter Island and Zach Peninsula, we proceeded to
Fortune Bay, on the east coast of the Queen Adelaide
Archipelago, and there anchored at ten A.M., perceiving,
shortly before we came to a halt, several Fuegian canoes
pulling towards Long Island, opposite the bay. Before long
heavy rain set in, and lasted throughout the forenoon. Ina
short time we were jomed by the Indians, who arrived in
detachments in their canoes, the first that came alongside
containing the party which we had encountered during the
previous season in Sholl Bay, and who evidently recognised us
as old acquaintances, nodding and smiling profusely. This
canoe was followed by two others, and, in course of time, by a
merchant-ship’s boat, by what means acquired it is of course
impossible to say. During the forenoon we had upwards of
forty of these people on board—the entire number of those
who came alongside, including men, women, and children,
amounting to about sixty individuals. Some of these were
hideously ugly, while not a few possessed very intelligent
countenances, and nearly all appeared to have a great capa-
city for laughter. There were the usual demands for
“Galleta” and “'Tabaca,’ and they were most indiscrimi-
nate in their desires for our property—a man who had had
his face soaped, to his great edification, making signs for
my handkerchief to wipe it with; and a woman wishing to
effect an exchange between her bone necklace and the
watch-chain of one of the officers. Our caps were also much
coveted, our watches excited great interest, and a small
looking-glass was a source of wonder, evidently mingled
on the part of some with a considerable amount of awe.
446 NATURAL HISTORY OF
They bartered shell and bone necklaces, slings, bows,
quivers of otter-skin, arrows, and spears, for knives and
tobacco. The spear-handles were formed of tapering poles
of Zibocedrus, about eight feet long; and the heads, apparently
fashioned out of the bones of Cetacea, were of two forms—
one which, in so far as we could learn, is employed for
harpooning porpoises, being attached by a leather thong to
the spear-handle in such a manner that, when the porpoise
is struck, it becomes detached, so as to leave the handle
floating on the water; while the other, armed with a serrated
edge, and permanently fixed into the handle, is used for the
capture of otters and fish. Our visitors entertaimed us with
what appeared to be national melodies, of a rather monotonous
character, and as usual imitated everything we said with the
utmost accuracy.
The rain cleared off at about two P.M., and two more of
the boats were despatched on surveying work, shortly after
which the Fuegians left us, considerably to our relief, and
encamped on an open space on shore opposite the vessel,
proceeding to roof in some old wigwams with green branches,
as well as to construct a new one. I landed for a short
time in the afternoon, and did not meet with anything of a
noteworthy character; but some of the officers who were
fishing met with a tolerable amount of success, capturing
several specimens of a handsome fish, with a very broad
head and rather large scales of a fine golden-yellow colour.
This was the Motothenia macrocephalus, described some years
ago by Dr. Giinther, from a stuffed specimen said to be from
the Falkland Islands, where, however, we did not encounter
the species; and it is perhaps worth mentioning that
Fortune Bay, where it appeared to be rather abundant, was
the only locality in which it ever occurred to us. The
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 447
largest specimen, taken a day or two later, measured upwards
of a foot in length. In the evening one of the men caught a
handsome species of Sebastes (S. oculatus), of a fine scarlet colour.
This fish had been previously recorded from Valparaiso, so that
it is distributed over more than twenty degrees of latitude.
Next day (16th), which was moderately fine, heavy
showers only falling now and then, in ascending a steep hill,
upwards of a thousand feet in height, I obtained specimens
of a pretty Composite plant, new to me—the white-flowered
Senecio trifurcatus; and I was surprised by disturbing an
upland goose and gander, with a brood of young ones, the
only specimens of the species ever observed by me in the
Channels. On my return to the beach, in struggling through
a belt of wood, so dense was the undergrowth that I was com-
pelled to walk for some distance along the branches of the
trees, from the impossibility of reaching the ground.
The morning of the 17th was rather fine, and a good
deal of excitement was caused on board by the appearance
of a schooner in the distance. The Indians were the first
to perceive her, and directed our attention to her by shouts
and gesticulations, several of them pulling off in a canoe to
meet her. We were for a short time in doubt as to whether
she was coming our way, but she gradually bore down upon
us under Yankee colours, and by-and-by anchored alongside.
Soon after, one of the officers went on board of her, and
learned that she was the “ Mary Nason,” under the command
of Captain Sparkes, from Province Town, Massachusetts,
bound on a whaling cruise, having left home six months
previously, and passed through the Strait of Magellan.
The afternoon of that day was devoted by a party of us to
a fishing expedition, and we captured a number of Notothene,
as well as a single specimen of the Aphritis gobvo, first taken
448 NATURAL HISTORY OF
at Port Gallant. Attached to it were some fine specimens of
a parasitic Isopod, the Pterelas magnificus. In the evening
Captain Sparkes, with his first mate, came on board, and spent
some hours with us, giving us much information in a very
pleasant frank manner, alike regarding Province Town and
his own affairs. Next morning we weighed after breakfast,
and proceeded northwards to Victory Pass to pick up the two
boats left there a few days previously, parting company with
our American friends, after towing them for a short distance
on their northerly course, and then returned southwards,
anchoring in the evening among the Otter Islands, which did
not appear so dismal as at the time of our first visit to them
in March, owing to the improved weather.
The 19th was a showery day. The dredge in the morn-
ing yielded some fine specimens of a bivalve, of the genus
Yoldia, possessed of a large foot, apparently designed for
burrowing in the fine mud of the bottom. Two of the officers,
with myself, left the ship early, and spent the day cruising
about among the numerous rocks and islands. Some oyster-
catchers, a kingfisher, and a male and female of the common
brown duck of the Strait, were shot, and on the beds of kelp
we found a variety of Mollusca and Crustacea; one of the
latter, now seen for the first time in abundance, being a
curious Isopod, the Cassidina emarginata,* of which I after-
wards found the British Museum possessed a single poor
specimen from the Falkland Islands. They swam very rapidly
on their boat-shaped backs among the fronds of the weed, on
which they also crawled with considerable rapidity. On one
of the small islands I noticed some large plants of Veronica
decussata coming into flower. We tried fishing, but with very
poor results, and returned to the ship at about five P.M. One
* Figured at p. 75.
Pr 84 ee t
oe “st
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 449
of the men this day brought me a beautiful white Doris
which he had found on the kelp, and a fish taken had a
species of Lerneocera attached to one of its eyes.
The 20th was fair during the greater part of the day, but
heavy rain came on in the evening. We remained at anchor,
as it was Sunday, and next morning got under way, and
moved southwards through Smyth’s Channel, looking for
harbours as we went along. We reached Sholl Bay on a fine
bright evening, which remarkably contrasted with our former
experiences in the same locality, gaining, shortly before we
anchored, a magnificent view of various rugged gray moun-
tains and snowy peaks, as well as of a glacier several miles in
extent, fed by a dazzling snow-field at its head.
On the morning of the 22d the dredge yielded a specimen
of the long-spined Hchinocidaris, procured on the previous
season, together with some Crustacea of the genus Hurypodius,
and several dead shells of Molluscs, including valves of
Terebratulz, and of a small species of Cardita, the C. Thouarsi,
described by D’Orbigny, from the Falkland Islands.* The day
being bright and clear, we got under way after breakfast, and
crossed the Strait of Magellan to the opposite Fuegian coast.
As we approached it the appearance presented by its wall of
precipitous gray mountains of the most wild and fantastic
_ forms, rising sheer out of the water, was very remarkable in
its excessive dreariness, well meriting Narborough’s name of
Island of Desolation. We first entered Tuesday Bay, which
we found to be a very fine harbour, with a comparatively
narrow entrance, and inside a large extent of water available
for anchorage, and after taking some soundings there, made
our exit, moving westwards to Port Mercy, a very unsafe
anchorage, lying quite open to westerly gales. After scruti-
* A species of Peronia was also here obtained. It is figured at p. 75.
AG
450 - NATURAL HISTORY OF
nising and pronouncing unfavourably upon it, we steamed
back as far as Skyring Harbour, a most extraordinary nook
in the cliffs. Here we would have remained for the night
had the anchorage been good, but it was found that there
was too little room to allow of the ship swinging safely,
particularly as furious squalls, the “williwaws” of sealers,
blew through the gorges of the hills at short intervals. At
one corner of the harbour was a fine cascade, and it was
curious to watch the water of it being blown upwards in sheets
of spray during these squalls, which have been well described
by Captain King in the following words. He remarks—
“ The crews of sailing-vessels call them ‘ williwaws,’ or ‘ hurricane
squalls, and they are most violent. The south-west gales, which blow
upon the coast with extreme fury, are pent up and impeded in passing
over the high lands; when, increasing in power, they rush violently
over the edges of precipices, expand as it were, and descending perpen-
dicularly, destroy everything movable. The surface of the water, when
struck by these gusts, is so agitated as to be covered with foam, which
is taken up by them, and flies before their fury until dispersed in
vapour. Ships at anchor under high land are sometimes suddenly thrown
over on their beam-ends, and the next moment recover their equili-
brium as if nothing had occurred. Again a squall strikes them, perhaps,
on the other side, and over they heel before its rage ; the cable becomes
strained, and checks the ship with a jerk that causes her to start ahead
through the water, until again stopped by the cable, or driven astern by
another gust of wind.” “ In many parts of this country trees are torn
up by the roots, or rent asunder by the wind, and in the Gabriel
Channel the ‘ williwaws, bursting over the mountainous ridge which
forms the south side of the Channel, descend, and striking against the base
of the opposite shore, rush up the steep and carry all before them. I
know nothing to which I can better compare the bared track left by one
of these squalls than to a bad broad road. After having made such an
opening, the wind frequently sweeping through prevents the growth of
vegetation. Confused masses of uprooted trees lie at the lower ends of
these bared tracks, and show plainly what power has been exerted.”
aA ww oe ~leel
ee
Se «
ee gs
y
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. A451
After furling the rain-awning with which we were fortu-
nately provided during this season, but which presented a
surface of attack to the “ williwaws,” we left Skyring Harbour
and returned to Tuesday Bay, where we anchored between
seven and eight P.M.
The 23d was a day of heavy squalls, with calm inter-
vals, when the sun occasionally appeared for a few minutes.
Two of the officers, with myself, left the ship in the
dingy soon after breakfast, and occupied the day in the
investigation of the bay and its inlets, landing here and
there as we considered advisable. On some cliffs we found
a small rookery of cormorants, and in the nests were a few
addled eggs, and several well-grown young birds covered
with sooty black down. One of these, which fell over the
ledge into the water, appeared to feel itself quite at home in
that element, swimming and diving with great rapidity. A
few brown ducks were also seen, as well as several kelp-geese,
which were, however, exceedingly wary. The vegetation I
found to be identical with that of the southern Channels,
the prevailing shrubs being dwarf Libocedrus, Metrosideros sti-
pularis, Fagus betulordes, and F. antarctica, the latter in a very
stunted form ; Winter’s-bark, Desfontainea, Berberis wierfolia,
and Hscallonia serrata, the bushes of which, now in full flower,
appeared at a distance as if sprinkled with snow. No trees
of any considerable size were to be seen; and as usual,
Donatia Magellanica, Astelia, Gaimardia, Myrtus nummularia,
etc., were among the commoner herbaceous plants on the wet
slopes of the hills. Here, as throughout the Channels, Mytili
were very plentiful, and a Patella was also common. The
dredge only yielded a dead fragment of a Polyzoon. One of
the surveying staff, who were busily engaged in their work
this day, brought me in the evening two broken crania of the
452 NATURAL HISTORY OF
fur seal (Arctocephalus Falklandicus) which he had found
lying close to the beach, and on one of these was a small
live Helix, which was afterwards unfortunately lost. One of
the crania was curiously unsymmetrical, recalling that form of
asymmetry in the half-lop rabbit’s skull to which Mr. Darwin
has directed attention, but of course dependent on a different
cause.
On the 24th I landed with two of the officers, and leav-
ing them to cook mussels over a fire which they kindled on
the narrow strip of shingle which extended above high-
water mark, I started on a solitary walk, ascending one of
the: steep hill-sides to a considerable height. About five
hundred feet up, I found a pretty little plant with purple
flowers, the Ourisia breviflora, for the first time. My progress
being at length arrested by a series of bare precipices im-
possible to scale, I gradually descended towards the beach.
In struggling through a dense thicket not far from the
water, my attention was suddenly roused, when stepping
from branch to branch of the trees, by a very strange sound
in my immediate neighbourhood, and looking down from my
perch, I saw a large otter running about, and gazing up at me,
apparently much perplexed by my unexpected presence. On
gaining the beach I found, close to the edge of it, some splen-
did bushes of Veronica decussata, some of them as much
as twelve feet in height, and covered with the pretty fragrant
white flowers. Fragments of Lithodes antarctica were lying
about, but with this exception, hardly any vestiges of marine
animals, save Mytii and Patellw, were to be seen.
On the forenoon of the 25th, Christmas day, rain fell in
torrents, but by the ‘afternoon it faired, and a small party, of
which I formed one, landed, to collect some evergreens where-
with to celebrate the occasion—a sprig of Desfontainea,
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 453
with the addition of berries made of sealing-wax, afterwards
gracing the plum-pudding in the capacity of holly. We found
a second cormorant rookery, and I took two young birds from
the nest for the sake of their crania. The evening passed
in the orthodox manner, various speculations being hazarded
regarding the spot in which our next Christmas would
be spent. The 26th was a showery day. We got under
way after breakfast, and after executing some additional
soundings in the bay, left it about noon, and proceeded
eastwards along the coast of the Island of Desolation. For-
tunately, there was almost no wind, which was a great
advantage, as it permitted us to keep close to the coast,
and so examine it very carefully for harbours. The first
place entered was a deep inlet about three miles to the east
of Tuesday Bay, at the head of which we saw some fine cata-
racts ; and the next locality visited was Valentine Harbour,
which proved to be of little value as an anchorage. We
then continued eastwards for some miles, and between five
and six P.M. entered by a narrow passage a very remarkable
port (Churruca of Sarmiento) surrounded on all sides by high
rugged hills, in the gorge of one of which a deeply-crevassed
glacier, surmounted by an extensive snow-field, descended for
some distance. After spending a short time in this harbour,
we proceeded along the coast for a few miles farther, and then
returned to it, anchoring about nine P.M. for the night. Here
we remained at anchor throughout the 27th, which was
Sunday, much rain falling, which caused us to mourn the
absence of our awning. The evening was, however, fine, and
between nine and ten P.M. there was a very striking lunar
rainbow. On the 28th we left Port Churruca, and spent the
day coasting along the Fuegian shore of the Strait on the
look-out for harbours. The day was luckily calm, though
454 NATURAL HISTORY OF
abounding in very heavy showers, so that a large amount of
exploratory work was accomplished, and in the evening we
crossed over to Playa Parda Cove, and there anchored. On
the 29th we got under way early, and, leaving a couple of
boats to survey the cove, passed westwards along the Pata-
gonian coast for some miles, and then crossed to the Fuegian
side, and entered a small harbour, Port Angosto, found the
day before, anchoring for some hours to make a plan of it.
Dr. Campbell and I took advantage of this circumstance, as
usual, to land, and pass some hours on shore in investigation.
We found progression extremely fatiguing, owing to the pre-
cipitous nature of the ground and the thickness of the trees,
but lighted after a time on some open spaces on a long tongue
of land, which allowed us to penetrate for some distance. As
usual, the trees and shrubs consisted chiefly of Libocedrus, ever-
green beech, Winter’s-bark, Metrosideros, Pernettya mucronata,
etc., and I obtained some specimens of the fruit of the last-
named shrub, differing remarkably in form from the ordinary
condition, the berry being of a conical form instead of rounded
and depressed at the apex. I also found a tiny Composite
plant, the Lagenophora Commersonit, for the first time, in great
abundance, as well as many fine specimens of Clarioncwa
Magellanica and Senecio trifurcatus. We got under way
between four and five P.M., and passed eastwards along the coast,
crossing over at length to Playa Parda, and there anchoring
soon after seven P.M. We found a party of Canoe Indians en-
camped at the entrance of the cove, and learned that they had
visited the party left behind, but had given them no trouble.
