In the winter of 1829, Captain Robert Fi_Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836, Vol. 1 [of 3]

in examining the Jerome Channel, which communicates with the Strait in that

part called Crooked Reach, discovered 'Otway Water,' an inland sea fifty

miles long, trending to the N.E., and separated from the eastern entrance

of the Strait by a narrow isthmus; the actual width of which was not

ascertained, for in the attempt the boats were nearly lost. The

south-eastern shore is high and rocky, and generally precipitous, but the

northern is formed by low undulating grassy plains, free from trees, and

precisely like the country about the eastern entrance of the Strait. At the

north-west corner of the water a passage was found leading in a north-west

direction for twelve miles, when it opened into another extent of water,

about thirty-four miles long and twenty wide. This he called the Skyring

Water. Its southern and western sides are bounded by mountainous land, but

the northern shore is low, apparently formed of undulating downs and grassy

plains, and in some places watered by rivulets. At the western extremity of

the water two openings were observed, separated by a remarkable castellated

mountain which was called Dynevor Castle. Beyond the southernmost opening

there was no land visible, not even a distant mountain, which induced

Captain Fitz-Roy to suppose that it was a channel communicating with the

{575} western coast; but from what we now know, it is not probable that it

can lead to anything of consequence. It is, perhaps, backed by low marshy

land reaching to the hills at the bottom of Glacier Bay, which, from the

distance being seventy miles, were not visible above the horizon. The

northern opening probably passes Dynevor Castle, and, perhaps, nearly

reaches the bottom of Obstruction Sound. The Skyring Water was not further

explored; partly from want of a sufficient quantity of provisions to

undertake it with any prospect of succeeding, and partly from a strong

south-westerly gale, from which there was no shelter for the open boats in

which this examination was performed. The remainder, therefore, of Captain

Fitz-Roy's time was spent in completing what he had commenced; and, after

an absence of thirty-two days, he rejoined his ship at Port Gallant.

At the western end of the passage, which unites the waters, the shore is

well clothed on the north side with luxuriant grass and trefoil, with here

and there a sprinkling of brushwood, but is entirely destitute of trees.

The soil, although dry, is light, and tolerably good; but the ground is

perforated everywhere by some burrowing animal, probably skunks, or

_cavias_. The tracks of horses were noticed in many places, and the bones

of guanacoes were scattered about. Water was not very plentiful, but

several small brooks and springs in the sides of the hills were observed,

sufficient for all useful purposes.

On the south side of the passage the land is low, but wooded: the banks are

from five to forty feet high, sloping to the water, and covered with grass.

In the entrance the tide ran five or six knots at the neaps, but inside

with only half that rapidity. On the north side, at the distance of a mile

and a-half, there is a ridge of hills, to the summit of which Captain

Fitz-Roy made an excursion, which is described in the Narrative.

In consequence of the supposed communication of the Skyring Water with some

part of the western coast, a careful examination was made of every opening

trending into the interior behind the islands and archipelagoes that line

the western coast; the result of which has proved that the hypothesis so

naturally formed was not confirmed by fact. A reference to the chart will

show how carefully the search was carried on, and with what want of success

it was concluded. The deep opening discovered by Sarmiento, and {576} named

by him, 'Ancon sin salida,' was found, upon examination, to extend so far

into the interior, and in the direction of the Skyring Water, that the most

strict investigation of the numerous sounds and canals was made, in the

perfect conviction of finding the desired communication. But after a

patient, laborious, and minute examination, particularly of those openings

which led to the southward, among which Obstruction Sound held the most

flattering appearance, Lieutenant Skyring, who performed this service, was

obliged to give up the search and return. At one part, near the

south-eastern end of the sound, he entered an opening, which at first had

an appearance that was favourable to the desired communication, but it

terminated in low, woody land. There was, however, a hill near the shore,

which he ascended with the hope of obtaining a view of the country; but the

sides and summit of the hill were so thickly wooded as to obstruct his

view, and with the exception of some distant high land in the south-east

quarter, and a sheet of water about six miles off in the same bearing,

nothing was discerned to repay him for the fatigue and trouble of the

ascent. Whether the water is a lagoon, or a part of the Skyring Water, or

whether it communicates with the opening trending round the north side of

Dynevor Castle, yet remains to be ascertained.

Being foiled in this attempt, Lieutenant Skyring proceeded onward in a

S.S.W. direction, and after a pull often miles came to the bottom of the

sound, which was terminated by high, precipitous land encircling every

part. Neither wigwams nor traces of Indians were seen, another proof, were

one required, of the sound not communicating with the Skyring Water; for

the Indians very rarely visit these deep inlets, but are always to be found

in narrow straits or communicating channels, where, from the strength of

the tide, seals and porpoises, which constitute the principal food of the

Fuegian Indians, abound. Sarmiento's name, therefore, of 'Ancon sin

salida,' which we had hoped to have expunged from the chart, must now

remain, a lasting memorial of his enterprising character, and of a voyage

deservedly one of the most celebrated, as well as most useful, of the age

in which it was performed.

The termination of Obstruction Sound is one of the most remarkable features

in the geography of this part of South America.

In this examination the southern extremity of the Cordillera was {577}

ascertained. The eastern shores of the interior channels were found to be

low plains, with no hills or mountains visible in the distance; and such

being characteristic also of the northern shores of the Otway and Skyring

Waters, it is probable that all the country to the east of the sounds is a

continued plain.

Recent traces of Indians were seen in some places; but at the time our

party was there, they were either absent or had concealed themselves. I

should not think that these interior sounds are much frequented by them; a

family was, however, met in the passage between the Otway and the Skyring

Water, clothed with guanaco skins, like the Patagonian tribes, but in

manners and disposition resembling the wandering inhabitants of the Strait

and Tierra del Fuego; and they had canoes, which the Patagonians do not

use. They had probably come thus far for the purpose of communicating with

the latter tribes, with whom they frequently have friendly intercourse. No

guanacoes were seen either on the shores of the inland waters or of the

sounds within the 'Ancon sin salida,' although the country, being open and

covered with luxuriant grass, was peculiarly suited to their habits; but as

several large herds of deer were observed feeding near the sea-shore of

Obstruction Sound, and the neighbouring country, the presence of these

latter animals may probably be the cause; for on the eastern coast, where

the guanacoes are every where abundant, the deer do not make their

appearance. Sea-otters were the only other animals that we met with; but

they were only occasionally noticed, swimming about the kelp. The shores of

the sounds were in many places crowded with the black-necked swan (_Anas

nigricollis_, Linn.), and there were a few seen, but only one captured,

whose plumage, excepting the tips of the wings, which were black, was of a

dazzling white colour. I have described it in the first part of the

Proceedings of the Zoological Society as a new species (_Cygnus

anatoides_.)

The Strait of Magalhaens, being a transverse section of the continent,

exhibits a view of its geological structure. The Strait may be divided into

three portions; the western, the central, and the eastern. The western and

central are of primitive character, rugged and very mountainous; but the

eastern portion is of recent formation and low. The western tract is

composed of a succession of stratified rocks, a difference at once

distinguishable by the form {578} and nature of the ranges, and the

direction of the shores: the hills are irregularly heaped together; the

sounds are intricate and tortuous in their course, and the shores are

formed by deep sinuosities and prominently projecting headlands: the

channels, also, are studded with innumerable islands and rocks extremely

dangerous for navigation. In this portion the rock is, for the most part,

granite and greenstone.

Near the centre of the Strait, the rock being clay-slate, the mountains are

higher, and more precipitous and rugged in their outline; and consequently

not easily to be ascended. They are in general three thousand feet, but

some are found to be four thousand feet, in height; and one, Mount

Sarmiento, is upwards of six thousand feet high, and is covered throughout

the year with snow. The line of perpetual snow in the Strait seems to be

about three thousand five hundred feet above the sea: the mountains, whose

height does not exceed three thousand, are, during the summer, frequently

free from any, excepting in holes, where a large quantity is accumulated by

drifting, and protected from the sun. The Strait here is quite free from

islands, and it is a remarkable fact, that where the greenstone formation

terminates, there the islands cease to appear.

The slate formation continues as far as Freshwater Bay, where the

stratified rocks leave the coast and extend in a north-west direction. The

soil then becomes apparently a mixture of decomposed slate and clay; the

slate gradually disappearing on approaching to Cape Negro, where the rock

partakes of the character of the east coast. Here again we observe, along

with the change of geological character, the re-appearance of islands, the

soil of which is clayey, but with masses of granite, hornblende rock and

clay slate protruding in many places through the superficial soil, which,

although it yields a poor grass, is entirely destitute of trees.