On the morning of the 30th we left Playa Parda, and
after proceeding eastwards for some miles along the coast of
the Cordova Peninsula, in the course of which we gained a
fine view of the large glacier in Glacier Bay, the colouring
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 455
and crevassing of which are alike magnificent, we crossed over
to the Fuegian coast (Santa Inez Island), and anchored early
in the afternoon in Swallow Bay. About half-an-hour later
I landed, and ascended a hill on an island which forms part
of the western boundary of the bay. Here I found a white-
flowered Composite plant, new to me, and obtained very fine
flowering specimens of Pinguicula antarctica. The bright
scarlet blossoms of the Hmbothriwm coccineum were also
conspicuous in many spots of the hill, some of the plants
covered by them not exceeding six inches in height. I also
found some good specimens of Galathea subrugosa among the
stones in the water close to the edge of the bay, and a beauti-
ful pale rose-coloured Holis* was brought to me by one of the
men.
The 31st was a dreary day of tremendous rain, with now
and then a short break of fair weather. We remained at
anchor till well on in the afternoon, when we set forth for
Port Gallant, in pursuit of a brig which we saw pass the
entrance of the bay, and thought was probably a provision
vessel from Valparaiso which had been appointed to meet us
at this time. We overtook her shortly before eight P.M.,
finding that our surmise was correct, and having procured
our letters, left her to precede us to Sandy Point, while
we anchored in Fortescue Bay, a number of us sitting up
engaged in the perusal of our correspondence till the advent
of the New Year, when, in conformity with an old custom, at
the conclusion of the first watch at twelve P.M., sixteen bells
were struck, eight in honour of the obsequies of the old
year, and the same number in celebration of the birth of its
successor.
* Figured at p. 75,
456 NATURAL HISTORY OF
CHAPTER XIV.
BORJA BAY—TILLY BAY—FORTESCUE BAY—ELEGINUS—PORT FAMINE
—SANDY POINT—GENTIANA PROSTRATA— ARRIVAL OF A PARTY
OF PATAGONIANS — WAIT FOR THE MAIL-STEAMER FROM
VALPARAISO, WHICH DOES NOT APPEAR — RETURN TO THE
WESTWARD, AND MEET A SCHOONER WITH THE SHIPWRECKED
PASSENGERS OF THE ‘“‘SANTIAGO”—RECEIVE THEM ON BOARD,
AND CONVEY THEM TO MONTE VIDEO — EXCURSIONS AT
MONTE VIDEO —- LEAVE MONTE VIDEO TO RETURN TO THE
STRAIT —- REVISIT THE GALLEGOS RIVER, AND FIND SOME
FOSSIL BONES — REACH THE STRAIT—-RIDE TO FRESHWATER
BAY — PUMA CUB—-PORT CHURRUCA—-PORT TAMAR—MAYNE
HARBOUR — CURIOUS HABIT OF HUMBLE-BEE — ISTHMUS BAY
—OTTER ISLANDS — REMARKABLE SPONGES— AN OTTER-HUNT
—MOUNT BURNEY—GOODS BAY—SHOLL BAY—FORTESCUE BAY
—GUNNERA LOBATA—-WOOD’S BAY—RETURN TO SANDY POINT,
AND RECEIVE THE NEWS OF OUR RECALL TO ENGLAND.
On the morning of the 1st of January 1869, leaving two of the
officers to execute the survey of Port Gallant and Fortescue
Bay, we moved westwards along the Strait, examining the
coast on either side, and after having narrowly escaped
grounding on a bank off the entrance of the Batchelor river,
we anchored in the evening in Borja Bay, on the north side
of Crooked Reach, and Dr. Campbell and I landed and spent
a couple of hours rambling about. Here, as in most localities
visited by us, we came across several wigwams, as well as the
remains of a bark canoe. The marine animal life appeared to
be rather more varied than is generally the case in the western
part of the Strait, and we obtained a variety of Molluscs,
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, ; 457
Crustacea, and Echinoderms, including many fine specimens
of Chiton fastigiatus and Fusus laciniatus, as well as a number
of small live examples of Lithodes antarctica. Next morning
we got under way, and crossed over to Tilly Bay, on the
opposite Fuegian coast, where we spent some hours. Here
some geese (Chloephaga poliocephala) were shot, and I obtained
a number of specimens of a curious little fish, the Harpagifer
bi-spinis, previously recorded from Cape Horn and the Falk-
land Islands, as well as several good examples of Fusus laci-
niatus, which were feeding on the Mytzlz, by means of drilling
a circular aperture in the valves of the shell) Among the
few plants procured in flower were the Oxalis Magellanica and
the Acena pumila. In the evening we returned to Fortescue
Bay, and there anchored, being joined by the boats, and there-
after learning that the Indians had gathered in numbers in
our absence, and given the surveyors some trouble. A small
Yankee schooner, laden with cargo for Valparaiso, was lying at
anchor in the bay, having arrived some hours previously. Her
skipper came on board before long, and evidently felt very
apprehensive of being attacked by the Indians, who in this
part of the Strait have a bad reputation for piracy, and had
been lighting gathering-fires in all directions. This evening
we despatched a seining-party, and obtained a good haul of
fish thereby, principally consisting of the Eleginus maclovinus,
which furnished an agreeable variety to our monotonous diet
of preserved and salt meat.
On the 3d, Sunday, we remained at anchor all day, and
were visited by a few of the Indians, who, however, did not
come on board. On the following morning we left the bay,
and proceeded eastwards, passing Capes Holland and Froward,
and anchoring in St. Nicolas bay about ten A.M., immediately
after which two of the officers and myself borrowed the dingy,
458 NATURAL HISTORY OF
and after pulling as far up the St. Nicolas river as the depth
would permit of—namely, about a quarter of a mile—we
spent some time cruising about the bay, where a specimen
of grebe (Podiceps major), not uncommon in the Strait, but of
which no examples had been as yet procured, was shot. The
survey of the bay being completed by the afternoon, we
weighed and went on to Port Famine.
On the 5th we remained at our anchorage during the first
half of the day. In the morning the dredge yielded a magni-
ficent specimen of the Waldheimia venosa, and after breakfast a
party of us landed and spent some hours roaming about in
quest of game and specimens. It was a very pleasant sunny
forenoon, and I found a number of plants in flower on the
open ground near the beach, including Calceolarias, Vetches,
a yellow-flowered Orchid, Cerastiwm arvense, etc. ; while the
beautiful Codonorchis Lessonit abounded in some spots in the
woods, and Hippuris, and a variety of sedges, were common in
the marshes. In the afternoon we got under way, and went
on to Sandy Point, which we had not visited for the last
eight months. Here we found our provision-brig lying at
anchor, and soon after our arrival Sefior Viel came on board,
bringing with him some letters left for us a short time pre-
viously by a passing vessel. On landing, on the following
afternoon, we met our old friend the Patagonian chief, Caci-
miero Biwa, in a state of inebriation, and learned that a
large party of his tribe was expected before long. After in-
specting the state of the vegetables in the garden of the
Intendente, and making suitable remarks thereupon, Dr.
Campbell and I set out on a walk over the open ground,
rejoicing in being able to dispense with our sea-boots, which
had been our necessary companions for the last two months.
It was a lovely bright afternoon, and as we returned along
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 459
the beach the view looking westward was most beautiful; a
sea of glass, out of which, on the distant horizon, rose several
snowy peaks like icebergs, and overhead a pale green sky.
- The following day was also spent on shore by us, and in
addition to specimens of several small birds not collected
previously, I obtained three species of plants which had
hitherto escaped my notice. Two of these were marsh Ranun-
cult, the R. hydrophilus and R. trullifolius, recorded by Dr.
Hooker from the Falkland Islands, and the third, a pretty
little Gentian, with bright blue flowers, the -G. prostrata, found
by Mr. Darwin at Cape Negro. The distribution of this tiny
plant, as given by Dr. Hooker in the Flora Antarctica, is
remarkably extensive. According to him, it occurs in Europe
- on the Carinthian Alps, at an elevation of from 6000 to
9000 feet ; in Asia on the Altai Mountains ; in North America
on the Rocky Mountains, where it ascends to a height of 15,000
to 16,000 feet ; and in South America, on the eastern side of
the Cordillera. Its occurrence at the level of the sea in the
Strait of Magellan thus affords a striking instance of the
semi-alpine character of the flora of that region, which I have
earlier commented on.
On the 8th a party of us rode up to see the deposit of
coal in the woods, and to inspect the operations that were
being carried on by some men for the procuring of gold in the
bed of the stream, some specimens of the precious metal*
having been discovered some time previously. We witnessed
the process of gold-washing by passing a stream of water
through a gently inclined wooden trough with stages of dif-
ferent elevations.
* Specimens of gold from this stream, which Sefior Viel was kind enough
to present to me, were sent home to the Museum of Practical Geology,
London.
460 NATURAL HISTORY OF
As Captain Mayne had determined to await the arrival of
letters which we expected by one of the Pacific Steam Navi-
gation Company’s vessels, which, leaving Valparaiso on the
13th of the month, was due at Sandy Point on the 19th, we
had some spare time on our hands, which some of the officers
took advantage of, to start on a shooting expedition on the
11th to Elizabeth Island, while those of us who remained at
the settlement were busily occupied in writing up our cor-
respondence, etc. On the afternoon of the 15th, while Captain
Mayne and I were walking over the plains to the northward,
we descried a party of Patagonians in the distance, and
before long they met us, presenting a very striking spectacle.
There were about fifty adults, all mounted, and accompanied
by a large troop of dogs. As they defiled along, clad in their
guanaco-skin mantles, which were for the most part stained
of a brick-red colour, with their bolas hanging by their
saddles, and some with swords by their sides, they appeared
to great advantage, several of the men being very handsome,
and almost all of large size. The tallest, an old man with
thick gray hair; was afterwards measured at the governor’s
house, and found to be six feet ten inches in height. Most of
them, as they met us, contented themselves with smiling and
passing on, but one or two stopped to speak to us, and one
individual majestically motioned to me to pick up his bolas,
which he had dropped. On their arrival at the settlement,
they were greeted with a musical performance by the military
band, and thereafter held an interview with the governor.
Our shooting party rejoined us on the 16th with a hundred
and forty geese as the result of their labours, and I received
from them a fine specimen of an old gander, which I subse-
quently skinned. We were by this time ready to start for
the westward, to resume our work, as soon as the mail-steamer
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 461
from Valparaiso should make her appearance with our letters.
The 19th, the day on which she was due, passed without
her appearance, but at this we were not surprised, as we
were informed that she was not unfrequently a day behind
her time. As day after day, however succeeded, and there
were still no signs of her, we began to be apprehensive for her
safety, more especially as heavy south-westerly gales had
been of late prevailing; and by the evening of the 23d we had
entirely given up hopes of her arrival, and Captain Mayne
accordingly determined on starting next day for the westward.
The 24th was a lovely day, perfectly calm in the morn-
ing, and most unusually warm, one of the thermometers
registering 75° Fahr. in the course of the afternoon. At
four P.M. we got under way, with our provision-brig in
tow, Captain Mayne having made an engagement with
her skipper to convey her to the western entrance of the
Strait, as, owing to the prevalence of westerly winds, it is by
no means an easy task for a sailing vessel to pass through the
Strait from the eastwards, though a passage in the opposite
direction is readily accomplished. We reached Port Famine on
a fine moonlight evening, and there anchored for the night, a
gun and rocket being held in readiness for the purpose of
attracting the attention of the steamer should she happen to
pass by us. Next morning we got under way and continued
on our course, making slow progress in consequence of the
wind being strong against us, so that we did not reach
Fortescue Bay until the evening. On the 26th we weighed
early, with the intention of proceeding as far as Port Angosto.
It was a dull misty morning, causing us to realise that we
were rapidly penetrating into the region of almost perpetual
rain. Between nine and ten A.M. a small schooner was per-
ceived in the distance bearing down in our direction, and
462 NATURAL HISTORY OF
many speculations were hazarded as to whether she would
afford us any intelligence of the missing vessel. As the dis-
tance between us was gradually lessened, we saw, to our
creat excitement, that she was crowded with people, and
had in addition two boats in tow also packed with human
beings. When she had arrived within a short space of us, a
boat left her, which, on coming alongside of us, was observed
to contain the skipper of the Yankee schooner which we had
encountered in Fortescue Bay some weeks previously, and
an officer in the uniform of the Pacific Steam Navigation
Company’s service. The latter, who, on stepping on board,
proved to be the captain of the vessel expected by us, soon
explained the disaster that had taken place. The “ San-
tiago” had struck on a rock* at the entrance of Port Mercy
on the 23d, and some hours later gone down, but the
crew and passengers, with the exception of three, had been
saved, having been landed in the boats immediately after the
catastrophe took place at Port Mercy, where they had re-
mained until the 25th, when two boats, which had been
despatched to look for us, had observed the schooner bearing
down along the opposite coast, and on reaching her had
informed her skipper of their sad plight, on hearing which
he at once crossed the Strait to Port Mercy, took them
all on board, and then set sail for the eastward, hoping to
encounter the “Nassau.” Wonderful to relate, our mails
had been the only ones out of a number carried by the vessel
that were saved from the wreck, and we received our letters
and papers in a damp but otherwise intact condition.
After some consultation between Captain Mayne and the
captain of the foundered vessel, it was decided, as the best
* This rock, not laid down in the old charts, was found by us on the 22d
of December 1868.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. . 463
- course to adopt, that, retracing our course to Borja Bay, which
we had passed by a few miles, we should there receive the
_ passengers on board from the schooner. The next point to
be determined was, whether the shipwrecked company should
be conveyed to Valparaiso or Monte Video, as we could not
leave them at Sandy Point, there being not an adequate
supply of provisions there to support them until the arrival
of the next steamer about a month hence. Monte Video was
at length fixed on, as agreeing most with the wishes of the
generality of the people, many of whom were on their way to
Europe. We reached the bay shortly before noon, followed
by the schooner, which came alongside about an hour later ;
and soon her inmates, many of whom were remarkably attired
in blankets, rugs, etc., trooped on board, our decks being
crowded with a motley assemblage of about two hundred
men, women, and children, of various nations, of which the
English bore the smallest proportion. There were Peruvians,
Chilians, Monte Videans, Argentines, Brazilians, Germans,
French, Italians, and Portuguese ; and their professions were
nearly as equally diversified as their nationalities, comprising
merchants, captains, opera-singers, hotel-keepers, the head of
a large gambling establishment at Lima, and no less than five
ecclesiastics of different sorts. Of these last, two were very
unpleasant dirty-looking old wretches, with straw hats, horn
spectacles, and long gray garments, who might have sat for
pictures of Reinicke Fuchs on pilgrimage; a third wasa stout
old gentleman in black, of a gouty and gluttonous appear-
ance; the fourth was a young Jesuit with a most painful
expression of countenance, the skin resembling parchment
stretched over the bones ; while the fifth, a fine-looking elderly
priest with a splendid beard, clad in a long brown garment,
and who had showed an admirable example in the way of exer-
464 NATURAL HISTORY OF
tion at the time of the wreck, was, I believe, a missionary
from Chiloe.
After receiving our living freight, we parted company
with the schooner and provision-brig, the former of which
proceeded westward, while the latter followed us to the east
with the intention of going round the Horn. Leaving Borja
Bay, we went on under steam all night, and arrived at Sandy
Point between five and six A.M. on the morning of the 27th.
Three hours later we got under way, and proceeding east-
wards under sail and steam, cleared the eastern entrance of
the Strait late in the evening.
I need not enlarge on the details of our daily life during the
voyage northward, which was made entirely under steam, as we
had light head-winds nearly all the way, though fortunately
steadily fine weather, a rare occurrence between the Plate and
Strait. I will leave to the imagination of the reader the
amount of dirt, and heat, and squalor, produced by so many
human beings so closely cooped up, with breakfast going on
all the early part of the day, and an uninterrupted stream of
dinner proceeding throughout the afternoon. It was fortu-
nate that we had filled up with provisions before this unex-
pected accession to our numbers took place, else we would
have been badly off for food. We entered the mouth of the
Plate on the morning of the 4th of February, but made very
slow progress for some hours, as a strong tide was running
against us. In the evening of the preceding day a sad
event had taken place—a man who had been dismissed from
the English hospital at Valparaiso on account of incurable
heart-disease, having died suddenly, and this morning he
was buried at the mouth of the river. The early part of the
night was characterised by a marvellous display of sheet-
lightning, and early next morning we reached Monte Video,
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 465
where we found our old friend, the “ Narcissus,’ lying.