In that portion of the Strait to the eastward of Cape Negro the hills are

remarkable for the regularity and parallelism of their direction, and their

general resemblance to each other. On the north shore, near Cape Gregory, a

range of high land commences suddenly, with rather a precipitous ascent,

and extends for forty miles to the north-east, where it terminates in

detached rocky hills. The south-western end of the range is a ridge of

flat-topped {579} land covered with soil, but with here and there a

protruding mass of primitive rock: one of these appeared to be of sienite

or granite. The north-eastern end of this range is perhaps more bare of

soil, and, therefore, exposes the rock, which shows itself in detached

hills. Precisely similar in appearance and direction is a range on the

south shore, about fifty miles in length, commencing at Cape Monmouth and

terminating in detached hills in the vicinity of the south side of the

First Narrow. The courses, also, of both the First and Second Narrow, which

are just within the eastern entrance of the Strait, are nearly parallel

with these hills; and the smaller ranges of eminences, Elizabeth Island and

the cliffy land of Cape Negro, where the clay formation commences, all

trend to the N.N.E., preserving a general resemblance of form and character

to the two ranges above mentioned.

The irregularity of the topographic features of the western portion of the

Strait, combined with its confused assemblage and immense number of islands

and rocks;--the regularity of the strata--the coinciding parallelism of all

the bays, channels, and sounds,--and the total absence of islands in the

central portion or slate formation;--together with the remarkable

similarity of the direction of the hills and coast line, and the

stratification of the north-eastern tract, which is very different from

that of the centre;--are very striking facts, and, geologically considered,

are of great interest.

No less remarkable, however, and equally interesting, is the character of

the vegetation; not so much in the variety of plants, as in their stunted

growth to the westward, their luxuriance in the centre, and the total

absence of trees to the eastward. For this modification the following

reasons seem to me to account sufficiently. To the westward the

decomposition of granite, and the other primitive rocks which are found

there, forms but a poor, unproductive soil; so that, although the land is

thickly covered with shrubs, they are all small and stunted: the torrents

of water also that pour down the steep sides of the hills, wash away the

partial accumulations of soil that are occasionally deposited;

consequently, few trees are to be found, excepting in clefts and recesses

of the rock, where decomposed vegetable matter collects and nourishes their

growth; but even there they are low and stunted, for the most luxuriant

seldom attain a larger diameter than nine or ten inches. {580}

From the regularity of the direction of the strata in the slate districts

the vallies are very extensive, and, being bounded on either side by

precipitous mountains much intersected by deep ravines, receive large

streams of water, which, uniting together in their course to the sea, form

no inconsiderable rivers. During the winter months these rivers become

swollen and overflow their banks, and deposit a quantity of alluvium,

which, blending with the fallen leaves and other putrescent substances,

produces a good superficial soil, in which trees grow to a large size, and

the shrubs and smaller plants become particularly luxuriant and productive.

At Port Famine, and in its neighbourhood, the evergreen beech (_Fagus

betuloides_) grows in the greatest abundance, and reaches a very large

size. Trees of this species, of three feet in diameter, are abundant; of

four feet, there are many; and there is one tree (perhaps the very same

noticed by Commodore Byron[224]), which measures seven feet in diameter for

seventeen feet above the roots, and then divides into three large branches,

each of which is three feet through. This venerable tree seemed to be

sound, but from our experience of several others that were cut down, might

be expected to prove rotten in the centre. This tendency to decaying in the

heart may be attributed to the coldness of the schistose sub-soil upon

which the trees are rooted, as well as to the perpetual moisture of the

climate above alluded to.

The slate formation ceases at Port St. Mary, but there is no decided change

in the vegetation until we come to Cape Negro, where the clay commences;

and from thence onwards there is not a tree to be found. The nature of the

soil is not favourable to plants which take a deep root, and, therefore,

only shrubs and grasses are found: the former are thinly scattered over the

extensive plains which characterise this country; but the grasses are

abundant, and although of a harsh and dry appearance, must be nourishing,

for they form the chosen food of numerous and large herds of guanacoes.

Besides the evergreen beech above-mentioned, there are but few other trees

in the Strait that can be considered as timber trees. Such an appellation

only belongs to two other species of beech and the Winter's bark. The last,

which is also an evergreen, is to be found mixed with the first, in all

parts of the Strait; so that {581} the country and hills, from the height

of two thousand feet above the sea, to the very verge of the high-water

mark, are covered with a perpetual verdure which is remarkably striking,

particularly in those places where the glaciers descend into the sea; the

sudden contrast in such cases presenting to the view a scene as agreeable

as it seems to be anomalous. I have myself seen vegetation thriving most

luxuriantly, and large woody-stemmed trees of Fuchsia and Veronica[225] (in

England considered and treated as tender plants), in full flower, within a

very short distance of the base of a mountain, covered for two-thirds down

with snow, and with the temperature at 36deg. The Fuchsia certainly was

rarely found except in sheltered spots, but not so the Veronica; for the

beaches of the bays on the west side of San Juan Island at Port San Antonio

are lined with trees of the latter, growing even in the very wash of the

sea. There is no part of the Strait more exposed to the wind than this, for

it faces the reach to the west of Cape Froward, down which the wind

constantly blows, and brings with it a succession of rain, sleet, or snow;

and in the winter months, from April to August, the ground is covered with

a layer of snow, from six inches to two or three feet in depth.

There must be, therefore, some peculiar quality in the atmosphere of this

otherwise rigorous climate which favours vegetation; for if not, these

comparatively delicate plants could not live and flourish through the long

and severe winters of this region.

In the summer, the temperature at night was frequently as low as 29deg of

Fahrenheit, and yet I never noticed the following morning any blight or

injury sustained by these plants, even in the slightest degree.

I have occasionally, during the summer, been up the greater part of the

night at my observatory, with the internal as well as the external

thermometers as low as freezing point, without being particularly warmly

clad, and yet not feeling the least cold; and in the winter, the

thermometer, on similar occasions, has been at 24deg and 26deg, without my

suffering the slightest inconvenience. This I attributed at the time to the

peculiar stillness of the air, although, within a short distance in the

offing and overhead, the wind was high.

Whilst upon this subject, there are two facts which may be {582} mentioned

as illustrative of the mildness of the climate, notwithstanding the lowness

of the temperature. One is the comparative warmth of the sea near its

surface, between which and the air, I have in the month of June, the middle

of the winter season, observed a difference of 30deg, upon which occasion

the sea was covered with a cloud of steam. The other is, that parrots and

humming-birds, generally the inhabitants of warm regions, are very numerous

in the southern and western parts of the Strait--the former feeding upon

the seeds of the Winter's bark, and the latter having been seen by us

chirping and sipping the sweets of the Fuchsia and other flowers, after two

or three days of constant rain, snow, and sleet, during which the

thermometer had been at freezing point. We saw them also in the month of

May upon the wing, during a snow shower: and they are found in all parts of

the south-west and west coasts as far as Valparaiso. I have since been

informed that this species is also an inhabitant of Peru; so that it has a

range of more than 41deg of latitude, the southern limit being 53-1/2deg

south.[226]

Tierra del Fuego is divided by several channels; a principal one of which

is opposite to Cape Froward, and another fronts Port Gallant. The

easternmost, called Magdalen, trends in a due south direction for nineteen

miles, and separates the clay slate from the more crystalline rocks, which

seem to predominate in Clarence Island, and are chiefly of greenstone;

though, at the eastern end, there is much mica slate. At the bottom of

Magdalen Sound the channel turns sharply to the westward; and, after a

course of about forty miles, meets the Barbara Channel, which, as

above-mentioned, communicates with the Strait opposite to Port Gallant, and

both fall into the sea together. Magdalen Sound and its continuation,

Cockburn Channel, are almost free from islands and rocks; but the Barbara

Channel, which separates {583} the granite from the greenstone and mica

slate districts, is throughout thickly strewed with islands, which reduce

the channel in some parts to a mile, and, in one place, to not more than

fifty yards in width. Here, of course, the tide sets with great strength.

Several vessels, however, have passed through it under sail; and one ship,

a whaler belonging to Messrs. Enderby, working through the Strait, and

finding much difficulty in passing to the westward, bore up, and, the wind

being fair and the distance to sea only fifty miles, ran through it without

accident. The land to the westward of the Barbara Channel is high and

rugged; and although in the vallies, ravines, and sheltered nooks, there is

no want of vegetation, yet, in comparison with the eastern part of the

Strait, it has a very dismal and uninviting appearance. It was called by

Sarmiento, 'Santa Ines Island';[227] but Narborough called it, 'South

Desolation; it being,' as he says, 'so desolate land to behold.'[228]

Clarence Island, which is fifty-two miles long and twenty-three broad,

although equally rocky, is much more verdant in appearance. The uniform

direction of the headlands of the north shore of the island is remarkable.

Upon taking a set of angles with the theodolite placed upon the extremity

of the west end of Bell Bay, opposite to Cape Holland, the most prominent

points to the south-east, as far as could be seen, were all visible in the

field of the telescope at the same bearing. The same thing occurred on the

opposite shore of the Strait, where the projections of Cape Gallant, Cape

Holland, and Cape Froward, are in the same line of bearing; so that a

parallel ruler placed on the map upon the projecting points of the south

shore, extended across, will also touch the headlands of the opposite

coast.