Shortly after we anchored, a small steamer came alongside,
and nearly all the passengers took their departure for the
shore in her, giving three cheers for the “ Nassau” as they
bid us farewell.
We spent a fortnight at Monte Video very agreeably ;
the weather, with the exception of one or two violent pam-
peros, which sometimes detained us on shore unexpectedly,
being gloriously bright and fine, though oppressively hot ; but
there being almost no shade to be met with, owing to the
absence of trees in the country round about the town, pedes-.
trianism was decidedly fatiguing. The Carnival began at
noon on Sunday the 7th, and lasted for about three days,
during which numerous processions of people in grotesque
masks perambulated the streets, while the inmates of the
houses assembled at their windows and squirted perfumed
water at the passers-by, who, in general provided with syringes,
returned the compliment. One fine morning Dr. Campbell
and I went over to the Mount with an old friend, a lieutenant
in command of a gunboat, and spent some pleasant hours
rambling about in search of plants, etc. I here obtained fine
specimens of a handsome lizard (Cnemidophorus lacertinoides),
of a vivid green colour, with several longitudinal narrow
white bands. It was very common, but ran with such exces-
sive rapidity that I was almost in despair of procuring any
examples, only succeeding at last owing to the skill possessed
by one of my companions in. the art of stone-throwing. I
also found two species of Amphibia, one a toad, the Bufo
agua, and the other a beautiful species of Hyla, which was
basking on rocks in the sun. This, the H. agrestis, one
of Mr. Darwin’s numerous discoveries, was of a grass-green
colour above, and yellowish-white beneath, with the back of
2H
466 NATURAL HISTORY OF
the thigh marked with black and white spots, and a well-
marked white streak on the edge of the upper lip, and along
the outer side of the leg, between the knee and ankle. The
occurrence of a species of this genus in an absolutely treeless
district is noteworthy.
Another day I walked with the same companions to visit
a celebrated “quinta,” or country-seat, the property of a Ger-
man gentleman, Mr. Buschenthal. It was an extremely hot
day, and the walk along dusty roads fringed with American
aloes, many of which were in flower, recalled our first im-
pressions of the vicinity of Monte Video. Mr. Buschenthal
was from home when we arrived, but we spent some hours
very pleasantly strolling about his grounds, where great
numbers of Hucalypti, together with a variety of fine Coni-
fersee, were growing. We visited the hothouses, which con-
tained beautiful tropical plants, including some splendid
orchids and ferns. In one of the conservatories a chamae-
leon was slowly crawling about, and we were much interested
in watching its motions. The rapidity with which the extra-
ordinary tongue was protruded to take flies from our hands
was wonderful. After leaving the quinta, we returned to
town by a different route, passing a variety of cottages, each
shaded by the umbrageous foliage of the large Ombu, one of
the few trees to be seen in the district. A few days later,
in the course of a long walk under a blazing sun, I witnessed
a curious sight—observing a green Mantis perched on a low
bush, with a white butterfly in its grasp, which it was devour-
ing piecemeal, its unfortunate victim, one wing of which was
nearly eaten away, making vain struggles to escape.
Having filled up a second time with coal and provisions,
we intended to have left Monte Video on the 19th, but
were prevented by the coming on of a furious pampero, in
- ae re -
‘ee, eee CP ee pee ee
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. _ 467
the course of which the down from the great thistles with
which the plains are covered was blown over the bay in
such a manner as to exactly counterfeit a snow-storm. The
gale continued during most of the 20th, falling gradually
towards the evening, and on the morning of the following day,
which was brilliant, calm, and warm, we weighed, and began
to retrace our way to the south. A favourable breeze sprang
up in the course of the afternoon, and at eight P.M. we ceased
steaming, and went on under sail throughout the night, keep-
ing up an average of eight knots for some time. The follow-
ing day was very bright and warm, with comparatively little
wind, but what there was in our favour. The breeze fresh-
ened somewhat towards evening, and about ten P.M. we were
going smoothly at a rate of about six knots, when those
of us who were seated quietly reading down below were
startled by a sudden shout, and the noise of a scuffle on deck,
and immediately afterwards learned, to our dismay, that there
was “aman overboard.” Sail was at once shortened, and a
boat immediately lowered, which, pulling rapidly from the ship,
gradually disappeared from our view in the darkness. Ten
minutes later a second boat was despatched, and the ship put
about. This boat likewise soon disappeared from view, in
spite of the light of the lantern which she carried, and an
interval of anxious expectation succeeded, broken at length
by a loud hail, soon after which she was descried not far off
with the missing man, who, fortunately for himself, had been
a good swimmer, on board. A blue lght was then burned
to attract the attention of the first boat to our position, and
before long she made her appearance, and we resumed our
course.
Heavy rain came on at two A.M. on the morning of the
23d, and continued for between four and five hours, the wind
468 NATURAL HISTORY OF
afterwards dying away almost entirely, so that we made very
little progress throughout the day. I tried the towing-net,
but with no result. Rain again set in shortly before ten P.M.,
and lasted throughout the night, and on the following morn-
ing, by way of variety, we had a fresh breeze right in our
teeth, compelling us to tack, so that we accomplished very little
way. During the afternoon the breeze freshened into a gale,
and by the evening we were under reefed topsails, and fre-
quently shipped heavy seas. The wind moderated consider-
ably during the night, but by the morning of the 25th
freshened again, and was as foul as ever, while a thick mist
brooded over the troubled water. Later in the day it was
blowing as hard as ever, and great flocks of petrels and alba-
trosses were flying round the vessel. By the morning of the
26th, however, matters were greatly improved, though the
wind was still foul, and we found at noon that we had only
made about 250 miles from Monte Video, which was not
satisfactory. It was dead calm during the greater part of the
27th. In the morning we put over a large dredge in forty
fathoms water, and kept it down for about an hour, but with
very poor results, one or two specimens of a small Hchinus
common in the Strait, a Pagurus, and a minute species of
Gasteropod, being the only animals obtained. Early on the
28th a favourable breeze arose, and we went along smoothly
throughout the day with studding-sails set. On the follow-
ing morning (March 1st) it was blowing fresh from the S.E.,
but we were able to make pretty good progress in the
desired direction, and on the 2d we had a fair wind, which
helped us materially on our way. The 3d was a beautiful
day, but nearly calm. There was a gorgeous sunset in the
evening, followed by a fine moonlight night. The 4th was in
most respects a repetition of the 3d, while the 5th was a dull
mn
a= -
ee. =
ert
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 469
cloudy day, with a rapidly-falling barometer, which caused us
to anticipate a gale. Early in the afternoon, while a number
of us were standing abaft, a seal made its appearance, and
remained for some time diving about close astern of us, and a
few hours later a small land-bird flew on board, and being cap-
tured was brought tome. Under the circumstances I could
not be so hard-hearted as to make a specimen of it, and so
tried the experiment of feeding it with a little water and
crumbs of biscuit, which appeared to have a beneficial effect,
as the little creature, which at first seemed in a dying condi-
tion, gradually revived, and at last flew off. We anxiously
watched the appearance of the weather at this time, as we
were desirous, if possible, to revisit the river Gallegos before
entering the Strait, in order to institute a further search for
the deposit of fossil bones which we had failed in discovering
on the previous season. Heavy rain came on during the
evening, and in the middle of the night a gale set in from the
S.E., but soon changed to the S.W., and by the morning of the
6th of March it was blowing furiously off the land, and the
vessel rolling so heavily as partially to immerse some of her
boats, suspended at their davits at a very considerable height,
in the waves. By the evening, however, the wind had become
less violent, and the sea had gone down, so that we were able
to stand in towards the entrance of the Gallegos, and early on
the morning of the 7th we made Cape Fairweather, the
characteristic forms of the Friars and the Convents disclosing
themselves as we gradually approached the mouth of the
river. The tide was against us, so that we made very slow
progress, and did not fairly reach the entrance till about
two P.M., when, after vainly endeavouring to get into the
river, and being foiled by the numerous sandbanks, we anchored
at some distance outside.
470 NATURAL HISTORY OF
The morning of next day was very fine, though with a
slight W.N.W. breeze blowing down the river. After break-
fast we made our preparations for the trip, and at half-past
ten A.M. a party, consisting of Captain Mayne, six of the
officers, and myself, left the ship in the Captain’s galley and
steam-cutter, the latter of which took the former in tow. The —
tide was against us when we started, and continued so till we
were well into the river. As usual, cormorants, filled with a
spirit of curiosity, came flying round the boats, but were
allowed to escape uninjured. Our first adventure was fur-
nished by the steam-cutter grounding on a bar at the south
side of the entrance, which caused us to make a slight detour,
and a little later, when we were off Loyala Point, also on the
south bank, the same boat broke down, and anchored to
repair damages. The wind was by this time freshening con-
siderably, and Captain Mayne therefore decided on moving
farther up the river in the galley, and there awaiting the
arrival of the cutter. Setting forth, after a hard pull we
reached an island off the northern shore, and there anchored
in shelter. Landing for a few minutes to scrutinise the
neighbourhood, we came across a flock of five flying steamer-
ducks, two of which were shot, and one preserved for a speci-
men. Before long we were joined by the cutter, which had
broken down a second time since we parted company, and
being again taken in tow by her, we proceeded onwards.
Soon the wind very inconveniently changed round to S8.W.,
so that we were no longer under shelter under the north
bank, and the tide, which had turned in our favour, making
against it, caused a very unpleasant chopping sea, which wet
us pretty thoroughly. After passing an elevation, Gallegos
Hill of the chart, and when about four miles below the com-
mencement of the long range of cliffs, about fifteen miles
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 471
distant from the river’s mouth, which we intended to explore
for the desired fossils, the steamer again broke down, and it
was accordingly determined that we should not proceed
farther. We therefore landed in the galley, got the gear
on shore from the two boats, and pitched the tents. The
galley was then hauled up in course of time, while later
the steamer was beached at high water. While these arrange-
ments were going on we strolled out in different directions to
survey the prospect, Captain Mayne and I walking a few
miles in the direction of the cliffs. On our way we observed
a beautiful hawk, with brown and ash-coloured plumage, but
did not get a shot at it, as well as numerous carranchas, which,
as usual, kept a sharp look-out on our proceedings. I found,
to my disappointment, that nearly all the plants, with the
exception of a common yellow-flowered Senecio, had passed
out of bloom, so that I was unable to replace the specimens
so unfortunately lost on our previous visit. Close to the
edge of the river the Huphortia, then noticed, and a curious
leafless, probably Polygonaceous plant, with oddly jointed
stems, which I had found in the course of our first season at
Direction Hills, occurred plentifully, the latter covered with |
seed. We did not observe any guanacos or ostriches, though
many fragments of the skeletons of both were scattered about,
and there was abundant evidence that pumas were common
in the neighbourhood.
Next morning (9th) we rose at half-past six, and, imme-
diately after we had breakfasted, made our preparations for
going up the river to the cliffs—a guanaco, meanwhile,
appearing, and watching our proceedings at a safe distance.
At eight the greater number of us started in the two boats,
the cutter, as on the former day, taking the galley in tow.
Many specimens of a large crested grebe were to be seen
472 NATURAL HISTORY OF
swimming about, and gulls and terns were flying over the
water in flocks. In about half-an-hour the unfortunate
steamer broke down, and halted to repair damages, and we
proceeded on alone, after a tedious pull reaching a long sand-
spit dry at low water. Here we intended to land and walk
on to the cliffs, but our purpose was defeated by the discovery
that the spit in question was not a peninsula, but an island.
Accordingly, joined by the steamer, which again took us in
tow, we proceeded onwards till we arrived opposite the first
deposit of fallen blocks at the foot of the cliffs. The cutter
was then anchored in the stream, while we pulled in towards
the shore in the galley till she grounded, when we landed,
armed with picks and geological hammers for our work.
After examining the first accumulation of blocks, and find-
ing in the soft yellow sandstone of which certain of them were
composed some small fragments of bone, we proceeded to
walk along the beach, carefully examining the surface of the
cliffs and the piles of fragments which occurred here and
there at their base. The height of the cliffs varied consider-
ably, and the highest portions, averaging about 200 feet,
extended for a distance of about ten miles, and were evidently
undergoing a rapid process of disintegration, a perpetual
shower of small pieces descending in many places, and numer-
ous large masses being in process of detaching themselves from
the parent bed. They were principally composed of strata of
hard clay (sometimes almost homogeneous in its texture, and
at others containing numerous rounded boulders) ; soft yellow
sandstone ; sandstone abounding in hard concretions; and
lastly, a kind of conglomerate, resembling solidified, rather
fine gravel. The lowermost strata, as a rule, were formed of
the sandstone with concretions; the middle of the soft yellow
sandstone, which alone appeared to contain organic remains ;
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 473
--and the upper, of the gravelly conglomerate and hard clay.
Nearly the whole of the lower portion of the cliffs, as
well as all the principal deposits of fallen blocks, were ex-
amined by us in the course of the walk, and we met with
numerous small fragments of bone, but very few specimens
of any size or value occurred, and the generality of these were
in such a state of decay as to crumble to pieces when we
attempted, although with the utmost amount of care that we
could bestow, to remove them, from the surrounding mass.
To add to this, the matrix in which they were imbedded was
so exceedingly soft as not to permit of being split in any
given direction. The first fossil of any size observed by us
was a long bone, partially protruding from a mass, and dis-
solved into fragments in the course of my attempts to remove
it. At some distance from this a portion of what appeared to
be the scapula of a small quadruped, with some vertebre,
occurred, and farther on one of the party (Mr. Vereker)
directed my attention to a black piece of bone projecting
from one side of a large block near its centre. This, which
was carefully removed at the expense of a large amount of
labour, with a considerable amount of the matrix surrounding
it, by three of the officers, to whose zeal in rendering me most
valuable assistance in my work I shall ever feel deeply
indebted, afterwards proved to be a most valuable specimen,
for on carefully removing more of the matrix when we
returned to the ship, I found that it was the cranium of a
quadruped of considerable size, with the dentition of both
upper and lower jaws nearly complete.* As no other speci-
mens of importance were discovered, we re-embarked towards
* This specimen, a description of which may be expected ere long from
Professor Huxley, is, I am informed by that gentleman, the type of a new
genus allied to Anoplotheriwm.
474. NATURAL HISTORY OF
the close of the afternoon, and reached our camp at about
six P.M., learning on our arrival that Dr. Campbell had had
the good fortune to shoot a guanaco at a considerable distance
from the tents. This, as he had no companion with him, he
had been obliged to leave on the plains, to be carried in after-
wards, having most ingeniously contrived to eviscerate it with
his penknife, in the course of which process he had discovered
a young embryo, about half the size of a mouse, which he had
brought in for my behoof. After a hearty dinner, which we
felt was well earned by our hard day’s work, and a long and
pleasant talk, we retired to rest, mtending to return to the
ship next morning about eight A.M.
On the 10th several of us rose at five for the purpose of
taking a walk over the plains before breakfast, and three of
the men were despatched to carry in the carcass of the
guanaco, which was a very large one, to our camp. On our
return to the tents to breakfast, we learned that we could
not start as originally intended, as the tide, having been
driven back by a strong breeze that was blowing, had not
come high enough up to float the cutter, which, packed with
our gear, was too heavy to launch. We therefore very
contentedly abandoned ourselves to another day’s experience
on shore, and after breakfast dispersed in various directions,
Captain Mayne, Dr. Campbell, and I, taking a long walk to
the mouth of the river, in the course of which a handsome
plover (Oreophilus rujficollis) was shot, and I obtained a single
plant (a lingering specimen of a species of Valerian) that was
new to me.
On the 11th we rose at seven A.M., and two hours later
embarked and proceeded down the river, reaching the vessel
shortly before noon. On our arrival we got under way for
the Strait, a south-west gale soon after rising. Between six
as
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 475
and seven P.M. we anchored outside Dungeness, and here we
were detained during the following day, as it was blowing
- hard from the S8.W. I filled up my spare time in skinning
and carefully examining the flying steamer-duck, whose ex-
ternal characters agreed in all respects with King’s Micropterus
Patachonicus, and found, on examination of the skeleton, that
it was that of a young bird, the skeleton being imperfectly
ossified, and a thick perichondrial layer investing the sternum,
which was very thin, rough, and porous in texture.
The gale was over by the morning of the 13th, and we
therefore got under way soon after four A.M, and went
onwards to Sandy Point, dropping one of the boats off
Peckett Harbour to effect some necessary soundings there.
On reaching Sandy Point at nine P.M. we were surprised by
finding no less than three vessels lying at anchor, which
proved to be a Chilian man-of-war, the “Ancud;” the
schooner of Captain Luis Piedra Buena, whom we met at
the Falkland Islands in the course of the previous season ; and
our provision-brig, the “Rosario Isabel,’ which we expected
would have nearly reached Valparaiso by this time. We
afterwards found that a sprung mainmast, which had to be
replaced by a new one from Valparaiso, was the cause of her
detention. The wind rose during the night, and next
morning, when we came on deck, Sandy Point presented a
more dismal appearance than we had ever before seen it
exhibit—the day being dreary in the extreme, a strong wind
blowing and causing the vessel to roll severely, heavy rain
descending, and a violent surf breaking on the beach, so as
to render it impossible to land. The wind fell, however, in
the course of the evening, and the morning of the 15th was
calm and sunny, with a decided touch of frost in the air.
Dr. Campbell and I landed as usual to spend the day on
4'76 NATURAL HISTORY OF
shore, and had a long walk over the plains, where some
plovers and several species of Thinocorus rumicworus were
shot, and a number of geese and “ bandurrias,” and a couple
of spur-winged lapwings, were observed.
The beach was strewn with kelp, uprooted by the recent
gales, and many specimens of Lithodes antarctica, Serolis Orbig-
niana, the large Hchiurus discovered in the course of the
first season, and a variety of other marine animals, scattered
about, but I observed nothing that was new to me.
Two days later, Captain Mayne, with three of the officers
and myself, rode to the Chilian outpost at Freshwater Bay, a
distance of about twenty miles by the track. The morning
was dull and cloudy, but the sky gradually cleared, and the
ride was a very pleasant one, our route lying partly through
and in part along the edge of the thick forests of the
antarctic beech, which were beginning to exhibit fine
autumnal tints. We took a little over three hours to reach
the outpost, where we were very politely received, and
regaled with an excellent “casuela,” the unfortunate fowl
furnishing the stock of which being caught before our eyes.
Soon after our meal we remounted and rode back to Sandy
Point, which we reached soon after five P.M., finding that the
squadron off the settlement had been increased by the
arrival of H.M.S. “ Ringdove,” on her way from England to
Valparaiso.
On the 19th I was presented by one of the crew of
Captain Luis Piedra Buena with a puma cub, a charming
little creature, about twice the size of a domestic cat, with a
great round head and beautiful hazel-brown eyes. Unfor-
tunately, however, it had sustained some injury to its spine,
and did not survive long. I fed it with preserved milk,
dissolved in warm water, during the few days I kept it on
THE STRAIT OF. MAGELLAN. 477
board, and this it drank with great satisfaction, licking the
last drops off my fingers with its rough tongue.
The 20th was chiefly marked by the arrival, at four a.m.,
of one of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company’s vessels on
her way to England. She brought us a supply of letters and
papers from Valparaiso, and afforded us an opportunity of
despatching a mail. We got under way for the westward at
four P.M. on the following day, and proceeded onwards all
night. The following evening we anchored at Port Angosto ;
and at noon on the 23d we reached Port Churruca, where
we remained for the day to make a plan of the anchorage.
The afternoon being fine, Dr. Campbell and I borrowed the
dingy and spent some hours pulling about, landing here and
there. A specimen of large black petrel, not uncommon in
the western part of the Strait, but of which I never succeeded
in obtaining a specimen, was sailing about the harbour, and
several kelp-geese, steamer-ducks, and cormorants of two
species, were seen. One of the latter, which was shot,
disgorged about half-a-dozen small fish in a partially digested
condition. As was my general custom, I made a collection
of the plants of the port, but, with the exception of the
Viola tridentata and a species of Uncinia, observed hardly
any species with which I was not already familiar. Under
some stones I found a few specimens of an Oniscoid Isopod,
which were afterwards unfortunately lost. The morning of
the 24th was bright, but very cold. Snow had fallen during
the night on the lower mountains, adding to the wintry
effect produced by the large masses of perpetual snow on the
more elevated peaks beyond. We left Port Churruca early
in the afternoon, and crossed to the opposite shore of the
Strait, anchoring in Port Tamar, in the south-western corner
of King William IV.’s Land, soon after five P.M.
478 NATURAL. HISTORY OF
Next morning we found that there had been a very heavy
snowfall on the Fuegian mountains during the night, and for
some hours there was a series of the most beautiful fleeting
effects of sunshine on the snow, varied by huge snow-clouds
sweeping along the Strait, so as to conceal the opposite shore
from view. The dredge yielded a very fine specimen of an
Kchinid of the family Spatangide, a live Terebratula, and
many examples of a small species of Leda. I spent the
afternoon along with Dr. Campbell in visiting the shores of
the port and the small islands at its entrance, but did not
observe anything worthy of mention, if I may except a
snipe (Gallinago Paraguie), which was shot on one of the
islets,
The 26th (Good Friday) was a cold, dreary day of
perpetual rain; and the 27th was chiefly marked by the
arrival of the “ Ringdove,” which we had left at Sandy Point
engaged in wooding. Much rain fell during the day, but
Dr. Campbell and I spent a few hours pulling about the
harbour, in the course of which we obtained a species of cor-
morant (Phalacrocorax Magellanicus) new to us. The 28th
(Sunday) was a day characterised by heavy showers, and on the
ensuing morning we got under way, and entered Smyth’s
Channel, the “ Ringdove” following in our company. We
passed two canoes with some of our old friends in them, who
waved their cloaks and yelled after the customary manner,
and came to an anchor among the Otter Islands at four P.M.
Next day we weighed between four and five A.M., and pro-
ceeded as far north as Mayne Harbour, which we reached
late in the afternoon. Rain descended in floods throughout
nearly the whole of this day and the next, continuing till
the afternoon of the 1st of April, when, though it did not cease,
it moderated sufficiently to permit of a walk, and Dr.
eit
ne
-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 4'79
Campbell and I accordingly landed and ascended one of the
rugged gray syenite hills, about a thousand feet or more in
height. The geology of the Channels, I may here remark,
appears to be of a singularly uniform character, syenite
being the prevailing formation, and here and there dark
veins of greenstone occurring. Around this harbour the
summits of nearly all the mountains are flattened and tabular,
and almost entirely destitute of any vegetation higher than
lichens. In the course of our ascent I was much interested
by finding in the clefts of the rocks, at the side of a small
stream, a variety of the curious plant found at Port Grappler,
differmg from the form first obtained in the much stouter
branches and more closely aggregated leaves. The first
specimens observed occurred at an elevation of about 600
feet ; and I again found the plant almost at the summit of
the mountain. All the specimens had passed out of bloom.
A curious cryptogamic plant, noticed for the first time, was
the Jungermannia splachnophylla, recorded by Dr. Hooker
from Cape Horn, the branches of which are so thick and crisp
as to break readily across.
It rained hard all that night, and next morning there
was wind in addition. I occupied the afternoon in visiting
the environs of various parts of the beautiful harbour,
following the course of a stream for some distance, on the
banks of which I found a fine species of Carex, We had
been a good deal perplexed for some time past by observing
that three-fourths of the flowers of Desfontainea spinosa,
which is very abundant, as I have already observed, in the
western part of the Strait and Channels, and was at this
time in full bloom, were perforated by a rather large aperture
near the base of the corolla, and this day we discovered the
cause of the injury. A large orange humble-bee (Bombus
480 NATURAL HISTORY OF
Dahlbornii), already noticed, is common in these dreary
regions, and, owing to its size and the narrowness of the
aperture of the tube of the flower of Desfontainea, which is
blocked up by the anthers of the stamens, is unable to enter
by the mouth to suck the honey-like fluid at the base. It
therefore bites a hole in the side of the flower near the base,
and inserts its head there. We watched the process carefully
several times, as I was anxious to make out whether this
insect played any part in the fertilising of the flower, and I
finally came to the conclusion that it did not, as the stamens
are quite removed from the part of the corolla attacked by it.
On the 3d, leaving a party to finish the survey of Mayne
Harbour, we moved northwards to Puerto Bueno to execute
an uncompleted piece of work. Arriving there about noon,
we parted company with the “ Ringdove,” which continued
her northerly course. I passed the afternoon on shore, but,
with the exception of the discovery of a single dead and
worn Concholepas shell, met with nothing of interest. We
returned to Mayne Harbour next morning, and remained
there for the rest of the day. We weighed on the morning
of the 5th (one of the most utterly dismal days we had yet
seen, with the hills shrouded in mist, heavy rain descending,
and occasional tremendous squalls), and, moving southwards,
anchored in Columbine Cove, in Piazzi Island, in the after-
noon. The following morning was tolerably fine, but a good
deal of snow had fallen during the night, and the tempera-
ture was decidedly frigid. I spent an hour on shore, while
some of the officers were taking sights, and walked over the
narrow peninsula which separates the cove from Shingle
Road, but observed nothing remarkable. The only sign of
life was furnished by the little Cinclodes Patagonicus, which
was diligently searching the masses of kelp on the beach for
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 481
the marine animals contained therein. We got under way
after our return on board, and proceeded northwards, occupy-
ing the day in a search for harbours, and entering many beau-
tiful inlets in the mountains, at the head of which extensive
glaciers and snow-fields were displayed. We returned to our
anchorage at the close of the afternoon, and the following
day passed southwards to Isthmus Bay on the western side
of the base of the Zach Peninsula, Finding this to be an
excellent anchorage, we remained to execute a survey of
it, and Dr. Campbell and I landed, and spent the afternoon
on shore, crossing the lowest portion of the narrow isthmus
from which the bay derives its name, and which connects
the Zach Peninsula, at one time evidently an island, with
the mainland. This we found had been employed as a port-
age by the Indians to Oracion Bay in Union Sound. We re-
mained at anchor throughout the 8th, to complete the plan
of the bay. The weather was tolerably fine, and accordingly
a small party spent the day in pulling about the bay, land-
ing now and then. Several flying steamers were observed,
one with exactly the plumage of the non-volant form, and
the others attired like the specimen obtained at the Gallegos
river. Two were shot, and I afterwards carefully examined
their skeletons, finding that the bones showed unequivocal
evidence of immaturity. On the afternoon of the 9th we
left the bay, and moved southwards to our old anchorage
among the Otter: Islands.
The 10th was fair, though rather cloudy, and as we re-
mained at anchor a party of four of us borrowed the dingy in
the morning, and passed a very pleasant day in pulling about
among the islands. On this occasion, I was so fortunate as
to obtain specimens of three fine sponges, new to me, and
probably hitherto undescribed. All were of large size, and
21
482 NATURAL HISTORY OF
one, the largest of the three, possessed expiratory orifices
from half to three-fourths of an inch in diameter. This
species was of a pale straw colour, with a thin outer rind,
easily broken, a coarse horny skeleton, and an abundant sup-
ply of yellow fluid matter, which contained numerous solid
yellow specks, probably the ova. The second form was
of a brilliant orange-yellow tint ; and the third, of a firmer
consistence than the other two, was of a pale grass-green
hue. They generally occurred at a depth of ten or eleven
feet, where we perceived them by leaning over the side of
the boat, and gazing downwards through the clear water, dis-
lodging them with much trouble with the end of an oar’s
blade. I greatly regretted being obliged to cut up these
splendid specimens, in order to preserve them, as the damp
weather entirely prevented the possibility of drying them.*
Towards the close of the afternoon we had a most exciting
otter-hunt. Several of these animals were observed playing
about among the beds of kelp, and one was severely hit, but
after floundering about for a few minutes, swam rapidly
off, while we pulled after it with our utmost speed, getting
within a few yards of it. It, however, dived repeatedly, and
at last vanished from our sight for a time. We had been
eagerly watching for its re-appearance for a few minutes,
when we heard the most piteous cries that I think I have
ever listened to from an animal, and saw it at some distance
with its head above water, clinging to the foot of a steep
bank. It was a truly harrowing sight, and cooled down my
sporting ardour very thoroughly for the time. A few minutes
later, the poor creature disappeared, having probably gone
down to the bottom to die, and we saw no more of it.
* T hope, ere many months have elapsed, to describe these species, which I
have not as yet had sufficient leisure to examine with care.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 483
The 11th was a day of indescribable beauty. Before I
left my cabin in the morning I noticed, with wondering ad-
miration, the golden light on the bare syenitic hills ; and on
coming on deck I found, to my delight, that the entire mass
of a magnificent solitary mountain* a little to the north-
ward, in general shrouded more or less in mist, and the
summit of which we had never seen, was revealed, without a
cloud to dim the dazzling splendour of its jagged snowy peaks,
the extensive snow-fields which clothed its sides and the deep
blue crevassed glaciers which filled its gorges. The sky was
cloudless, save for a few delicate cirri, the air perfectly still,
and the entire mass of the mountain, the rugged granite
hills around, and the trees on the islands, were all reflected on
the unruffled surface of the lake-like water. There was that
aspect of quiet sublimity over the whole landscape which only
occurs when there is a tinge of frost in the air. All day long
the prospect remained clear, and exhibited a series of effects
impossible to describe, but ineffaceable from the memory; and
as the sun declined, the white form of Mount Burney became
first suffused with .rose-colour, and then steeped in deep
purple.
On the 12th we left the Otter Islands, passing southwards
to Good’s Bay. The weather was fine, but the sky again covered
with cloud, and the tops of the higher mountains concealed
from view. Here we anchored to await the return of several of
the boats absent on surveying work, and as usual several of us
spent the day in the exploration of the vicinity. A Wycticorax
obscurus, a black cormorant (Phalacrocoraxz Brasilianus), and
some kelp-geese, were shot, and the preservation of a specimen
of a fine male of the last-named birds occupied me pretty fully
on the 13th, during which much rain fell. The two follow-
* Mount Burney, nearly six thousand feet in height.
484. NATURAL HISTORY OF
ing days, when we remained at anchor, were occupied in ex-
cursions to Renouard Island, opposite the bay, in the middle
of the Channel ; and on the morning of the 16th, all the boats
having returned, we proceeded onwards to Sholl Bay, arriving
there before ten A.M. In the course of the morning I accom-
panied Captain Mayne and one of the officers on shore, and
had a stiff climb of about 600 feet with them to the sum-
mit of the shoulder of a hill, where was a huge angular
block (about six feet high by eighteen long and broad) of —
gray granite, from which they took a series of angles, while I
investigated the neighbourhood without much result— Viola
tridentata being the only plant at all scarce which I procured.
It rained and blew violently while we were in this elevated —
position, which we quitted shortly before noon, getting on
board about an hour later. The following morning we
weighed early, and on leaving Sholl Bay and entering the Strait
encountered a very heavy swell. It was evidently blowing —
hard outside the western entrance, as shown by the appear-
ance of numerous albatrosses, Cape pigeons, and fulmar and ~
stormy petrels. On our way eastwards we met the Pacific
Steam Navigation Company’s vessel “ Magellan ” en route for —
Valparaiso, and halted for about a quarter of an hour to hold —
communication with her. In the evening we reached For- q
tescue Bay, and there anchored. |
Next morning we were joined by H.M.S. “ Boxer” from
the eastward. Heavy showers fell throughout the morning, —
and towards the close of the afternoon steady rain set in,
while snow fell on the mountains. We remained at anchor
during the 19th, and three of the officers and myself spent —
the earlier part of the day in Port Gallant. In ascending one —
of the neighbouring hills I again found the plant first dis- _
covered at Port Grappler, and also obtained excellent fruiting —
“Geren hes ; i >
os . ; :
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 485
specimens of a species of Gunnera (G. lobata), found by Dr.
Hooker at Cape Horn. This species is not uncommon in the
western part of the Strait, and differs from the G. Magellanica °
in the possession of glossy lobed leaves, together with a
variety of other characters not calling for mention in this
place.