The eastern island, which had been previously called, and of course retains

on our chart the name of King Charles South Land, extends from the entrance

of the Strait to the outlet of the Barbara and Cockburn Channels, at Cape

Schomberg. The northern part partakes of the geological character of the

eastern portion of the Strait. The centre is a continuation of the slate

formation, which is evident at a glance, from the uniformity of the

direction of the shores of Admiralty Sound, the Gabriel Channel, and all

the bays and mountain ranges of Dawson Island. The south shore, or seaward

coast line, is principally of greenstone, {584} excepting the shores of the

Beagle Channel, which extends from Christmas Sound to Cape San Pio, a

distance of a hundred and twenty miles, with a course so direct that no

points of the opposite shores cross and intercept a free view through;

although its average breadth, which also is very parallel, is not much

above a mile, and in some places is but a third of a mile across. The south

shores of Hoste and Navarin Islands are of horn-blende rock, which is also

the principal component of the islands in the neighbourhood, as well as of

the island itself of Cape Horn. The eastern part of King Charles South Land

is low, with plains like the Patagonian coast; but the range of high land

interrupted at Port Famine extends down the north side of Admiralty Sound,

and perhaps, with some few intervals, continues to the south-east extremity

of the land, near Cape Good Success, which is the south cape of the west

side of Strait Le Maire, and there terminates in lofty mountains covered

with snow, one of which, called in the charts 'The Sugar Loaf,' is probably

four thousand feet high.

The eastern shore of King Charles South Land, towards the south part, is

lofty, but near the northern part is very low. The interior is also low,

with extensive plains, abounding with guanacoes, some of which also were

found, and shot by the officers of the Beagle, within fifty miles of Cape

Horn.

The eastern coast of Patagonia, from the entrance of the Strait of

Magalhaens to the River Plata, is comparatively low. From Cape Virgins to

Port St. Julian, where porphyritic claystone commences, the coast is formed

of clay cliffs, horizontally stratified, and the country is undulating,

with extensive plains, or pampas, covered with grass, but without trees. At

Port St. Julian, the country becomes hilly, and continues so as far to the

northward as latitude 44deg, the rock being porphyritic. The clay formation

to the southward has been likened to the appearance of the coast of Kent,

and at a short distance it bears certainly a very great resemblance to it;

but the cliffs, instead of being of chalk, are composed of a soft marly

clay, without any gravel or impressions of organic remains, excepting at

Port St. Julian, where fossil shells, both bivalves and univalves, are

found imbedded in clay cliffs; and on the surface are lying, strewed about,

large oyster-shells.

In the clay formation there are two rivers: the Gallegos, in lat. 51deg

38'; and Port Santa Cruz, in lat. 50deg 7'. The Gallegos, at {585} high

water, may be easily entered, but at low water the banks are dry to a great

extent; a channel, however, is left on its south side, of sufficient depth

for a small vessel: the tide rises forty-six feet, and the stream is very

strong.

Port Desire, in 47deg 45' south latitude, has a narrow entrance with strong

tides; but affords in the offing very good anchorage as well as shelter

from the prevailing winds, which are offshore, or westerly. The inlet

extends up the country, nearly in a west direction, for eighteen miles; but

the land is dry and parched, and very unsuitable for the establishment

which the Spanish government formed there not many years since, and of

which evident traces remain to this day.

St. George's Gulf, called in the old charts 'Bahia sin Fondo,' or Deep-Sea

Gulf, was formerly considered to be a deep sinuosity of the coast, into

which a river emptied its waters after winding through a large tract of

country; for, until the Descubierta and Atrevida's voyage of discovery,

very vague accounts had been given of this, or indeed of any other part of

the coast. The Gulf, upon that examination, was found to possess no river

or creek in any part excepting on the north side, where there are several

deep bays and coves, which are, and have been frequented by our sealing

vessels. The country about is dry and parched, although partially covered

with small shrubs, and a wiry grass on which large herds of guanacoes feed.

According to Falkner (the Jesuit missionary, who resided many years among

the Indian tribes inhabiting the country about Buenos Ayres), the eastern

coast between the latitudes of 41deg and 51deg is frequented by the natives

for the purpose only of burying the dead: they have, however, been

occasionally met with travelling along the coast, apparently without any

particular object in view. Near Port Desire I have seen the graves of the

Indians on the summit of the hills, but the bodies had been removed,

probably by the Indians themselves; for we are informed by Falkner, that,

after the dead have been interred twelve months, the graves are visited by

the tribe, for the purpose of collecting the bones and conveying them to

their family sepulchres, where they are set up and adorned with all the

beads and ornaments the friends and family of the deceased can collect for

the occasion. The ceremony {586} is performed by certain women of the tribe

whose peculiar office it is to attend to these rites.

In the year 1828, from the commencement of January to the middle of August,

the Adventure (the ship I commanded) was at anchor at Port Famine, in the

Strait of Magalhaens, in latitude 53deg 38-1/4' south, and longitude 70deg

54' west of Greenwich; and during the whole of that time a careful

meteorological journal was kept. The temperature was registered from a very

good thermometer of Fahrenheit's scale, suspended within a copper

cylindrical case of nine inches diameter, and perforated above and below

with holes, to admit a free current of air. The cylinder was fixed to the

roof of a shed, thatched with dried leaves to shelter it from the sun,

while the sides were open. The barometer (a mountain barometer made by

Newman, with an iron cylinder) was hung up in the observatory, five feet

above the high-water mark, and both instruments were examined carefully and

regularly at the following hours, namely: six and nine o'clock in the

morning, at noon, and at three and six o'clock in the evening. The state of

the atmosphere was observed daily, by Daniel's hygrometer, at three o'clock

in the afternoon. The maximum and minimum temperatures were also observed

twice in twenty-four hours, from a Six's thermometer, namely: at nine

o'clock in the morning, and at nine in the evening. From this journal the

following abstract has been drawn up:-- {587}

SUMMARY OF METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS.

------

TABLE I.

Mean height of the BAROMETER, corrected for Neut^l. P^t. and Capill^y. and

reduced to the temperature of 32deg.

+------+--------------------+----------------------+

| | AUTUMNAL PERIOD. | BRUMAL PERIOD. |

| |------+------+------+-------+-------+------+

+------+------+------+------+-------+-------+------+

| VI. |29.404|29.631|29.569|+29.322|+29.279|29.581|

| IX. | +.415| +.655| +.581| .311| .277| .584|

| XII. | .405| -.641| .574| .292| .272| .576|

| III. | -.399| .647| -.555| -.285| -.271| -.542|

| VI. | .404| .657| .579| .308| .294| .571|

+------+------+------+------+-------+-------+------+

| Means|29.405|29.646|29.572| 29.304| 29.279|29.571|

+------+------+------+------+-------+-------+------+

+------+-----------------------+

| | MEANS. |

| |-------+-------+-------+

+------+-------+-------+-------+

| VI. | 29.531|+29.394|29.463 |

| IX. | +.550| .391| +.470 |

| XII. | .540| .380| .460 |

| III. | -.534| -.366| -.450 |

| VI. | .540| .391| .465 |

+------+-------+-------+-------+

| Means| 29.539| 29.384|29.462 |

+------+-------+-------+-------+

TABLE II.

+----------------------------------------------------------+

| THERMOMETER--Fahrenheit. |

+------+--------------------+----------------------+-------+

| |------+------+------+-------+-------+------+ of |

+------+------+------+------+-------+-------+------+-------+

| | deg | deg | deg | deg | deg | deg | deg |

| VI. | 44.30| 44.20| 35.82| 34.74 | 30.67 | 30.53| 33.46 |

| IX. | 51.38| 49.87| 40.61| 36.36 | 31.83 | 31.50| 35.11 |

| XII. | 54.23| 52.53| 45.42| 40.68 | 36.02 | 35.93| 37.92 |

| III. | 54.44| 52.39| 44.88| 39.62 | 34.36 | 34.59| 36.24 |

| VI. | 51.16| 47.84| 39.83| 35.97 | 31.98 | 32.58| 33.54 |

+------+------+------+------+-------+-------+------+-------+

| Means| 51.10| 49.37| 41.22| 35.47 | 32.97 | 33.03| 33.25 |

+------+------+------+------+-------+-------+------+-------+

+------+-----------------------+

| | MEANS. |

| |-------+-------+-------+

+------+-------+-------+-------+

| | deg | deg | deg |

| VI. | 41.44| 31.98 | 36.71 |

| IX. | 47.29| 33.23 | 40.26 |

| XII. | 50.73| 37.54 | 44.13 |

| III. | 50.57| 36.19 | 43.38 |

| VI. | 46.13| 33.51 | 39.82 |

+------+-------+-------+-------+

| Means| 47.23 | 34.49 | 40.86 |

+------+-------+-------+-------+

{588}

TABLE III.

DANIEL'S HYGROMETER, observed at 3 P.M., daily, and compared with the mean

temperature.

+---------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+

| | AUTUMNAL PERIOD. | BRUMAL PERIOD. |

| |-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

+---------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

| | deg | deg | deg | deg | deg | deg |

| Monthly mean tem. | 51.10 | 49.37 | 41.22 | 35.47 | 32.97 | 33.03 |

| | | | | | | |

| Temperature of | 41.31 | 40.75 | 34.83 | 34.88 | 30.28 | 29.41 |

| | | | | | | |

| Difference between | 9.79 | 8.62 | 6.39 | 0.59 | 2.69 | 3.62 |

| | | | | | | |

| Dryness (the point | 711.8 | 736.42| 809.9 | 980.6 | 903.8 | 876.3 |

| | | | | | | |

| Elasticity of vapour| 295.7 | 289.0 | 238.64| 239.04| 202.24| 196.46|

| | | | | | | |

| Weight of a cubic | 3.3441| 3.2801| 2.7550| 2.7926| 2.3731| 2.3048|

+---------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+

+---------------------+--------+---------------------------+

| |12 Days | MEANS. |

| | of |--------+--------+-------- |

+---------------------+--------+--------+--------+---------+

| | deg | deg | deg | deg |

| Monthly mean tem. | 33.25 | 47.23 | 34.49 | 40.88 |

| | | | | |

| Temperature of | 30.28 | 38.96 | 31.52 | 35.24 |

| | | | | |

| Difference between | 2.97 | 8.27 | 2.30 | 5.28 |

| | | | | |

| Dryness (the point | 894.6 | 752.71 | 920.23 | 836.47 |

| | | | | |

| Elasticity of vapour| 202.2 | 274.44 | 212.58 | 243.51 |

| | | | | |

| Weight of a cubic | 2.3421| 3.1264| 2.4902| 2.8083 |

+---------------------+--------+--------+--------+---------+

TABLE IV.

+---------+-----------------------+------------------------------------+

| | | Temperature. |

| | |------------------+-----------------+

| |-------+-------+-------+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+-----+

| Months | Max. | Min. | Range | Max.| Min.| Range| Max.| Min.|Range|

+---------+-------+-------+-------+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+-----+

| |inches.|inches.|inches.| deg | deg | deg | deg | deg | deg |

| February| 30.087| 28.768| 1.319 | 66 | 28 | 38.0 | 52.5| 43.7| 8.8 |

| March | 30.099| 29.004| 1.095 | 68 | 30.5| 37.5 | 50.5| 41.5| 9.0 |

| April | 30.055| 28.844| 1.211 | 57.5| 28 | 29.5 | 47.8| 40.5| 7.3 |

| May | 29.850| 28.795| 1.055 | 49.5| 20.5| 29.0 | 48.2| 42.8| 5.4 |

| June | 30.079| 28,274| 1.805 | 48.7| 19.2| 29.5 | 47.0| 40.3| 6.7 |

| July | 30.500| 28.942| 1.558 | 44.2| 12.6| 31.6 | 45.0| 41.8| 3.2 |

| August }| 29.782| 28.709| 1.073 | 49.2| 18.5| 30.7 | 43.1| 40.2| 2.9 |

| 12 days}| | | | | | | | | |

+---------+-------+-------+-------+-----+-----+------+-----+-----+-----+

+---------+---------------------+

| | Dew Point, |

| | Hygrometer |

| |------+------+-------+

| Months | Max. | Min. | Range |

+---------+------+------+-------+

| | deg | deg | deg |

| February| 51.2 | 31 | 20.2 |

| March | 47 | 35 | 12 |

| April | 42 | 27 | 15 |

| May | 43 | 21 | 22 |

| June | 41.5 | 20 | 21.5 |

| July | 39.7 | 19 | 20.7 |

| August }| 37.2 | 20.5 | 16.7 |

| 12 days}| | | |

+---------+------+------+-------+

{589}

From the preceding tables it will be seen that the mean temperature for the

autumnal period (the months of February, March, and April) was 47deg.2; the

maximum and minimum were respectively 68deg and 28deg. For the brumal

period, the three following months, the mean temperature was 34deg.5, and

the maximum and minimum 49deg.5 and 12deg.6. During the former, or autumnal

period, the barometer ranged between 30.099 and 28.768 inches, and for the

latter it was between 30.5 and 28.274 inches. The range for the first being

1.331 inches, and for the last 2.226 inches.

* * * * *

{590}

EXTRACT

FROM THE

BEAGLE'S 'GAME' BOOK, 1830.

+--------+-----------------------------+-------------------------------|

| Date. | Giver. | Given for Fresh Provisions. |

+--------+-----------------------------+-------------------------------|

| May 16 | Mr. May | 4 Ducks 2 Redbills. |

| -- | George West | 3 Gulls, 1 Goose. |

| 17 | Mr. Murray | 90 lbs. of Guanaco meat. |

| 19 | Capt. Fitz-Roy | 36 Fish (from Natives). |

| 19 | Do. | 10 Shags, 4 Redbills. |

| 27 | J. Bennett | 2 Shags, 1 Goose, 3 Penguins. |

| June 6 | J. Bennett | 7 Shags, 14 Fish. |

| 7 | Capt. Fitz-Roy | 1 Albatross, 1 Bittern. |

| 16 | Lieut. Kempe | 5 Shags, 2 Geese. |

| 16 | Mr. Brailey | 1 Hawk, 1 Owl. |

| 16 | Jas. Forsyth | 17 Redbills, 5 Sea-pigeons, |

| 17 | Do. | 15 Redbills, 1 Hawk. |

| 19 | Do. | 6 Shags. |

| -- | Lieut. Kempe | 16 Shags, 4 Ducks, 6 Redbills,|

| | | 4 Sea-pigeons. |

| 20 | Lieut. Kempe, Mr. Stokes, | 41 Shags, 3 Steamer-ducks, |

| | and J. Forsyth | 11 Redbills, 5 |

| | | Sea-pigeons, 3 Hawks, |

| | | 2 Owls. |

+--------+-----------------------------+-------------------------------|

_Note._--Otters, foxes, and seal, were tried more than once, but discarded.

Very young seal, however, were liked, as well as young penguins.

{591}

EXTRACT

FROM THE

BEAGLE'S 'GAME' BOOK, 1830.

+---------+-----------------------------+-------------------------------+

| Date. | Given as Fresh Provisions. | To whom. |

+---------+-----------------------------+-------------------------------+

| May 17 | 4 Ducks, 1 Goose | The Sick. |

| -- | 3 Gulls, 2 Redbills | The Fuegians. |

| 18 | 90 lbs. of Guanaco meat | All Hands. |

| 19 | 36 Fish | Sick & Fuegians. |

| 20 | 6 Shags, 2 Redbills | Sick. |

| 21 | 4 Shags, 2 Redbills | Fuegians. |

| 28 | 2 Shags | Sick. |

| 29 | 1 Goose, 3 Penguins | Fuegians. |

| June 7 | 7 Shags, 14 Fish | Sick. |

| 8 | 1 Albatross, 1 Bittern | Fuegians. |

| 17} |{5 Shags, 17 Redbills, 1} | |

| 18} |{Owl, 5 Pigeons, 2 } | All Hands.[229] |

| |{Hawks, 2 Geese } | |

| 19 | 6 Shags | Sick and Fuegians. |

| 20 | 16 Shags, 4 Ducks, 6 | |

| | Redbills | All Hands.[230] |

| 21 | 20 Shags, 9 Pigeons, 2 | |

| | Owls | All Hands. |

| 23 | 11 Shags, 6 Redbills, 3 | |

| | Hawks | All Hands.[231] |

| 24 | 5 Shags, 5 Redbills |}Sick and Fuegians. |

| 25 | 5 Shags, 3 Steamers |} |

+---------+-----------------------------+-------------------------------+

* * * * *

{592}

{593}

INDEX.

Adelaide (Tender) granted, 107

proceedings, 108, 110, 111

goes to look for San Sebastian Channel, 122-124

return to Port Famine, 140

sent to Cayetano Island, loses boat, 142-143

in Bougainville Harbour, 145

further proceedings, 149, 151, 182, 183

suffers from gale in River Plata, 191

detention, 192-196

goes to Magdalen Channel, 197, 212, 213, 217, 241, 248

proceedings, 251-257

at Chiloe, 258

proceedings, 258-268

repaired, 300

sails to Gulf of Penas, 301

arrives at Port Famine, 321

sails with Adventure to Monte Video and Rio de Janeiro, 322

particulars of her last cruise, 323-358

left as tender to flag-ship, 462.