On the 20th we left Fortescue Bay in the morning, and
moved eastwards as far as Wood’s Bay, whither one of the
boats had preceded us on the previous day. Here we spent
nearly three hours, and two of the officers and I pulled about
a quarter of a mile up a river which opens into the head of
the bay, landing after a time on the left bank, and scrambling
up to a tract of comparatively level ground, where I found a
few specimens of the Port Grappler plant for the fourth and
last time. At the entrance of the river we found two wig-
wams, one of which was much more carefully constructed
than is usually the case, and of a different form and larger
size, being about five yards long by nearly two broad, and
_ with two entrances. This was the only wigwam not of the
beehive form that I ever observed in the Strait or Channels.
In the woods I obtained specimens of a pretty little moss, the
Hypopterygium Thouim, first noticed at Eden Harbour. Early
in the afternoon, the survey of the bay having been completed,
we moved onwards, reaching Port Famine about nine P.M., and
next morning we proceeded to Sandy Point, and anchored
there at noon. Immediately thereafter a boat came off from
the shore with letters which the “Magellan” had left for us
a few days previously, and we then received the unexpected
intelligence that we were ordered home. The news was
productive of very mingled feelings, some of the members of
our company being rendered very glad by the prospect of a
speedy return to England, and others rather regretting that the
486 NATURAL HISTORY OF
cruise would be rendered shorter by a year than had been ori-
ginally anticipated by us. After a few days’ sojourn at Sandy
Point, in the course of which we repeated some of our familiar
rambles for the last time, everything being at length in readi-
ness for the northerly voyage, we bid farewell to the settle-
ment on the afternoon of the 27th, moving on as far as Laredo
Bay. On the 28th we continued our course, anchoring in the
evening in St. Jago Bay. The day was cold and bleak, with
heavy showers throughout the morning, but the weather im-
proved towards the afternoon, in the course of which there
was a magnificent double rainbow, with both arches complete,
and dipping into the water, and the inner of the two possessed
of a supplementary ring of rose colour. There was a brilliant
sunset, succeeded by a beautiful clear moonlight night. On
the 29th we weighed between four and five A.M., and on the
afternoon of the same day, with a bright sun overhead, we ~ :
passed out of the Strait for the last time, and some hours
later Cape Virgins disappeared from our gaze.
‘THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 487
CHAPTER XV.
R10 DE JANEIRO——EXCURSION TO PETROPOLIS AND ST, JUIZ DA FORA
—ASCENT OF TIJUCA PEAK—VARIETY OF FERNS, ETC.—LEAVE
RIO—SARGASSO SEA—-THE AZORES—-FAYAL—RIDE TO CALDERA
—FERNS—LEAVE FAYAL, AND ARRIVE AT SPITHEAD.
AFTER a rather tedious voyage of about three weeks, during
the earlier part of which we experienced much bad weather,
we reached Rio de Janeiro at sunset on the 20th of June, and
four days later Dr. Campbell and I left the ship on a few
days’ excursion to Petropolis and St. Juiz da Fora, the former
place (thus named from its furnishing a summer residence to
the Emperor) being situated in the heart of the Organ
mountains, and the latter, separated from it by a distance
of a little over a hundred miles, in the district of Minas
Geraes. Taking our places on board a steamer which left
the city at two P.M. we proceeded rapidly up to the head
of the bay, which, with its wooded shores and numerous
islands, presented all the appearance of a magnificent lake.
Arriving atthe Porto de Maua in about an hour and a half,
we there found a train waiting to take the passengers on
board the steamer to the foot of the mountains. In a few
minutes later the train started, and we were whirled along
at a speedy rate through a low-lying tract of country,
marshy in some parts, and abounding in the most luxuriant
vegetation. We reached the foot of the Serra, the terminus
of the railway, between four and five, and got into a
landau, one of a series of vehicles by which the remainder
A488 NATURAL HISTORY OF
of the journey is accomplished. Leaving the railway station
at half-past four p.M., we followed the course of a steep and
very tortuous road winding through the mountains. It
was a clear bright afternoon, and the evening light shed
over the head of the harbour behind us and the richly
wooded slopes on either side, before the sun went down, was
exquisitely soft and mellow. The drive was thoroughly
enjoyable, the air, as we gradually ascended, becoming de-
lightfully cool, and the scenery strikingly beautiful. In many
spots the high banks were covered with tall Melastoma-
ceous shrubs, with large mauve-coloured flowers ; in damp
nooks and corners splendid Begonias, with large clusters of
pink flowers, and great glossy leaves, dark-green above and
deep crimson below, displayed themselves, while ferns and
palms of the most exquisite forms everywhere abounded.
After attaining an elevation of about 3000 feet, we passed
through a sort of gateway in the mountains, and then
eradually descended to Petropolis, which les in a narrow
valley, and consists of a long principal street, through which
a stream flows, with one or two at right angles, and a number
of detached houses on the outskirts. It was a lovely moon-
light evening when we reached the little town, and the
English hotel being shut at this season, owing to the scarcity
of visitors, we dismounted at the Hotel Braganza, and on
inquiring, as usual, whether English was spoken there,
received a brisk reply in the affirmative from a little stout
Frenchman, with his hair cropped short on the crown of his
head, who proved to be the landlord, and immediately began
to talk the desired language with considerable fluency. After
being conducted to our room we were informed that dinner
would he ready in about half-an-hour, when the coach from 3
St. Juiz da Fora was expected, an event which we anxiously
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 489
longed for, as we were getting very hungry. The vehicle in
- question appeared before long, and at seven we sat down to
dinner, after which we set out on a stroll in the moonlight.
It was a night of such perfect beauty, and the air so refresh-
ingly cool, that we walked out for at least three miles before
thinking of retracing our steps. The palms and bananas
appeared singularly fine in the moonlight, as their fronds were
stirred by a passing breeze, and as we walked along we were
treated to an extraordinary concert, furnished by cicadas and
frogs of various species ; nearly the only drawback to our
happiness being produced by the ferocity of the dogs belong-
ing to the cottages which we passed, to provide against
whose attacks we were obliged to arm ourselves with stones.
Next morning we rose at seven, and as we were informed
that breakfast would not be ready till between nine and ten,
we employed the time at our disposal in a short walk. At
breakfast, when the landlord sat at the head of the table,
we were the only guests, and we had much talk with our
host, who informed us that he had spent some years in Eng-
land between 1830 and 1840, mentioning the names of a
number of celebrated people and places that he had seen. He
evidently thought that London contrasted most unfavourably
with Paris, remarking that Paris was all white, while London
was all black, but went into raptures over the beauty of
Edinburgh, and condescended to say that he liked the English
mode of living better than the French style, as being more
tranquil, observing that he had been over at the Exposicion,
and had considered the Parisian life too bustling after the
Brazilian quiet way of living. In the absence of any
cicerone to tell us what was most worth seeing in the
neighbourhood, we decided on following the road we had tra-
versed the day before ; and accordingly, after breakfast, set
490 NATURAL HISTORY OF
forth with our folios of drying-paper under our arms, and
after ascending to the crest of the ridge, walked a long way
down the winding road leading up from the railway terminus.
The day was beautifully clear, a comparatively rare event at
Petropolis, where it frequently rains, and we had in conse-
quence a magnificent view of the harbour, and the flat ground
between it and the Serra. The walls, rocks, and banks, were
fringed with ferns of many beautiful and curious forms, and
a very considerable variety of flowering plants, among which
Begonias and Melastomacee prevailed largely, were in bloom.
At one spot we followed a beautiful little stream for some
distance up the wooded hill-side down which it flowed, pass-
ing numerous great boulders covered with Bromeliacee, orchids,
ferns, and trailing Cacti, including a species of Cereus with
lovely rose-coloured flowers. Returning to the hotel late in
the afternoon, we had dinner, and another charming saunter
in the moonlight terminated the evening. Next morning we
were roused at half-past four, and after a slight refection of
coffee, and bread and butter, got into a fly, and were driven
to the coach-office, from whence the coach to St. Juiz da Fora
started.
It was a bright moonlight morning, and everything was
so quiet when we arrived, that we began to speculate on our
having mistaken the time, but before long four mules were
led out of a neighbouring stable, and harnessed to the dili-
gencia, which then drove round to the office, where we took
our places behind the driver, and soon set out at arapid pace,
being joined by several other passengers before we left the
town fairly behind us. By-and-by the sky began gradually
to redden, and there was a fine sunrise, followed by a bright —
clear morning. The road, along which we drove at a rate of
from nine to ten miles an hour, is an admirable one, con-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 491
structed by the Unido E Industria Company, who, I believe,
enjoy a monopoly of the entire traffic, and possess three
thousand mules for the service of the diligences and waggons.
The stages are at about an hour’s distance from each other,
and as we were supplied with fresh mules at every stage, an
admirable rate of speed was maintained, the mules being
splendid animals, and so ready to take to the road that the
leaders were not fastened to the traces till the moment of our
departure. The route, throughout nearly its entire extent,
passes through the most splendid scenery, winding along by
the side of hills covered with virgin forest, between plant-
ations of oranges, coffee, and mandioca, and in the imme-
diate vicinity of rivers foaming over their rocky beds. I
was greatly delighted with the variety of beautiful flowers
and brightly-coloured birds and insects, many of which
we had not observed in the neighbourhood of Rio. At
Entre Rios, thus named on account of its situation between
the Parahyba and Parahybuna rivers, and about midway
between Petropolis and St. Juiz da Fora (where the coaches
from these places meet the Pedro Segundo Railway, which at
the time of our visit had its terminus there), we halted for an
hour, and had a substantial Brazilian breakfast, after which
we continued our journey. Serraria was, if my memory
serves me right, one of the next places we stopped at, and
between this and Parahybuna we drove for some distance
through an avenue of tall bamboos, the tops of which, bend-
ing over, formed a series of regular Gothic arches. On reach-
ing Parahybuna, we passed from the province of Rio Janeiro
into that of Minas Geraes, and soon after, when we were
nearly midway between that place and the next stage, Sim4o
Pereira, the sky to our dismay began to darken, and as we
were passing along the side of a steep hill rain descended in
492 NATURAL HISTORY OF
sheets, soaking us pretty thoroughly. At Simao Pereira,
where we dismounted while the mules were being changed,
we saw a beautiful sickle-billed humming-bird sucking honey
from the flowers of a Gladiolus in a small patch of garden-
ground in front of a house. It began to get dark by the time
we reached San Mathias, the last stage in our journey, and
after passing it we drove on in the darkness between thick
woods, halting after a time at a place whose name I did
not ascertain, where was only a stable for mules. Here we
got fresh quadrupeds for the last time, as well as lights to
guide us on our way, and again pursued our course. A few
miles from St. Juiz da Fora the ground on either side of us
was low and marshy in its character; and here there was the
most magnificent display of fireflies which I have ever wit-
nessed, hundreds of these insects flitting about in every direc-
tion, some flying so high as to counterfeit falling stars; and
others, when seen through the trees, deluding us into the
belief that we saw the lights of dwellings. We got into the
town between seven and eight, not having the most vague
idea as to what hotels it possessed, or which we should select ;
and as all our fellow-travellers were Brazilian, and only spoke
Portuguese, of which our knowledge was very limited, we
were not able to derive much information upon the subject
from them. However, we dismounted ata hotel where seve-
ral of the other passengers left the coach, entering a low one- |
storeyed building, at the doorway of which a group of people
were congregated, and were immediately conducted by a
youth to a clean, but very meagrely-furnished, double-bedded
room, with a door about twelve feet high. I then began the
usual formula of—“ Do you speak English?” but received
an emphatic shake of the head, and having tried “ Parlez
vous Frangais ?” and “ Sprechen sie Deutsch?” with the same
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 493
negative result, we felt rather in a fix as to how to explain
our wants. The youth, however, disappeared for a moment,
returning with a stout elderly gentleman, who asked us,
in an unmistakable German accent, what we wanted, telling
us that he spoke very little English, but that he understood
_ it pretty well, and that he would explain to the people of the
hotel (who, he said, would “trate” us very well) what we
wished. Thanking this good Samaritan for his timely assist-
ance, we told him that we wanted dinner in the first place,
and that we intended spending the morrow at St. Juiz, leaving
it next day for Entre Rios. All this he kindly undertook to re-
present, and before long we had sat down to a very good dinner
abounding in Brazilian dishes, including the universal Feyjaés
e Farinha. After dinner we had a long talk with our friend,
who gave us a good deal of information about the place, which
stands about a hundred feet or more lower than Petropolis,
and, as I have already mentioned, is about a hundred miles dis-
tant from it. He informed us thata colony of twelve hundred
people of his nation were established at St. Juiz, some of them
being located in the town, and others inhabiting a neighbour-
ing village, Colonia, and said that he would have liked to have
shown us all that was worth seeing in the vicinity, but that
he was unfortunately obliged to go to Parahyba next day on
business. He informed us that we ought to visit the chacara
or farm of a certain Don Mariano, the said chacara appearing
to be the lion of St. Juiz. In giving us directions how to
proceed, he said, “ You will go the gate of the chacara, and
you will say to the negro man at the gate, I will see the
chacara of Mariano.”
After enjoying a sound sleep after our long journey, we
got up next morning (27th) between seven and eight, the
youth of the night before, who seemed to be factotum of the
494. NATURAL HISTORY OF
establishment, and who was extremely anxious to show us
all attention, endeavouring to make the utmost use of a
very few English words which he proved to be possessed of,
on making his appearance, demonstrating to us that he
understood the directions he had received the night before
—announcing “breakfast ten clocks,” “ dinner four clocks,”
“to-morrow five clocks,” shaking me by the shoulder at the
same time, to convey to us the impression that he would
rouse us at that hour; ‘six clocks, Entre Rios,’ meaning
that the coach started then for that place. He, moreover,
succeeded in explaining to us that after breakfast he would
conduct us to the celebrated chacara, by pointing to Dr.
Campbell, himself, and myself, and announcing “ Mariano
chacara lookee.”’ After breakfast we were disappointed
to find that heavy rain was falling. Fortunately, however,
this state of things did not last long, and we took a stroll
in the outskirts of the town, observing in a marsh hundreds
of specimens of the British royal fern, Osmunda regalis,
growing. After a time we set out with our friend, who had
attired himself gorgeously for the occasion, and managed to
carry on a large amount of conversation with him by our
reciprocally mentioning the English and Portuguese names
of the various objects we saw. After a short parley with a
little negro boy who acted as porter at the gate of the chacara,
we entered the grounds, which we found to be very tastefully
laid out, and well kept. There was a small menagerie,
including a cage of monkeys and several other mammalia, and
a variety of birds, among which were some fine Curassows,
and a specimen of the Agami (Psophia crepitans), which
stalked up to the. front of its cage to contemplate us,
emitting its very curious drumming note. After leaving
the grounds, and stopping for a few minutes at a venda,
y
al ati all i a i ta Ml
ee
4
p~
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 495
where our guide was anxious to treat us to English beer, we
took a stroll by ourselves through the town, which we had
not yet seen by daylight, finding that it presented a very
picturesque appearance, consisting principally of a single
long street, with two fine palm-trees growing at each side of
the road at either end. It was a public holiday in con-
sequence of some Roman Catholic festival, and there was
much music, vocal and instrumental, proceeding from the
different houses. It was curious to observe such a number
of unmistakably German physiognomies, and to hear such an
amount of German spoken, receiving from many of the
people whom we met a “Guten morgen,” instead of the
customary “bonas dias.” We visited an old burial-ground
on a height, where a tall black cross was erected, with
representations of the pincers, nails, the hammer, the spear,
the sponge, and other implements associated with the cruci-
fixion, appended to it. At the close of the four o’clock
dinner we sauntered out on the coach-road for some miles.
We here saw some very large ant-hills, and spent a consider-
able amount of time watching the industrious little creatures
carrying great burdens of red earth, cemented into pellets, to
the entrance of the galleries, where they poised them for a
moment, and then let them fall down the steep side of the
hill) Farther on, we found an army of large black ants
stretching across the road, and forming a belt about nine
inches broad, which was visible at a distance of many yards.