Adventure, leaves River Plata, 1

at Sta. Elena, 2-6

anchors near Cape Fairweather, 7

enters Strait of Magalhaens, 12

passes First Narrow, 15

in Gregory Bay, 16

passes Second Narrow, 20

in Freshwater Bay, 22

at Port Famine, 25-84

in Laredo Bay, 85

in Gregory Bay, 85-104

at Rio de Janeiro, 105

goes to Santos, Sta. Catharina, Monte Video, thence to southward, 106,

107

re-enters Strait, in Possession Bay, 109

in Gregory Bay, 111

in Port Famine, 117

scurvy on board, 144

leaves Port Famine, 182

enters River Plata, Brazilian squadron, 186, 187

at Rio de Janeiro, 188

in pampero, 189, 190

at Port Desire, 192

in Sea-Bear Bay, 193

goes to Staten Land, 197

St. Martin Cove, 198

at Valparaiso Bay, 207

at Chiloe, 210

at Valparaiso, goes to Juan Fernandez, 302

at Concepcion, 308

enters Strait of Magalhaens, 311

in Playa Parda, 312

Fortescue Bay, 313

reaches Port Famine, 315

departs finally, 321

at Rio de Janeiro, 322

arrival in England, 462.

Admiralty Sound, glaciers, weather, Indians, passages, description of

shores, 56-59.

Agnes Islands, rocks, dangers, 380.

Agueros, boundaries of Chiloe, 271

description of Piraguas, 285

quoted on climate, 294, 295

account of missionary voyages, 327-329.

Ainsworth, Mr., goes to survey Port San Antonio, drowned, burial-place,

63-64.

Aldunate, takes Chiloe, Yntendente of the province, 299

anecdote, 300

goes in Adventure to Valparaiso, 302.

Alerse, good qualities of wood, difficult to obtain, 282-283.

_Anas specularis_, 117.

Ancon Sin Salida (of Sarmiento), 262

Adelaide there, weather, traced, 347.

Andres San, canal (of Sarmiento), disappointment, 339.

_Anser Nigricollis_, 352.

Anson, Juan Fernandez, 307.

Antonio San, Port, Cordova's account, vegetation, 126

humming-birds,

{594}

weather, 127, 128

detention there, 133-135.

_Apterodytes Magellanica_, 5.

Araucanian Indians, dress, 309

meeting, 310, 311.

_Araucaria imbricata_, 311.

_Argonauta tuberculosa_, found in maw of dolphin, containing _Octopus

Ocythoe_, 106, 107.

Ariel Rocks, supposed, search for, meeting of currents gave rise to false

report of their existence, 460, 461.

Asses' ears, 12.

Aymond Mount, 12.

Barbara Channel, islands, rocks, tides, 256.

Barbara Santa, Port, 164

oak-beam, supposed Wager's, found, 165

mountains, island, productions, wigwams, weather, 166, 167.

Barnevelt Islands, 436.

Barometer, 41

observations for height of Mount Tarn, 42, 43

for weather, 144, 149

before pampero, 189, 191

observations, 202, 203, 210

for height of Mountain de la Cruz, 244

attention to, 371

changes, 426, 427, 429, 465, 466, 467.

Beagle, leaves Monte Video, 1

at Sta. Elena, 7

approaches Strait of Magalhaens, 13

passes First Narrow, 15

at Gregory Bay, 16

at Port Famine, 25

prepared to go to West part of Straits, and sails, 26, 28

anxiety for, arrival, 65

proceedings, currents, squalls, doubles Cape Froward, leaves Port

Gallant, Cape Tamar, danger, difficulties, dangerous service, 68-80

sails from Pert Famine for Monte Video, 85

goes thence to Rio de Janeiro, 105

ordered to Port Desire, 108

protracted absence, arrival at Port Famine, 119

sails again, 129

return, 151

proceedings during absence, dangers off Parallel Peak, sufferings of

crew, at Port Santa Barbara, Port Henry, Port Otway, perilous

situation in Channel's mouth, sufferings of crew, at Port Otway for

recovery, 154-181

injured during pampero in River Plata, 190

sails thence, 191

at Port Desire, 192

in Sea-Bear Bay, 195

proceedings from, 212

to, arrival at Chiloe, 250

sails for Tierra del Fuego, 300

at Rio de Janeiro, 322

proceedings during absence, weather, anchorage, gales, boat stolen,

critical accident, in Good Success Bay, at Monte Video, returns to

England, 360-462.

Bell Cape, tide-race, rocks, 448, 456.

Bellaco Rock, unsuccessful search for, 109

found and examined, 120.

Black River, branch of San Tadeo River, 328

rapid currents, obstructions, shores, glaciers, 329.

Blanco Cape, shoals off, 108.

Boat upset, lives lost, 63, 64

boat stolen, 142, 143

yawl lost, 180

another boat lost, 193

boats in danger, 231

whale-boat stolen near Cape Desolation, 391

basket-like substitute described, 392

boat building, 407

finished, 423.

Borja Bay, weather, williwaws, 247, 312.

Bougainville, 10, 35, 39, 69

memorial, 70, 71

on Patagonians, 99, 101.

Bougainville Harbour, 122, 145, 146.

Breaker Bay, 373, 374.

Buckland Mount, 51.

Bueno Port, its excellence, productions, 340, 341.

Burney Mount, 260.

Bynoe, Mr., excursion, 214

volunteer in Adelaide, 217, 241

meets Indians, 255

volunteers again in Adelaide, 301, 359.

Byron, Commodore, notice of Sedger River, 38

of Patagonians, 99

of cave near Port Otway, 323

endeavour to trace steps of his party after loss of Wager, account of

circumstances connected with it, 324-329

his description of Montrose Island, 325.

Bowen, Mr., ascends Mountain de la Cruz, 69.

Campana Island, bad weather, danger of Beagle, 161, 163.

Candish, arrival in the Strait, 33

conduct to settlers, gives the name of Port Famine, 34.

Canquena, or Cagge, 288, 289. (Note.)

{595}

Carlos San, de Chiloe, 249

anchorage, position, 274

buildings, woods, 275

piraguas, 284-286.

Cascade Bay, 219.

Cavia, by some called hare, 5.

Centurion, 303, 304, 307.

Chama, 306.

Channel's mouth, anchorage, weather, surf, 178

desolate scene, perils, squalls, 179

inlets near, gales, tides, 330.

Chanticleer at Monte Video, 187

at St. Martin Cove, 198

sails thence, 205.

_Charadrius rubecola_, 41.

Charles Islands, surveyed, 315.

Chiloe, position, extent, population, 271, 272

government, troops, 273

cultivation, peasantry, 276

manners, morals, 277

schools, language, produce, 278

manufactures, exports, imports, 279

varieties of wood, 280, 281

log roads, 283

ploughs, 286

soil, 287

forced contributions, birds, 288

shell-fish, 290

mode of cooking, 291

anecdote, 293

climate, 294-296

struggles against Chile, 298.

Cholgua (_Mytilus Magellanicus_, Lamarck), 290.

Choro (_Mytilus choras_, Molina), 290.

Cockburn Channel, 254.

_Coleoptera_, a few species at Sta. Elena, 6.

_Concholepas Peruviana_, used as drinking cups, 167.

Condor, size, accounts of Molina and Humboldt, 185.

_Crepidula_, one species at Sta. Elena, 6.

Cruz, de la, mountain, ascended, 69

memorials found, 70, 71

ascended again, 243, 244

its height, 314.

_Cygnus Anatodoides_, 359.

_Dasyprocta_ (agouti), 5.

_Dasypus Minutus_, of D'Azara, 5.

Deer, on Point Sta. Anna, 48

track near Obstruction Sound, 353

many more observed, 354

supposed of a novel species, 355.

Desire, Port, examined, 120, 192, 195, 349

quince found there, tides, 460.

Diego Ramirez Islets, 434

climate, 435.

Diego San, Cape, strong tide, 453

coast near, 456.

Dislocation Harbour, 364.

Dogs, 46, 52, 62, 76, 89, 137

fine one (Fuegian), 148, 216

small-sized, 238

at Juan Fernandez, 304

fine Fuegian dog, 444

one like young lion, 448.

Doris Cove, weather, 406.

Dungeness Point, 12.

Eagle Bay, 35, 37, 48.

Easter Bay, 348, 349.

Elena, Sta. Port, arrival there, coast, 2

bad weather, fossil oyster-shells, 4

animals and birds, 5

scarcity of fish, trees, traces of natives, departure, 6.

Englefield Island, 225.

Estevan San, channel of, tides, 265.

Evangelists, or Isles of Direction, 156.

Eyre, Sir George, Sound, glaciers, whales, seal, icebergs, 337.

Fairweather, Cape, gale near, singular error, 7

abundance of fish, 8, 9

departure from, 9, 120.

Falkner, the Jesuit, description of Patagonians, 86, 87

funeral ceremonies, 113

graves, 196.

Famine, Port, 26

former Spanish colony, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33

named by Candish, 34

shells, 37

animals, birds, 38

fishing, 39

preparations and departure, 84

re-visited, 117

events there during absence, 118

weather, 119

winter, 142

floods, lightning, 144

scurvy, 145

effects of weather, 149, 150

Beagle there, 216

Adventure there, 315

finally quitted, 321.