Darkness settled down long before we returned to the village,
but we were lighted on our way by the fireflies, which, as on
the previous evening, were flitting about in myriads.
We were roused in due time on the morning of the 28th,
and, after a light breakfast, started at six by the coach for
Entre Rios, which we reached at noon, and after breakfasting
496 NATURAL HISTORY OF
there, took our departure by the train, which started for Rio
at one P.M. We were imprudent enough to select a carriage
near the end of the train, a step which we afterwards
repented of, as the most recently constructed part of the line
was exceedingly rough, and the oscillation in consequence
greatly exceeded what we had ever before experienced in
travelling by rail. The country through which the line
passes is very beautiful, lying at first for some distance
along the banks of the Parahyba river, and afterwards
crossing the Serra do Mar, which I had previously seen
on our former visit to Rio. As the distance between Rio
and Entre Rios is fully a hundred miles, and we had pre-
viously driven fifty from St. Juiz da Fora, we were not sorry
when we reached the Brazilian capital between seven and
eight P.M.
The remainder of our stay at Rio. was principally
occupied by Dr. Campbell and myself in long walks about
the vicinity. On the 1st of June we landed in the morning
to accomplish the ascent of Tijuca Peak, 3316 feet in height,
and celebrated for the extensive view to be gained from its
summit on a clear day. Walking to a plaza at the head of
the Rua do Ouvidor, from which many of the coaches set forth,
we took our places on the top of a’bus which started soon
after, and carried us as far as Anderahy, at the foot of a
steep hill which divides the great valley in which Rio lies
from the much narrower Tijuca valley beyond. Toiling
along the winding road which conducts the traveller up the
side of this hill, with many groans over the heat, we at
length reached Boa Vista, at the summit, and having
refreshed ourselves with a draught of Vino Tinto and water
at a venda, and invested in some bread at a padaria, we
started for the peak, passing the elegant little cascade
rea
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THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 497
(Cascada Pequena) well known to all who have visited
Tijuca, and following a road which, winding along a low
rounded hill, brought us at length to the foot of the proper
peak. Here we encountered two diverging paths, and, after
some consideration, decided on following one which appeared
to lead in the proper direction. After pursuing this for
a short distance, however, it suddenly diminished into
a narrow track, which lay through the thick woods with .
which the mountain is covered. This we followed for some
time, although not without certain misgivings that we were
mistaken in our route. We still persevered, nevertheless,
till the track became lost, and then spent a considerable
time in fruitless endeavours to struggle through the dense
undergrowth—a most fatiguing task, owing to the twiners
which everywhere barred our progress, tripping us up, and
cutting our fingers with their rough rind when we attempted
to break them. After some time occupied in this manner,
we came to the conclusion that, if we were to reach the top
of the mountain that day, the only course that lay open to
us was to retrace our steps, find the other path, and pursue
it. This we accomplished, though not without considerable
difficulty, on our way out of the thicket finding two dead
shells of the Bulimus ovatus, of one of which I give a sketch,
to illustrate the great size to which land-shells attain in these
regions.
After striking into the proper path we followed it at a rapid
pace, in order to reach the summit of the peak before sunset,
as the afternoon was now wearing on. The route takes a
zigzag course, running at some points at the foot of dark gray
granite precipices, and the last part of the ascent, which is
very steep, is accomplished by means of steps cut in the rock.
2K
498 ~ NATURAL HISTORY OF
We reached the flat summit at half-past four, and there beheld
one of the most wonderful views that it had ever fallen to our
lot to contemplate. The harbour, with its numerous islands,
the sea outside to the north and south, and the country
around, were all spread out before us as in a map, and steeped
in the most exquisite serene evening sunlight. The distant
mountains were of a delicate purple tint, with here and there
only just enough haze resting on them to add to their beauty.
From our lofty situation we counted no less than fifty-four
rocks and islands in the harbour. We remained enjoying the
prospect till after five P.M. when we began to descend, as the
sun was rapidly going down, and we were anxious to get on
our way before the darkness should overtake us. It was long
past sunset when we got back to Boa Vista, but a magnificent
starlight night, many fireflies adding to the illumination.
After halting at a venda to refresh ourselves after our exer-
tions, we began to descend the hill to Anderahy, but not
until we had occupied a few minutes in gazing with admira-
tion at the splendid spectacle presented by the city of Rio,
which, brilliantly lighted up, resembled a large delta formed
of streams of fire. On the following day we visited the
remarkable valley of boulders below Tijuca, and two days
later walked to the sandy sea-beach beyond Botafogo, where,
on a former occasion, I had observed the swift-running
crabs. Not far from this beach I met with three species of
sensitive plants, all distinct from that observed on our visit
on the way out to the Botanic Gardens. Of these, one was a
Mimosa, a second appeared to be referable to the genus Cassia,
while the third, which was the most feebly sensitive of the lot,
was an dschynomene. On marshy ground, not far from the
beach, a stout coarse-growing fern, the Chrysodiwm auwreum,
Varieties of Pinna
p i in frond of Treese
i) 4
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 499
was growing luxuriantly. On a tract of sandy soil two other
species of the same order, the Goniophlebium neriifolium and
the Aspleniwm suspensum, the latter of which also occurs in
the forks of trees, were observed ; while on the white sand
above high-water mark, the trailing stems of a Leguminous
plant, with pretty purple flowers, extended for fathoms. The
5th was devoted to an ascent of the Corcovado, and the
wonderful view from the top was again duly . admired.
Several fine tree-ferns were met with on the way, and I was
much struck with the extraordinary amount of variation dis-
played in the pinnules of a single frond of a species whose
name I have not ascertained, but which was probably an
Alsophila. I preserved specimens from various parts of the
frond, and I figure a couple of them, as I think they furnish .
a striking warning to those paleontologists who do not possess
a very intimate acquaintance with botany, of the danger of
error to which they are liable in describing detached fossil
leaflets as distinct species. A very common but handsome
fern, at a certain height up the mountain, was the Hemidictyum
marginatum, the simply pinnate fronds of which sometimes
exceed ten feet in length. As I have earlier stated in the
course of this narrative, few things in Brazil made a more
powerful impression on my mind than the wonderful diversity
of form and habit presented by this class of plants. It would
be asking too much of those who have had the patience to
follow this chronicle thus far, were I to pass minutely in
review the various species commonly to be met with in the
neighbourhood of Rio; but it may tend to give some idea of
their wonderful profusion, when I state that on a single day’s
ramble a sedulous collector may obtain a greater number of
species than are to be met with in the whole of Great Britain.
500 NATURAL HISTORY OF
This day I made two additions to my collection of Amphibia
—one being a species of toad, the Bufo ornatus, and the other
of the Hylina, the Phyllomedusa bicolor, a very pretty little
creature of a vivid grass-green colour above, and light yel-
lowish-white beneath, with the sides spotted with purple.
Several of the officers at this time made a trip to the head of
the harbour, and on their return brought me specimens of a
Leguminous shrub (Gwilandina boenducella), with curious
prickly pods enclosing round hard gray seeds.
The weather was now extremely hot and close, and as
sickness was rapidly spreading among the ship’s company,
two of whom we had the misfortune to lose through a very
malignant form of typhoid fever, Captain Mayne decided on
proceeding to sea with as little delay as possible. The
necessary supplies of coal were therefore taken in on the
Sth, and at four P.M. on the following day we moved slowly
out of the harbour, with a long homeward-bound pennant
flying from the mainmast.
Our ensuing experiences were of a very monotonous charac-
ter, and the great heat of the weather tended to produce much
inactivity alike of mind and body,—one of the few occupa-
tions available to those who, like myself, had a considerable
amount of idle time on their hands, consisting of lounging
about the gangways watching the Velelle, Physalie, and —
other floating animals. On the Ist of July we passed the
islands of Brava and Fogo, the most southern of the Cape de
Verdes, and in the evening of the following day we reached
St. Vincent, where, as we were placed in quarantine, we only
remained for a single day to take in a supply of fuel, and
then continued our northerly voyage, passing through the
N.E. trades, which carried us far to the westward of our
Cuilandina bonducella
Pons. on
i
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. | 5O1
course. On the 13th we passed through a quantity of gulf-
weed (Sargassum bacciferum), extending in long parallel belts
along the surface of the water, and on the portions obtained I
found specimens of two of its well-known denizens—the
Nudibranchiate Scyllwa pelagica, and a small crab (Planes
minutus) with a square flat carapace.
On the morning of the 18th two of the Azores, Fayal, and
the adjacent island, Pico, were sighted, the remarkable peak
of the latter (between seven and eight thousand feet in
height) rising above a bank of white hazy cloud. As in the
course of the afternoon we approached Fayal, the aspect of
its southern coast appeared strikingly beautiful, contrasting
strongly with the desert-like appearance of St. Vincent. Im-
mediately above the water extended a very remarkable belt
of bare rugged volcanic cliffs, projecting here and there into
bold headlands, but beyond this, up to the level of a belt of
cloud, which concealed the highest portion of the land from
view, the entire surface of the country was richly cultivated,
being most minutely divided into rectilinear fields, diversified
with bright green and rich yellow tints—the former, as we
afterwards found, being produced by crops of immature maize,
and the latter by ripe barley. Nearly all the fields appeared
to be surrounded by hedges of a sort of bamboo, or some allied
plant, and there were no traces of roads to be seen, the result,
as we subsequently ascertained, of most of them lying at a
much lower level than the fields. After a time it became
cloudy, and we apprehended rain, but only a few drops fell,
the weather thereafter clearing up, and the evening becoming
fine and bright. On reaching the entrance of Horta Bay,
immediately after rounding a promontory excavated by a very
remarkable caldron-shaped hollow, with a narrow entrance to
502 - NATURAL HISTORY OF
the sea (the Caldera Inferno), a pilot-boat came off to us, but
we declined to avail ourselves of her services, and she therefore
returned to the shore to inform the governor of our arrival.
As we steamed into the bay, which lies open, permitting the
entrance of a considerable swell at times, the little town of ~
Horta presented a very attractive appearance, with its bright —
whitewashed houses scattered over the slope of a rather steep
hill, and interspersed with trees, whose foliage exhibited an
agreeable variety of shades of verdure. The only vessels
lying at anchor in the bay were a Portuguese man-of-war and
a few small merchant vessels.
We anchored about four P.M, and in a short time the
health-boat, with the doctor and governor, and an interpreter,
came alongside, and after a string of questions relative to the
health of the ship’s company had been satisfactorily answered,
we were granted “pratique.” Thereafter a number of boats
came alongside, with eggs, fruit, and a variety of other articles
for sale, the inhabitants of Fayal, like those of most Roman
Catholic countries, entertaining no scruples on the score of
carrying on trade on Sundays. The only fruits ripe at this
time were apricots and small plums, and oranges, which we
had expected to procure, we were informed, were not culti-
vated at all in Fayal, notwithstanding that San Miguel is such
a noted locality for them. Vines, we were told, were grown
at one time, but not now, Pico being, at present, the wine-
producing island. Eggs were cheap, about sixpence a dozen.
The British acting consul, Mr. Lane, came on board imme-
diately after we had obtained “ pratique,” and from him we
received a considerable amount of information with regard
to the island, which possesses about 25,000 inhabitants,
of which 7000 are located in Horta. The Azorean popula-
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 503
tion are much discontented on account of the heavy taxes
which are imposed upon them by the Portuguese government,
and not long before our arrival a revolution had broken out
in San Miguel and some of the other members of the group,
to quell which Portuguese troops, to the amount of seven or
eight hundred, had been billeted over the islands, having been
transported from Portugal by the man-of-war now at anchor
in the bay.
It was such a beautiful evening that a few of us were
tempted by the long light to land after dinner and spend a
couple of hours on shore, strolling through the town, and
out into one of the country roads sunk beneath the level of
the fields. The streets appeared very clean, and the inhabit-
ants, in general, struck us as healthy-looking, and much
less sallow than the natives of southern Europe generally
are, a result probably due to the fine climate and exhi-
larating sea-breezes. Two circumstances specially arrested
our attention while passing through the town, one being
furnished by the flocks of bats which were flying about,
and the other by the attire of the ladies, who wore long dark
blue cloaks, with huge stiff hoods, somewhat like poke-bonnets,
measuring about a foot in height, and nearly twice that amount
from back to front.
Arrangements having been entered into for a riding-
party to visit a wonderful caldera, or crater, at the summit
of the island, between three and four thousand feet above
the level of the sea, four of us breakfasted early next morn-
ing, landing thereafter between seven and eight A.M., and
walking to the consulate, close to which we found our donkeys,
strong sturdy animals, in the care of donkey-boys, awaiting
us. The saddles were sufficiently odd-looking structures,
7 2 ae a
eit
ry
504 NATURAL HISTORY OF
being stuffed with hay, covered with canvas, and provided in
front and behind with two upright crossing bars, which serve
to hold on by when riding sideways, which we found was by
far the most comfortable position. They were also padded by
having a loose cushion laid over them, and as there were no
stirrups, we found it a work of some difficulty to scramble
into our seats. This at length accomplished, we trotted off
briskly, accompanied by two attendants, one a boy of about
twelve, who carried my large vasculum, and the other a
youth of eighteen or nineteen, who ran behind us, armed
with a kind of goad, which he freely applied to the rear of
our steeds, accompanying his blows with shouts of, “Ha!
shackass ; get on, shackass.” After riding for a considerable
distance along the roads between the fields, which were in some
cases bounded by thick hedges of Hydrangeas from four to
six feet high, presenting a splendid appearance from being
loaded with great heads of bluish-purple flowers, we at length
left the cultivated district behind us, reaching a tract of moory
ground where only a few sheep and cattle were feeding. In
the course of our route I was greatly interested by the general
character of the plants, several of which were identical with
British species, and not observed by me since our departure
from England. Thus the purple heather of our Scottish
moors and mountains (Calluna vulgaris) was plentiful, together
with the common juniper, and other familiar plants. A
handsome heath, the Dabecia polifolia, which occurs in the
west of Ireland, was also common ; and a remarkable ivy-
leaved fern, the Aspleniwm Hemionitis, which I had not
previously seen, and which also inhabits the south of
Europe and north of Africa, as well as Madeira, the Canaries,
en TY AE SO, Coke me ee ue eres Trobe fii, Sa me Spe MS ee OL ete ee ye Te tebs em ree oe ere pte, ' oe *—
-styluwoTmaTT wuniuetdsy
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 505
the Cape de Verdes, was abundant in the crevices of the
roughly constructed walls.*
As we gradually ascended higher and higher up the
mountain, the track became extremely bad, the donkeys find-
ing much difficulty in keeping their feet, and one of them
not seldom subsiding under its rider, but without detriment
either to itself or him. Pursuing our onward and upward way,
we were now and then enveloped in thick masses of mist,
which did not permit us to see far in front of us. We noticed
several species of birds, quails among the number, and at inter-
vals an unseen thrush sang melodiously. At length we reached
the lip of the crater, which at first presented the appearance
of a gulf of mist. This, however, soon cleared off, and before
we commenced the descent we gained an excellent view of
its wonderful cavity. It is always difficult, without actual
measurement, to form an accurate estimate of the dimensions
of anything of the kind, but, as nearly as we could judge, it
was almost circular, about half-a-mile in diameter, and six or
seven hundred feet indepth. The sides, which were in gene-
ral grown over with grass and low shrubs, were exceedingly
steep (in certain places nearly perpendicular), and displaying
deep fissures, in some of which small streams descended,
forming rather extensive patches of water at the bottom,
* Dr. Hooker remarks (Lecture on Insular Floras, p. 5)—* Of flowering
plants, 350 species have been collected from the principal islands of the
Azores. Of these,” according to him, ‘‘ thirty are peculiar species, or well-
marked varieties, representatives for the most part of Madeiran or European
plants. About thirty are Atlantic types, common to the Azores and Madeira,
or to the Azores and the Canaries, or to all ; the rest are Portuguese or Spanish
plants.” And he further observes that, ‘‘ though so much farther north than
Madeira, the Azores contain scarcely any more boreal plants than Madeira, or
even than the Canaries ; and such as it does possess are likewise found in the
mountains of the Spanish Peninsula.”
506 NATURAL HISTORY OF
which is almost quite flat, only exhibiting a few isolatad
knolls, and towards one side a small cone of about thirty feet
in height, in the centre of which is a miniature crater, very
deep in proportion to its width.
The descent was of rather a fatiguing nature owing to its
steepness. On my way down I obtained fine specimens of
two species of ferns, one of which, the Lastrwa emula, is
met with in Great Britain, while the other, a Dicksonia (D.
culcita), occurs also at Madeira. I was much struck with the
extremely handsome appearance presented by the fructifica-
tions of the latter. Near the bottom, growing in a damp nook
at the edge of a stream, three other species occurred,—the
common hart’s tongue, Scolopendrium vulgare, an Asplenium
(A. monanthemum), much like our British A. trichomanes,
and the Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense, Another fern that
occurred plentifully, near but not in the crater, was Osmunda
regalis. After spending some time at the bottom, and
visiting the small.cone which was densely covered with low
shrubs, we commenced the ascent of the steep wall, which
we found a still more fatiguing task than the descent had
been. Our largest donkey-boy, however, met us when we
were about two-thirds of the way up, greeting us with shouts
of “Come on, marinero,” and relieved me of my heavily-
loaded vasculum. Having gained the top, we mounted our
donkeys and rode back to the town, stopping for a few
minutes at an outlying village, where we had some detestable
wine, and our attendants some bread and cheese. After our
return to Horta, and we had dismissed our donkeys, we spent
about an hour in the inspection of the streets. With the
exception of groups of flowers ingeniously cut out of the pith
of the fig-tree, but little was to be seen worth investing in to
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN, 507
serve as memorials of our visit to Fayal, and I was disap-
pointed in not being able to obtain any good photographic
views of this beautiful island. One circumstance specially
noticed by us was the multitude of beggars in the streets. In
entering a hotel to get some refreshments, we found the
stairs literally lined with a row of whining wretches, from
whose importunities it was not easy to escape. At five P.M.
we returned to the vessel, and soon after we got under way,
leaving Fayal behind us on a beautiful moonlight night.
Nine days later we entered the English Channel after an
absence of nearly three years, and on the evening of the 30th
of July anchored at Spithead. Here, therefore, my chronicle
of our experiences ends, and I bid my reader farewell.
AcAcIA, 18.
cavenia, 396.
Acena, 419.
adscendens, 198.
Acanthias vulgaris, 126, 295.
Acanthinodera Cumingii, 430.
Acanthocyclus Gayi, 371.
Accipiter Chilensis, 153.
Aconcagua, valley of, 389.
Actinia, 363, 370, 408.
Adesmia boronioides, 102.
lotoides, 87.
microphylla, 382.
Adiantum, 370, 382.
Acidium Magellanicum, 85,
Aischynomene, 498.
Agave, 47.
Agelaius thilius, 412. —
Ageronia feronia, 40, 233.
Agonus Chiloensis, 339.
Agriopus hispidus, 345.
Albatrosses, 329.
Albatross, flight of, 225.
Alfalfa, 400.
Alima hyalina, 25.
Almond-flower, 158, 160.
Alona, 405.
Alonsoa incisefolia, 419. }
Alsophila pruinata, 354.
Amaryllid, 277.
Amaryllis belladonna, 11.
Amphistegina, 30.
Ampullaria fasciata, 53.
Amyxa niger, 339, 370.
Anacardium occidentale, 40.
Aneretes parulus, 221, 264.
Anagallis alternifolia, 426.
arvensis, 48.
Anas cristata, 154.
Ancud, 330, 336, 431.
Anemone, 399.
decapetala, 82.
Anenuca, 386.
INDEX.
—>——__
Anomalocardia macrodon, 246.
Anona cherimalia, 381.
Anous inca, 404.
Antarctic beech, 78.
Aphritis gobio, 180, 447.
Apium graveolens, 118.
Aplidium Fuegiense, 66.
Aplysia Brasiliana, 246.
dactylomela, 23.
Aptenodytes Pennanti, 298, 300.
Arabis Macloviana, 268, 306.
Araucanians, 375.
Arca, 401.
Arctocephalus Falklandicus, 179, 452.
Ardea egretta, 345.
Argemone Mexicana, 386.
Argyreiosus, 16.
Aristolochia Chilensis, 402.
Armeria maritima, 268.
Artocarpus incisa, 36.
integrifolia, 36.
| Asarca Kingii, 84,
Asclepias, 34.
Aspidium, 441.
mohrioides, 221, 293.
Asplenium Hemionitis, 504.
Magellanicum, 175, 265,
monanthemum, 506.
obtusatum, 331, 370.
suspensum, 499.
trilobum, 331.
Astelia, 311.
Asterina, 372.
Astronesthes niger, 25.
Atherinichthys Argentinensis, 54.
laticlavia, 170.
Attagis Falklandicus, 183.
Avellano, 433.
Azores, 501.
BaccHARIs, 264,
Bactris, 39.
Balanus levis, 67.
510
Balanus psittacus, 342.
Balsam-bog, 159, 182, 269, 298.
Bandurria, 73.
Barking-bird, 347.
Barrachutas, 244.
Bate, Mr. C. Spence, 42.
Beech, antarctic, 78.
evergreen, 79.
Beetles, occurrence of, in towing-net, BY,
261.
Begonia, 231, 232, 438.
Bellia picta, 371.
Berberis actinacantha, 398.
Darwinii, 332, 4387.
dulcis, 85.
empetrifolia, 86, 264.
ilicifolia, 84.
Beroe, 259.
Betzus, 436.
scabro-digitus, 371.
Blechnum, 354.
Blennius gentilis, 247,
Bolax glebaria, 182.
Boldu, 370.
Boltenia, 111, 263.
Bomarea Salsilla, 425.
Bombus Dahlbornii, 175, 479.
Borja Bay, 456.
Botrychium lunaria, 186, 289.
Brachysternus viridis, 432.
Bromelia bicolor, 331.
sphacelata, 333.
Bryophyllum calycinum, 232.
Bubo Magellanicus, 91, 135, 277.
Buccinum deforme, 55.!
Buddlea globosa, 426, 431.
Buenos Ayres, 253.
Bufo agua, 465.
ornatus, 500.
Bulgaria, 359.
Bulimus auris-muris, 36, 241.
ovatus, 497.
papyraceus, 39.
Taunaisii, 241.
Buteo erythronotus, 187, 299.
CABBAGE-PALM, 35.
Cabellos de Anjel, 370.
Cacotus, 363.
Calandrinia, 416.
Calceolarias, 419, 431, 434.
Calceolaria nana, 103.
plantaginea, 72.
Caldera Inferno, 502.
Caligus cheenichthydis, 440.
INDEX.
Callianassa uncinata, 435.
Callixene marginata, 160.
polyphylla, 354, 431.
Callorhynchus antarcticus, 339, 370.
Calluna vulgaris, 504.
Caltha dionezfolia, 310.
sagittata, 185.
Calydorea speciosa, 419.
Calyptrea, 122, 339, 401.
Campephilus Magellanicus, 81.
Campsidium Chilense, 359, 437, 438.
Cancer, 333.
Canis Azare, 110.
Magellanicus, 110.
Cape Corrientes, 55.
de Verdes, 15.
Negro, 220.
Pigeon, 355.
Possession, 112.
Virgins, 65.
Caprella, 247.
Capsella Bursa-pastoris, 72.
Carabus suturalis, 81, 442.
Caranx, 8.
Cardamine geraniifolia, 84, 265.
Cardita Thouarsii, 449. ,
Carica pyriformis, 405.
Carpenter, Dr., 30.
Carrancha, 133.
, Cashew-nut, 40.
Cassia, 401, 498.
Cassidina emarginata, 448.
Cathartes atratus, 248.
aura, 300,
Cavendish, Captain, 142, 167.
Cecropia, 37.
Centrites niger, 73, 264.
Cephalopeltis scutigera, 245.
Cerastium arvense, 190, 268, 272.
Ceratothoa, 26.
Cereus, 382, 400.
Quisco, 389, 394.
Ceryle stellata, 176.
Cheenicthys esox, 440.
Cheloderus Childreni, 353.
Cherimoyer, 381.
Chiasognathus Reichei, 344.
Chilabothrium amelloides, 72.
Chilina, 439.
Chiloe, 330.
Chimango, 76.
Chione exalbida, 87.
Chionis alba, 262.
Chinche, 109. .
Chirodamus Kingii, 103.
INDEX. 511
Chiton aculeatus, 405, 407. Coquimbo, 399-416.
Bowenii, 339. Corcovado mountain, 242.
Chiloensis, 339. Couratari Estrellensis, 240.
Cumingii, 407. Coypou, 437.
elegans, 407. Cranium, Fuegian, 199.
fastigiatus, 457. Patagonian, 193.
granosus, 350. Crantzia lineata, 303.
magnificus, 405, 407. Crater, 505.
setiger, 135. Crepidula, 200.
Chloephaga antarctica, 305, 319. dilatata, 339.
Magellanica, 130, 153, 297. | Crucibulum ferugineum, 407.
poliocephala, 184. Ctenomys Brasiliensis, 52. :
Chlorea, 298, 419. Magellanicus, 133, 276, 307.
Magellanica, 88, 272. Curzeus aterrimus, 169.
Chlorospiza melanodera, 161. Curral, 10.
Chlorostoma atrum, 337. Cuscuta, 370, 382.
bicarinatum, 416. Cuvieria columella, 261.
Chondracanthus, 126, 301. Cyamium antarcticum, 162.
Chonos Indians, 335. Cyanea, 98.
Chorus, 401. . Cygnus coscoroba, 267.
xanthostoma, 404. nigricollis, 266.
Chrysodium aureum, 498. Cymodocea Darwinii, 307.
Chrysodomus alternatus, 416. Cymothoa Gaudichaudii, 414.
Chupon, 333. Cynthia cardui, 49, 401.
Churco, 401. gigantea, 125, 263.
Chusquea Quila, 331, 486, 437. Cypridina gibbosa, 58.
Cicindela hesperidum, 22. Cyrtograpsus angulatus, 49.
Cinclodes fuscus, 364. Cystignathus ocellatus, 39.
Patagonicus, 364. teeniatus, 431.
Circus macropterus, 53, 214. Cystopteris fragilis, 90.
Cirolana, 290. Cyttaria Darwinii, 83.
Citharexylon cyanocarpum, 331, 398,
436. DABGCIA POLIFOLIA, 504.
Clarionza Magellanica, 454. Dandelion, 71.
Clathrus, 362. Daption capense, 223.
Cleodora pyramidata, 261. Darina solenoides, 87.
Clinus nuchipinnis, 23. Darwin Channel, 439.
Cnemidophorus lacertinoides, 465. Darwin, Mr., 6, 45, 56, 151, 158, 183
Coal, Lota, 373. 188.
Sandy Point, 152, Datura arborea, 380.
Cobwebs on River Plate, 44. suaveolens, 381.
Codium tomentosum, 41. Delesseria Lyallii, 129.
Codonorchis Lessonii, 84, 451, 458. Delphinus, 261.
Colaptes pitius, 428, 432. bivittatus, 128.
Colletia, 374. Dentalium, 8.
Colliguaya odorifera, 381. Dermanyssus, 76.
Columbine Cove, 480. Desfontainea spinosa, 177.
Columnea ovata, 344, 437. Diadema misippus, 19.
Concepcion, 375. Dicksonia culcita, 506.
Concholepas Peruviana, 337, 401, 407. | Diddle-dee berry, 158.
Condor, 114, 303. Didelphys Azarz, 239.
Connor Cove, 356, 438. elegans, 362.
Conurus cyanolysius, 76. Quica, 239.
Cook, Captain, 92, 263. Diez-y-ocho, 416.
Copigue, 369. Digitalis purpurea, 335,
512
Diomedea exulans, 329. ©
fuliginosa, 414.
Discopyge, 426.
Diuca grisea, 432.
Dohrn, Dr., 25.
Doris, 339, 449.
Dragonfly taken at sea, 57.
‘Drake, Sir Francis, 15, 172.
Drimys Winteri, 80, 398.
Dromicus Temminckii, 431.
Drosera, 52.
uniflora, 292.
Dungeness Spit, 65.
D’Urvillea Harveyi, 294.
utilis, 292.
Dyckia, 52.
EARTHQUAKE, 405.
Eecremocarpus scaber, 389.
Echeneis lineatus, 26.
Echinocactus, 50, 411.
Kchinocidaris nigra, 405.
Schythei, 321.
Echinometra, 24.
Echiun, 48, 50.
Kchiurus farcimen, 222,
Kciton, 239.
Eden Harbour, 324, 349.
Edotia Falklandica, 105.
Magellanica, 125.
Edwardsia Chilensis, 384.
microphylla, 433, 436.
Elaps corallinus, 240.
Elizabeth Island, 136.
Embothrium coccineum, 268, 434.
Janceolatum, 427.
Empetrum rubrum, 175, 182.
Kolis, 455.
Epialtus dentatus, 334, 339.
Erica arborea, 11.
Eriobotrya Japonica, 243.
Eritrichium, 268, 400.
Escallonia macrantha, 331, 437.
rubra, 386.
serrata, 310.
Eublepharus nodipennis, 352.
Eudyptes nigrivestis, 293.
Eugenia stenophylla, 381.
Euphorbia, 18, 281, 427.
Euprepis Stangeri, 22.
Eurypodius, 129, 297.
Euxenia, 370.
Exidia, 213.
Exoceetus obtusirostris, 14.
INDEX.
Fagonia, 400.
Fagus antarctica, 78.
betuloides, 79.
obliqua, 426.
Falkland Islands, 156, 164.
Falkner, 54, 144, 146.
Fayal, 501.
Felis concolor, 106.
Fortune Bay, 445.
Fissurella, 172, 267, 306, 400.
nigra, 339.
Fitzroy, Captain, 121, 314.
Flamingoes, 210.
Flor de Soldado, 419.
Floripondio, 380.
Flying-fish, 13.
Forficula, 203.
Fox Bay, 298.
Foxes, 110.
Foxglove, 335, 337.
Fragaria Chilensis, 425.
Freshwater Bay, 476. .
Fuchsia lycioides, 381.
Magellanica, 171, 318, 328, 331.
Fuegian dogs, 201.
Indians, 121, 178, 306, 309,
312, 351, 445.
Fulmarus glacialioides, 223.
Funchal, 10.
Fur seal, 179.
Fusus Geversianus, 74.
laciniatus, 457.
GAIMARDIA, 292.
Galathea subrugosa, 170, 339, 455.
Galium, 268.
Gallegos River, 280, 469.
Gallinago Paraguie, 88, 478.
Gallinazo, 248.
Ganeria, 129.
Gardoquia Gilliesii, 384.
Gauchos, 48, 49.
Gaultheria antarctica, 311.
Gentiana prostrata, 459. )
Geranium, 272.
Geranoztus melanoleucus, 269.
Geum, 419.
Magellanicum, 268.
Giglioli, Dr., 34, 269.
Glaciers, 323,
Glaucidium nanum, 214.
Gleichenia acutifolia, 175.
Gobiesox, 247, 428.
Gold, Sandy Point, 459,
Goniograpsus innotatus, 231.
ee ee
eee a heal tet
+ he 2”
INDEX. |
Goniophlebium, 331,
neriifolium, 499.
Gonodactylus styliferus, 414.
Good’s Bay, 483.
Goodsiria, 126.
Grammitis australis, 321.
Grapsus, 41.
planifrons, 407.
Gray Harbour, 438.
Grimothea gregaria, 164.
Guanaco, 73, 106, 107.
Guaytecas Islands, 435.-
Guilandina bonducella, 500.
Gulf-weed, 501.
Gunnera Chilensis, 331, 419, 434.
lobata, 485.
Magellanica, 264.
HABRANTHUS HESPERIUS, 386, 402.
Hematopus ater, 123.
palliatus, 123.
Halicarcinus planatus, 99.
Halobates, 26.
Halt Bay, 327, 347.
Halymenia, 113.
Harpagifer bispinis, 457.
Hawkins, Sir Richard, 80, 272.
Heliaster helianthus, 404.
Heliotropium, 400.
Helix, 47, 346, 452.
Hemidictyum marginatum, 499.
Hepatus angustatus, 249.
Chilensis, 414.
Hippa emerita, 249.
talpoides, 333, 374.