Felipe, San, Spanish settlement under Sarmiento, Viedma, 31, 32

abandoned, now Port Famine, 34.

_Felis pajaros_, 117.

Fire, at Port Sta. Elena, 3

at Port Famine, 83

boat and sheds destroyed by Fuegians, 118,

at Port Desire, 193, 194

in Gregory Bay, 213

traces of near Level Bay, 336.

{596}

Fitz-Roy, Robert, Commander, appointed to Beagle, 188

proceedings at Port Desire, 195

explores Jerome Channel, 221

scenery, 222

Indian Channel, 224

narrow escape, 232

at Port Gallant, 240

search for passage into Skyring Water, 248

at Chiloe, 250

leaves San Carlos, 360

goes to relieve party in distress, 369

excursion to Cape Gloucester, 376, 377

search for lost boat, 393-404

remarks on Tierra del Fuego, 410

excursion in boat, bad weather, gales, 418

proceedings and return on board, 419, 423

further proceedings to return to England, 423, 462.

Fortescue Bay, 132, 313, 315.

Foster, Henry, Captain, meeting with, 187

arrangements, 188

in St. Martin Cove, 198

sails thence, 205

some account of his death, 206.

Fox, at Sta. Elena, 5

curious chase of one, 193.

Freshwater Bay, 22

vegetation, 25.

Freyre, attacks and takes Chiloe, 298, 299.

Froward, Cape, 69

described, 145.

Fuegians, first seen, wigwams, numbers, 23

dress, food, character, 24

near Cape Rowlett, manners, curious anecdote, 53, 54

weapons, skill, 55

barter in Magdalen Channel, 61

conduct, 62

in Harbour of Mercy, 74

description of persons, ornaments, food, habitations, domestic ties,

affection, 75, 76, 77

at Port San Antonio, 128

behaviour, appearance, cunning, 129

in Warrington Cove, 135

visits, canoes, 137

carving, 138

natives at Port Famine, mischievous, 141

near Point Santa Anna, 147

troublesome, 148

met again, 216

near Otway Water, 226

paint, cunning, 227

anecdote, 234

abuse, 238

in Fortescue Bay, plank canoes, 'Pecheray,' anecdote, 313

curious circumstances, 315

at Port Famine, misconduct, 316

precautions, quarrel, 317, 318

driven away, caution, 319, 320

met by Adelaide's boat's crew, curious notices, habits, theft, 342, 344

few in number, 345

at Landfall Island, 367

conduct to party in distress, arms, bird-catching, 370

near Otway Bay, living among tame seals, 372

traces on Noir Island, 388

steal whale-boat, 391

met with, 394

further meetings, boat's gear found, 395

various incidents connected with natives, 396, 397

thieves' family seized, 398

another party met, 399

guides escape, 401

other meetings, 402, 403

three children left on board Beagle, 404

two of them restored, natives in March Harbour, young man detained, 409

disturbance in March Harbour, 412

skirmish, 413

their strength and daring, 'York-minster,' 415

'Boat memory,' 'Fuegia Basket,' 416

conduct of Fuegians on board to other natives, 427, 428

'Yapoos' mode of fishing, 428

natives near Nassau Bay, skins, wigwams, 429

without arms, tractable, 430

in Murray Narrow, large wigwam, food, 440

'Jemmy Button,' 445

in Valentyn Bay, dogs, 448.

Fury Harbour, wreck of Saxe Coburg, 66

described, 380

examined, 384

rocks, 386.

Gabriel Channel, 49

weather, 50

squalls called 'williwaws,' 59.

_Gadus_, 9.

Gales, usual direction, 162, 163

observations, 235

usual course of, 391.

Gallant, Port, 131, 132

humming-birds, natives, 134, 135, 220, 241.

Gallegos River, 9

tides, 120.

Geology of country near Port Sta. Elena, 3

Cape Fairweather, 7, 8

Mount Sarmiento, 27

Mount Tarn, 44

Port Waterfall, 52

Admiralty Sound, 59

Gabriel Channel, 60

near Second Narrow, 112

Cape Froward and Port Gallant, 131

Mount Maxwell, 136

Tower Rock, 192

Cape Horn, St. Martin Cove, 204

Juan Fernandez, 305

Grafton Islands, 375

Cape Castlereagh, Doris Cove, 410.

Gilbert Islands, Doris Cove, 406.

Glaciers, 51, 57, 140, 237, 252, 337, 339, 442.

Gloucester, Cape, 373, 374

excursion to, weather, 376

natives, produce, 377.

Graves, Mr., goes in Hope, 28

proceedings, 45, 46, 47

{597}

surveys Lomas Bay, 63

sails again in Hope, 65

returns, 80

appointed to Adelaide tender, 107

in Gregory Bay, 110, 111

in Port Gallant, 134, 136

detached, 142

loss of boat, 142, 143

at Bougainville Harbour, 145, 146

with Patagonians, 149, 151

at Port Gallant, 241

honourable trait, 242

journal, 251-257

near Cape Upright, 258

goes to Chiloe, 268.

Gregory Bay, Beagle joins Adventure there, 16

gales, mirage, Patagonians, 85

scenery, productions, fires, 111

natives, 183.

Guanacoes, 3, 4, 5

near Cape Orange, 15

in Gregory Bay, 111

bezoar-stone, 117

mode of hunting them, 151

unusual chase, 193

near Sea-Bear Bay, 194

very large ones seen near Windhond Bay, 439

numerous near Aguirre Bay, 446.

Guayaneco Islands, 167, 331.

Guyot Duclos, 10, 22

notice of natives, 99

skirmish with natives, 320.

Henry, Port, 159

productions, scenery, 160, 161.

Hermite Island, remarkable peaks, survey, 207.

Hope, Mount, 56, 57, 58.

Hope, decked boat, 26

crew, sails on survey, 28

proceedings, meets Fuegians in Brenton Sound, 45, 46

passage back to Port Famine, 47

repaired, 48

goes to Eagle Bay, into Gabriel Channel, 49

further proceedings, 50-63

sails again, 65

goes with Captain King, 80

further proceedings, 82.

Horn, Cape, ascent of highest point, memorial left, 432

weather, 433.

Horn Island, 432.

_Hymenoptera_, at Port Sta. Elena, 6.

Icebergs, field of ice, 175, 337, 442.

Icy Sound, glaciers, avalanches, 140.

Ildefonsos, 424.

Indian Channel, bivouac, weather, 223.

Island Harbour, 333

weather, 334.

Jerome Channel, 221

scenery, 222.

Jesuit Sound, explored, 329.

Juan Fernandez, 302

establishment, productions, 303

dogs, goats, fish, buccaneers, 304

botany, trees, fruits, 305, 306

shells, coral, anchorage, 306

animals, seals, birds, 307

excursions, thermometer, 308.

Kater Peak, ascended, 200, 201, 202

again, 433, 434.

Kelp, or sea-weed, its great use, 13

immense growth, 363.

Kelp fish, excellent food, 199.

Kelly Harbour, 175.

Kempe, Lieut., excursions, 214, 409

in chase of Fuegians, 412, 413

promptness, 423, 432

left in charge of Beagle, 437

vigilance, 445, 449.

Kempe Harbour, 218.

Kirke, Mr., goes in Adelaide, 217, 241, 242

ascends Mount Skyring, 253

near Cape Tamar, 258

sails again in Adelaide, 301

examines the Channel's Mouth, 330

zealous exertion, 333

examines Sir George Eyre Sound, 337

further proceedings, 338, 339

traces Canal of the Mountains, 347, 348

Worsley Sound, 349

disappointments, 350, 359

further examinations, 354-357.

Latitude Bay, 368

advantages, 370.

Laura Basin, 375.

Leeward Bay, 347.

Lennox Harbour, 437

natives, 449.

_Lepidoptera_, a few species at Port Sta. Elena, 6.

_Lievre pampa_, of D'Azara, 5.

Lizards, 6.

Lobos, Port, 2.

Lomas Bay, 63.

Loyasa's voyage quoted, 96.

Lucia Santa, Cape, coast near, 157.

Lyndsey, Serjeant, death of, 176

burial, 177.

Magalhaens, Strait of, voyage to explore, under Don Antonio de Cordova, 9

account of bad weather, confirmed by Wallis and Carteret, 10

difference in spelling name, 11

vegetation of Strait, 22

animals, 23

scenery, 51

{598}

whales, &c., 131

climate, 141

re-passed, 186

entered again, 311

finally quitted, 322.

Magdalen Channel, 60

anchorage, scenery, 61

examined, 251

directions, 252.

Magnetic influence, unusual, 199, 200, 204, 382, 383, 384, 385.

Maire Le, Strait, tides in, 455, 456.

Malaspina, at Port Sta. Elena in 1798, 2.

March Harbour, 408, 424.

Maria, a Patagonian, first interview with, 18

at Gregory Bay, 85, 86

visits ships, 88

obtains guanaco meat for them, interview with on shore, 89

acts as priestess, 90

cupidity, 92

'toldo,' 93

disappointment, 104

cordial meeting with, presents, 114

importunity, anecdote, 115

scene in toldo, 116

re-visited, 183.

Marian Cove, 71.

Martin St. Cove, 198

weather, ascent of Kater Peak, 200, 201, 202

gales and williwaws, 203.

Maxwell, Port, 199.

Mesier Channel, entrance to, 331

entered by Adelaide, 333

anchorages, shores, trees, 334

scarcity of inhabitants, 345.

Millar, Alexander Mr., death of, 321.

Misery Mount, 234.

Mitchell, Lieut., activity, 301, 317, 319.

Montes Tres, Cape, 167, 168, 169, 322.

Morton Island, 420

tide between it and Gold-dust Isle, 421.

Mountains, canal of the, 347.

Morrion El, 238.

_Muraena_, near Cape Fairweather, 9.

Murray, Mr, accident, 364

goes to E. end of Landfall Islands, 368

in distress, 369

goes to Euston Bay, 375-378

goes to Cape Desolation, bad weather, 390

severe gales, return anxiously looked for, sends coxswain back in

basket-like canoe, 391

loss of whale-boat, 393

search for her, 401, 402, 403

goes away again, 407

penetrates into channels leading from Christmas Sound, 417

goes to head of Nassau Bay, 427

discovers Beagle Channel, 429

natives, 430

goes towards Cape Good Success, 437

extract from journal, natives near Cape Graham, difficulties, 446, 447,

448.

Muscle Bay, 332.

_Murex_ at Port Sta. Elena, 6

(_Magellanicus_) brought up by lead, 13

found in Eagle Bay, 37.

_Mytilus_, at Port Sta. Elena, 6

at Port Gallant, 133.

_Mytilus choras_, at Chiloe 290.

_Mytilus Magellanicus_, at Chiloe, 290.

Narborough, Sir John, quoted, 4, 5, 25, 76

notice of Patagonians, 99, 123, 192.

Narrow, English, described, 335, 336.

Narrow, First, passage attempted, 14

cleared, tides, 15

passed again, 110, 111

tide-race before filtering, 322.

Narrow, Guia, tides, 265

passed by Adelaide, 340.

Narrow, Kirke, 347

prospect after leaving it, 348

tides, errors, wider channel, 349

plan of Narrow, singular eddies, 356, 357.

Narrow, Murray, tides, shores, natives, woods, 439, 440

channels near, mountains, anecdote, wigwam, 441

tides, glaciers, 442

disadvantages, 443.

Narrow, Second, passed, 20, 85.

Narrow, Shag, 139.

Narrow of San Benito, 264.

Narrow, White, intricate, 347

agreeable prospect, 348.

Nassau Bay, 425

master passes through it, 429

formerly Bay of St. Francis, errors in charts, 433

further examined, 438.

Nautical remarks, gales on the eastern coast of Patagonia, entrance of

Strait of Magalhaens, 463

Staten Island, New Year Islands, 464

passage round Cape Horn, barometer, 465

barometer off Cape Horn, 466, 467

directions for passage through Strait, 468

anchorages, 469, 470

advantage of passing Strait from Pacific to Atlantic, 471, 472

further directions, 473, 474, 475.

Neesham Bay, Indians near, 267.

Negro Cape, 21, 22, 24, 215.

{599}

New Year Sound, 419, 420.

Nodales, voyage of the, 7, 99

Bellaco Rock, 109

San Sebastian Channel, 122, 123

discovered Sea-Bear Bay, 193.

Noir Island, roadstead, penguins, 387

Tower Rocks, 388.

North Cove, 382.

Obstruction Sound, tides, 352

remarks, 352.

_Oidemia Patachonica_, 35.

Oliver Islands, 351.

_Ophidium_, near Cape Fairweather, 8.

Orange Bay, 426, 427

anchorage, productions, 430.

_Orthoceratite_, fossil resembling an, Rocky Bay, 321.

Osorio Pedro, at Chiloe, Byron, 'Desecho,' 327.

_Ostrea Edulis_, at Chiloe, 291.

_Ostrea_, fossil at Port Sta. Elena, 4.

Otway, Port, 169

weather, woods, 170

trees, soil, birds, 323.

Otway Water, 224.

Pampero, 189, 190.

Parallel Peak, 163, 164.

Patagonians, near Gregory Bay, 16

size, friendliness, dress, weapons, three go in Adventure to Cape

Negro, native names, 20

appearance described, 21

met again in Gregory Bay, animals with them, 85

account of various tribes, 86, 87

go on board ships, intoxication, 88

trade, 89

religious ceremony, 90, 91

toldos, 92

utensils, 93

tomb, father's grief, women, occupations, 94

parental affection, anecdotes, 95

their size, 96

former accounts compared, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102

character, 103

contempt for Fuegians, 104

fires, 110

tomb in Gregory Bay re-visited, 112

natives arrive, traffic, 113

cordial meeting, 114

natives on board, 116

in Pecket Harbour, hunting, 151, 152

seen again, toldos, 183

Portuguese sailors living with them, native language, 184

observed again in passing Gregory Bay, 321.

Patagonian Cavy, 5.

_Patella deaurata_, at Port Sta. Elena, 6.

_Patella trochi-formis_, 13.

Paul's, St., dome of, 169.

Pecheray, Fuegian expression, anecdotes, 313, 314, 315

mentioned again, 320.

Pecket Harbour, 151, 183, 184, 213.

_Pecten vitreus_, in Eagle Bay, 37.

Penguins, 387

mode of feeding young, 388.

_Phalacrocorax Imperialis_, 359.

_Phoca Jubata_, food of Fuegians, 24.

Pico, 292.

Pillar, Cape, 79, 311, 361

mountains near, 375

tide, 455.

Pinoleo, Araucanian Cacique, account of meeting near Concepcion,

daughters, their dress, ornaments, reception from him, his

appearance, 309

followers, intoxication, 310.

Pinto, General, Director of Chile, 209.

Piure, remarkable appearance, 292.

Plata, River, Brazilian Squadron, confusion, mistake, 186

severe 'pampero,' effects, 189, 190

gales, 191

currents, 461.

Playa Parda, 312.

_Polyborus Novae Zealandiae_, 143.

Possession, Cape, 12

tides, 13, 15

detention, 109

weather, 110.

_Psittacus smaragdinus_, near Port Famine, 39.

Quintin San, Sound, 174, 175

Adelaide there, 324.

Quod, Cape, 247.

Roldan Campana de, 27.

Rundle Passage, 322.

Rupert Island, rocks, weather, 246.

Saddle Island, magnetic, needle much affected, scenery, whales,

kelp-fish, 199.

Santiago, journey to, 207, 208

weather, 210.

Sarmiento, 26

sent to look for Sir Francis Drake, enters Strait, 29

sails to form establishments, 30

{600}

marks out city, colonists' sufferings, goes to Rio de Janeiro, 31

disappointments, taken to England, 32

his account of natives near Useless Bay, 125

Campana de Roldan, 130

discovery of Gulf of Trinidad, 158, 159

his 'Abra' opposite Playa Parda, 312

quoted, 340.

Sarmiento channel, passed, 341

discoveries, 342

course followed, 346.

Sarmiento Mount, first appearance, 26

height, 27, 28

seen again, 130, 147, 252.

Saxe Cobourg, Prince of, wrecked in Fury Harbour, 66

crew's sufferings, saved by Beagle, 67.

Sea-Bear Bay, 6

described by Nodales, 193

animals, birds, 195.

Seal, teaching their young to swim, 422.

Sebastian San, Channel supposed, noticed by Nodales, 122

various voyagers' opinions, 123

vain search, 458.

Sedger River, mouth changes, remarks, 37

trees, 38.

Shags (corvorants), nests on trees in Courtenay Sound, 404.

Sholl, Robert Lieut., interview with natives, 23, 24, 65

death of, 121.

Skyring, Lieut., 77, 78, 165

takes command of Beagle, 182

superseded, 188

takes command of Adelaide, goes to survey Magdalen, Cockburn, and

Barbara Channels, reaches Port Gallant, 241

part company near Cape Upright, 249

meets Indians, 256

near Cape Upright, 258

searches for 'Ancon Sin Salida' of Sarmiento, 261

natives, 262

tides, 263

weather, 264

his journal, 266

sails for gulf of Penas, 301

journal of proceedings, 323

examines River San Tadeo, 327

proceedings, 328

returns to Adelaide, 329

illness, 333

officers' proceedings, 346

resumes duty, 347

disappointments, 350, 351

excellence of charts, 386.

Skyring Mount, ascent, memorial, 253, 254

described, strong local attraction, effect on compasses, 382, 383

view from it, 383.

Skyring Water, 228

tides, land, birds, 229.

Skunk, or Zorillo, 184, 185.

Smyth Channel, 259

fish, 260

survey, 261.