Hippocampus guttulatus, 229,
Hippolyte, 339.
Hippuris vulgaris, 185, 265.
Homoianthus echinulatus, 88.
Hooker, Dr., 12, 21, 59, 159, 161, 505.
Horta, 502.
Hoskyn Cove, 354.
Humming-birds, 319, 331, 334.
Hunt, guanaco, 206.
Hydrangeas, 504.
Hyla agrestis, 465.
albo-marginata, 232.
Hylodes leptopus, 443.
Hymenophyllum caudiculatum, 333.
cruentum, 333, 355.
pectinatum, 310.
tortuosum, 310.
Tunbridgense, 506.
Hypopterygium Thouini, 326, 485.
513
IANTHINA EXIGUA, 259.
globosa, 26.
violacea, 13.
Ice, floating, 323.
Idotea annulata, 42.
Iphimedia, 137.
Insects of Rio Janeiro, 37.
observed at a distance from
land, 14.
Island Harbour, 348, 356.
Isthmus Bay, 481.
JACK-FRUIT, 36.
Jaseur Bank, 29.
Jason Cays, 156.
Jungermannia splachnophylla, 479.
Ketp, 450.
Kelp-goose, 305, 319.
King, Captain, 93, 110, 145, 147.
LacaZE-DuTHIERS, M., 26.
Lagenophora Commersonii, 454.
Lapageria rosea, 369.
Larus dominicanus, 222.
Lastrea emula, 506.
Lathyrus, 436.
Magellanicus, 301.
Lebetanthus Americanus, 437.
Leda, 478.
Leiolemus cyanogaster, 334.
nigro-maculatus, 405.
pictus, 426.
Lemna, 361.
Lepas australis, 59.
Lepidophyllum cupressiforme, 102.
Lepidoptera diurna of Strait, 82.
Lepidothamnus Fonki, 325, 439.
Lerneocera, 449.
Lesson, M., 57.
Lessonia fuscescens, 161.
Lestris antarcticus, 296.
Leucocoryne alliacea, 400.
ixioides, 416, 419.
Libertia, 350, 428, 4383, 486, 437.
Libocedrus tetragonus, 174.
Ligia, 41.
Limosa Hudsonica, 334.
Linum, 428.
Lithodes antarctica, 75, 333.
verrucosa, 197, 297.
Litrea venenosa, 398.
Littorina, 370.
Lizards, occurrence of, in Fuegia, 195.
Llagunoa glandulosa, 402.
yim
514
Llaillai, 387.
Loasa, 337, 361, 419.
Loligo Gahi, 339.
Lomaria alpina, 72.
aspera, 333.
boryana, 52, 160, 175, 346.
Lomatia ferruginea, 327, 433.
Loquat, 248.
Loranthus aphyllus, 389.
tetrandrus, 335.
Lota, 367, 425.
Love-birds, 16.
Luco Bay, 426.
Lucuma, 387.
Lupa cribraria, 249.
rubra, 231.
spinimana, 41.
Lutra Chilensis, 344.
Luzuriaga, 431, 434.
Lycodes latitans, 350.
Lycoperdon, 88.
Lyell, Sir Charles, 10.
Lymnea, 185,
MACROCYSTIS PYRIFERA, 59.
Mactra edulis, 170.
Madeira, 6.
Maldonado, 51.
Mammalian cranium, fossil, 473.
Manatee, 230.
Mangifera Indica, 40.
Mango, 40.
Mantis, 466.
Marchantia polymorpha, 137.
Mareca Chiloensis, 277.
Matricaria, 49.
Mayne, Captain, 293.
Mayne Harbour, 444, 478.
Maytenus Magellanicus, 221.
Medicago, 49.
sativa, 400.
Melastomaces, 488.
Mephitis Patagonica, 109.
Merluccius Gayi, 301.
Mesembryanthemum Chilense, 400.
Messier Channel, 327.
Metrosideros stipularis, 310.
Micrococos Chilensis, 384.
Micropterus brachypterus, 94.
Patachonicus, 94, 475.
Mimosa, 35.
Mimulus parviflorus, 419.
Mitraria coccinea, 326.
Modiolarca trapezina, 129.
Mollusca of Madeira, 9.
INDEX.
Mollusca of St. Vincent, 23.
Monoceros, 401, 437.
Monte Video, 46, 252, 465.
Moths taken at sea, 260.
Mount Burney, 483.
Muhlenbeckia sagittefolia, 381.
Muscisaxicola mentalis, 188.
Mushrooms, 180.
Mutisia latifolia, 419.
Myginda, 266.
Myopotamus, 437.
Myosotis, 419.
Myriophyllum elatinoides, 304.
Mytilus Chilensis, 74, 155, 342.
Magellanicus, 155.
Myxine australis, 82, 295.
Myzodendron, 83.
NANNOPHRYNE VARIEGATA, 325, 448.
Nassa Gayi, 345.
Naucrates ductor, 28.
Nectris amaurosoma, 404.
Nertera depressa, 331.
Nodosariz, 30.
Noort, Oliver van, 107.
Notothenia macrocephalus, 446.
virgata, 129.
Numenius Hudsonicus, 334.
Nycticorax obscurus, 181, 298, 350.
Oazy Harpour, 184.
Octopus, 23.
Fontanianus, 407.
megalocyathus, 77.
Ocypoda rhombea, 247.
CEnothera, 52, 282, 289, 419.
mutica, 425.
Oiketicus, 39.
Oliva, 401.
Peruviana, 401, 404.
Ombu, 466.
Ommastrephes, 290.
Opossums, 239.
Opetiorhynchus antarcticus, 296.
Orchestoidea tuberculata, 363.
Oreodoxa oleracea, 35.
Oreophilus ruficollis, 474.
Oscuro Cove, 342.
Osmunda regalis, 494, 506.
Ostrea Chilensis, 332.
fossil, 152, 401.
Ostriches, 134.
Otaria, 53.
jubata, 126.
Otters, 344, 350, 452, 482.
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INDEX.
Otter Islands, 321, 448, 481.
Otus brachyotus, 200.
Ourisia breviflora, 452.
Ovalle, 411.
Oxalis, 48, 50, 336, 382, 419.
enneaphylla, 163, 264, 268, 283.
gigantea, 402.
lobata, 382.
Magellanica, 444, 457.
Oxypetalum Hookeri, 416.
Oxyurus spinicanda, 153.
PaDINA, 24.
Palemon cementarius, 415.
Palma, 13.
Pampero, 43.
Panax, 309.
Panulcillo, 413.
Paqueta, 245.
Parroquets, 76.
Pasithea coerulea, 419, 425, 427.
Passao Publico, 33.
Patagona gigas, 415.
Patagonians, 138-150, 154, 460.
Patella Magellanica, 99.
Peckett Harbour, 182.
Pecten, fossil, 401.
Patagonicus, 175.
Peje rey, 54, 420.
Pelecanus thagus, 399, 428.
Peltarion spinulosum, 99.
Penguins, 271, 292.
Pernettya mucronata, 319.
pumila, 182.
Peronia, 449.
Petropolis, 488.
Petunia, 49, 52.
Peumus Boldu, 370.
Phacelia circinata, 307, 374.
Phaethon, 27.
Phalacrocorax Brasilianus, 483.
carunculatus, 191, 271, 275.
Gaimardi, 365, 432.
Magellanicus, 478.
Phalangium acanthopus, 41.
Philesia buxifolia, 173.
Philip Bay, 170.
Philippi, Dr., 422.
Phleum alpinum, 72.
Pheenicopterus ignipalliatus, 210.
Pholeoptynx cunicularius, 48, 192.
Phosphorescence of sea, 14, 34.
Phrygilus Aldunatii, 212.
Phyllomedusa bicolor, 500.
Physalia, 27.
Physsophora, 259.
Phytotoma rara, 365.
Picus ligniarius, 138, 365.
Pigafetta, Antonio, 107, 140.
Pilot-fish, 27.
Pilumnoides perlatus, 339.
Pinguicula antarctica, 349, 439.
Pinnotheres transversalis, 222.
Pique Mine, 413.
Pitanga, 246.
Piure, 430.
Planes minutus, 501.
Plantago maritima, 272.
Platymera Gaudichaudii, 414.
Playa Parda Cove, 177, 309.
Pleurodema Bibronii, 374.
Pleuronectide, 426.
Pneumodermon, 26.
Podiceps caliparius, 339.
major, 458.
Rollandi, 222, 348.
Podilymbus podiceps, 334.
Podocarpus nubigenus, 325.
Polyborus tharus, 133.
Polygala, 281, 419.
Polyporus, 166.
Polystichum aculeatum, 370.
Porcellana, 408.
tuberculifrons, 338.
Porlieria hygrometrica, 403.
Port Angosto, 454.
Balena, 436.
Churruca, 453, 477.
Famine, 167, 458.
Gallant, 171, 484.
Grappler, 439.
Laguna, 437.
Melinka, 435.
Mercy, 449.
Nevada, 436.
Otway, 344.
San Pedro, 343.
Tamar, 476.
Porto Santo, 5.
Potentilla anserina, 336.
Pratia repens, 119.
Primula farinosa, 264.
Prionotus punctatus, 245.
Proctotretus Gravenhorstii, 405.
Psammobatis, 215.
Pseudocorystes sicarius, 368, 403.
Psittacula pullaria, 16.
Psoralea, 394.
Pterelas magnificus, 290, 448.
Pteroptochos albicollis, 403.
515
516
Pteroptochos megapodius, 412.
rubecula, 348.
Tarnii, 347.
Ptilota Harveyi, 129.
Ptygoderus pectinatus, 195.
Puerto Bueno, 323, 442, 480.
Puma, 476.
Punta Arenas, 68.
Puya coarctata, 382, 403.
QUADRIA HETEROPHYLLA, 433.
Quartermaster Island, 190, 305.
Quehuy, 433.
Quéls, 430.
Querquedula cyanoptera, 215.
Quillaja saponaria, 382.
Quilo, 381.
RANUNCULUS, 264.
aquatilis, 137.
hydrophilus, 459.
peduncularis, 82.
trullifolius, 459.
Rara, 365.
Ravenala Madagascariensis, 33.
Ray, gigantic, 17.
Remipes scutellatus, 24.
Remora, 26.
Rhea Americana, 98, 134.
Darwinii, 134.°
Rhinoderma Darwinii, 434.
Rhynchocinetes typus, 408.
Rhynchops melanura, 337, 365.
Ribes Magellanicum, 153.
punctatum, 398.
Riccia, 361.
Ricinus communis, 381.
Rio de Janeiro, 31-41, 228-249, 487.
Rio Hortado valley, 409.
Rissoa, 370.
Roble, 426.
Rostkovia, 311.
Rubus geoides, 294, 296, 361.
SALPIGLOSSIS SINUATA, 419.
Samolus spathulatus, 118.
Sandy Point, 68.
San Felipe, 390.
Santa Cruz river, fossils of, 298.
Santa Rosa, 392.
Santiago, 420.
Sargassum bacciferum, 501.
Sarmienta repens, 335.
Sarmiento Bank, 127.
Mount, 67.
Sarmiento, Pedro, 91.
INDEX.
Satiba ants, 249.
Saxifraga exarata, 264.
Scalpellum, 125.
Schizanthus pinnatus, 400.
Schizopetalon Walkeri, 400.
Schouten, 107, 148.
Scolopendrium vulgare, 506.
Scutellaria nummulariefolia, 123.
Scyllea pelagica, 501.
Scytalopus Magellanicus, 179.
Sea-lion, 126, 262, 270.
Sebastes oculatus, 447.
Senecio candidans, 74.
Falklandicus, 163.
trifurcatus, 447.
vulgaris, 296, 298.
Sensitive plant, 35.
Sepia, 21.
Sericoides Reichei, 193.
Serolis convexus, 197.
Gaudichaudii, 426.
Orbigniana, 75.
Sesarma angustipes, 231.
Sharks, 28.
hammer-headed, 8.
teeth, fossil, 401.
Sheathbill, 262.
Sholl Bay, 310, 484.
Sida vitifolia, 366.
Sisyrinchium, 419.
filifolium, 277.
Skyring Harbour, 450.
Solanum, 22, 53, 434.
Sorema, 400, 427.
Spartium virgatum, 11.
Spheeroma lanceolatum, 74.
Spheerostigma, 400.
Spheniscus Magellanicus, 271, 275.
Sphyrion, 287.
Spirula, 13.
Sta. Magdalena, 270, 304.
Stanley Harbour, 156.
Steamer-duck, 88, 91.
Sterna Cassini, 74, 404.
St. Juiz da Fora, 492.
St. Nicholas Bay, 457.
St. Vincent, 14, 500.
Strawberry, Chilian, 425, 427.
Streams of stones, 158.
Sturnella militaris, 127, 384.
Swallows, 26, 27, 88. .
Swallow Bay, 455.
Sycozoa sigillinoides, 57.
Symphyostemon narcissoides, 71.
Syngnathus acicularis, 345, 414.
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INDEX.
TACHYMENIS CHILENSIS, 374.
Tenioid worms, 339.
_ Tenioptera Pyrope, 166.
Talcahuano, 374.
Tameness of birds, 163.
Tapacolo, 403.
Tapeinia Magellanica, 310.
Tarentola Delalandii, 22.
Taurocerastes Patagonicus, 103.
Tea-plant, Falkland Island, 160.
Temnocidaris, 164.
Tenoun Point, 361.
Terebratella Magellanica, 112.
Teru-tero, 48,
Themisto antarctica, 259.
Theristicus melanopis, 73, 136, 334.
Thinocorus rumicivorus, 183, 401, 476.
Thistles, tall, 48.
Thunbergia, 35.
Tigridia, 426, 427.
Tijuca, 243.
Tilly Bay, 457.
Tinnunculus sparverius, 86.
Torpedos, 427.
Tortillitos, 409.
Trachypterus altivelis, 427.
Tree-frogs, 237.
Tremella, 213.
Tribulus, 18,
Trichodactylus fluviatilis, 244.
granarius, 327, 340, 437.
Trichopetalum stellatum, 416.
Tricuspidaria, 342, 433.
Triton scaber, 416.
Trochilus forficatus, 319, 331, 334.
Tropzolum tricolor, 399, 402.
Tubularia polycarpa, 407.
Tucu-tuco, 52.
Tuesday Bay, 451.
Tupa salicifolia, 398.
Turbinella Brasiliana, 228.
Turdus Falklandicus, 76, 264.
517
Turdus fuscatus, 409.
Turritella, 401.
Tussac grass, 295, 296, 299.
Tyssen Islands, 295.
Uncinia, 486, 437, 477.
Upocerthia dumetoria, 127.
Utricularia, 52, 53.
VALDIVIA, PEDRO, 423.
Valentine Harbour, 453.
Valparaiso, 377, 416.
Vanellus Cayanus, 49, 334, 428.
Velella, 259.
Verbena, 48, 400, 419.
Veronica decussata, 448.
Viola odorata, 382.
tridentata, 477, 484.
Voluta colocynthis, 53.
Ferussacii, 115.
Magellanica, 115.
WALDHEIMIA VENOSA, 111.
Wallace, Mr., 37.
Waterhouse, Mr. C., 56.
Weinmannia trichosperma, 327.
Williwaws, 450.
Winter’s-bark, 80.
Witheringia, 394, 400.
Wollaston, Mr., 6, 22.
Wood, Captain, 107, 110, 143.
Wood’s Bay, 485.
Woodpecker, 81.
XANTHO GAUDICHAUDII, 339,
planus, 339.
Xanthornus flavus, 260.
Youpra, 448.
ZONOTRICHIA MATUTINA, 384.
Zorzals, 409.
Zygena malleus, 8.
ERRATA,
Page 16, line 20 from top of page.—For St. Antonio, read San Antonio.
For set in the northern hemisphere, read set in
the northern hemisphere for the last time.
For pale mild, read wild pale.
For Valdiviva, read Valdivia.
For over the greater part, read throughout the
greater part.
»” 27, > 6 ” ”>
” 64, > 22 9 ”
»”> 83, > 10 >? >
>”? 107, > 2 > 9?
9”? 176, »”? 23 ” ”
? 185, ” 19 ””
For modification, read nidification.
os For C. digitata, read sagittata,
2
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