Snakes at Port Sta. Elena, 6.

Snowy Sound, 237.

Speedwell Bay, abundance of wild-fowl, crabs, potatoes, trees, 332.

Spencer Cape, 431, 435.

Steamer-Duck, or Race-Horse, 35, 36.

Stewart Harbour described, its advantages, 406.

Stokes, Pringle Captain, commands Beagle, 2, 18, 26, 28

rescues crew of shipwrecked vessel, 65

journal, 67 to 80

dangerous cruise, 73

skill and daring, 77

rides to Patagonian toldos, 92

ordered to Port Desire, 108

arrival at Port Famine, 119

proceedings during absence, 121

sails again, 124

describes Bougainville Harbour, 146

returns to Port Famine, sufferings, illness, 150, 151

death, 153

unfinished journal, 154-181.

Stokes, Mr. goes to explore Jerome Channel, 221, 225

narrow escape, 232, 233

examines Hope Harbour, 382

Fury Harbour, 384, 445.

Success Good, Cape, 445, 448

shores, anchorage in bay, swell, 450

gales, 451.

Tadeo San, River, 323, 327, 328.

Tamar Cape, weather off, 72

Beagle in Bay of, 73

returns three times, 74.

Tarn, Mr., 4

excursion to Eagle Bay, 35

ascends Mount Tarn, 40, 42

interview with natives, 61

summit of Table Land, 111

Laredo Bay, 117

in Adelaide, 143, 149

with Patagonians, 151

signal-fire, guanacoes, 194.

Tarn Mount, ascent of, 40

temperature, observations, descent, 42, 43.

Teal found at Port Sta. Elena, 5.

Tower Rock near Port Desire, remarkable, Narborough's description, 192.

Tower Rocks, off Noir Island, 388.

Tower, rock like, near Aguirre Bay, 447.

Trinidad Sanctisima, Golfo de la, 158.

Tres Puntas Cape, 158, 161.

{601}

_Trochilus_ at Juan Fernandez, 307.

Ulloa, Don J. Juan, y Don A. de, their account of the anchorage at Juan

Fernandez, 306.

'Ultimo Viage al estrecho de Magallanes,' quoted, 10, 27, 57, 101.

Upright, Cape, 71

bay, 155

weather, 258.

Useless Bay, 124

natives near, 125.

Valdivia de, Don Pedro, founds cities, 269

Indians destroy them, settlers migrate, 270.

Valentyn Hay, natives, 448.

Valparaiso, 207, 210.

Vicente San, Bay, 453.

Viedma Andres de, at San Felipe, 32

wrecked, return, distresses, 33, 34.

Video Monte, departure from, 1

return to, and sail from, 105

revisited, meeting with Captain Foster at, 187

gales in leaving, 191

return there, 322

finally quitted, 462.

Virgins Cape, 12, 105, 109.

Wager, loss of, 324 to 327, 331.

Warrington cove, 135

geology, 136

productions, 139.

Waterfall Bay, weather, tides, 334.

Waterfall, Port, 51-52.

Weddell's Leading Hill, 418, 421.

Whales, dead, mistaken for rocks, 107, 380.

White Kelp Cove, fish, birds, 335.

William, Cape, 158.

Wickham Lieut., takes command of Hope, 28

meets Indians, 45

returns to Port Famine, 47

in Gregory Bay, 111

obtains curious birds, 117

at Port Famine, 141

goes to Patagonians, 149

ill, 152

goes overland to Port Desire, 195

at Santiago, 207, 210.

Williwaws, 50, 203.

Wilson, Mr., goes to Landfall Island, 368, 369, 376

good drawings, 383

natives, 409, 413

sketches of coast, 436.

Woodcock Mount, 139-140.

Wreck found in Port Sta. Elena, 2

in Fury Harbour (of Saxe Cobourg), 66, 67.

Xavier San Island, 176

examined further, 329.

Xavier Port, woods, water, birds, 176.

Xaultegua, Gulf of, curious islet, frost and snow, 247.

York-Minster of Cook, noticed, 407

mark for March Harbour, 408, 411.

'Yungue' (Juan Fernandez), height, woods, squalls, 302, 303.

Zorillo, 184, 185.

END OF VOL. I.

* * * * *

LONDON:

Printed by J. L. COX and SONS, 75, Great Queen Street,

Lincoln's-Inn-Fields.

* * * * *

NOTES

[1] Excepting one for signals.

[2] Twelve additional seamen having been ordered, by the Admiralty, for the

Adelaide schooner.

[3] On the north side of the river Plata.

[4] Commonly called Magellan. See p. 11.

[5] _Dasyprocta patachonica_: it is the _Patagonian cavy_ of Dr. Shaw, and

Pennant's Quadr., tab. 39, and the _lievre pampa_ of D'Azara. M. Desmarest

thinks that if the teeth were examined it would form a new genus, for which

he proposes the name of _Dolichotis_ (Ency. Meth. Mamm. p. 359). At present

he has, from its external character, placed it amongst the genus

_Dasyprocta_ (agouti). The only one that was taken was not preserved, which

prevented me from ascertaining the fact.

[6] _Dasypus minutus_, Desm. _Tatou pichiy_, or _tatou septieme_ of

D'Azara, &c. &c. It has seven bands.

[7] A similar error was made by one of the ships of the fleet under Loyasa

in the year 1525. The Nodales also, in their description of the coast,

mention the similarity of appearance in the two capes, Virgins and

Fairweather. "Y venido de mar en fuera a buscar la tierra facilmente podian

hacer de Rio de Gallegos el Cabo de Virgenes," (and in making the land Cape

Virgins may easily be mistaken for the river Gallegos).--Viage de los

Nodales, p. 53.

[8] Some of the specimens of the clay strata consist, according to Dr.

Fitton, who has kindly examined my collection, of a white marl not unlike

certain varieties of the lower chalk; and of a clay having many of the

properties of fuller's earth. The pebbles on the beach consist of quartz,

red jasper, hornstone, and flinty slate, but do not contain any stone

resembling chalk flint.

[9] Dr. Fitton considers these masses of clay to bear a resemblance to the

upper green sand of England.

[10] Ultimo Viage al Estrecho de Magallanes, part ii. p. 298.

[11] A hill on the north shore of Possession Bay, having near it, to the

westward, four rocky summits, which, from a particular point of view, bear

a strong resemblance to the cropped ears of a horse or ass. These are

described less briefly in the Sailing Directions.

[12] Flowing into the strait from the east towards the west.

[13] Fucus giganteus.

[14] Usually called by seamen 'kelp.'

[15] Columns of smoke rising from large fires.

[16] Berberis.

[17] Previous to the expedition quitting England, I had provided myself

with medals, to give away to the Indians with whom we might communicate,

bearing on one side the figure of Britannia, and on the reverse George IV.

"Adventure and Beagle," and "1826."

[18] Narborough, p. 67.

[19] Ultimo Viage, p. 120.

[20] From an attentive perusal of the voyage of Magalhaens, I have lately

been led to think that this is the mountain which Magalhaens called

Roldan's Bell. Sarmiento has, however, assigned that name to a mountain at

the back of his Bay of Campana, which will be noticed in it's proper place.

The name of Mount Sarmiento was too long, and too well established with us,

or I should have restored the name bestowed upon it by Magalhaens. Herrera,

in his Descripcion de las Indias Occidentales, cap. xxiii, notices the

"Campana de Roldan" as a great mountain in the midst of the entrance of a

channel; they gave it this name (Campana de Roldan) because one of

Magalhaens's companions, named Roldan, an artillery officer, went to

examine it. "Y la Campana de Roldan una Pena grande en medio al principio

de un canal: dieron le este nombre porque la fue a reconocer uno de los

companeros de Magallanes llamado Roldan que era artillero."

[21]

By angular measurement, with a theodolite, from the tent,

the base being by diff. of lat. 297,863 feet, and allowing

1/12 of the intercepted arc for terrestrial refraction 6,864 feet.

By angular measure with sextant (index error, dip, and 1/12

of the intercepted arc being allowed) the base being

290,074 feet 7,237

By angular measurement, with a theodolite, from Warp

Bay, by Lieuts. Skyring and Graves 6,800

------

Mean 6,967 feet,

------

but as the last observation, from the angle of elevation being greater, was

more likely to be correct, 6,800 feet is considered to be its elevation.

[22] At a subsequent visit, embracing a period of 190 days, it was only

seen on twenty-five, and during seven days only was it constantly visible.

On the remaining eighteen, portions only were seen, and those but for a few

hours at a time.

[23] Sarmiento's Voyage, p. 25.

[24] Id. l.c.

[25] See Burney, ii. p. 45, for a fuller account; also id. 71.

[26] Who made a remark on the occasion, which became proverbial, "that if a

ship carried out only anchors and cables, sufficient for her security

against the storms in that part of the world, she would go well laden."

Burney Coll. vol. ii. 45.

[27] Burney, ii. 51.

[28] The situation of "Jesus" must have been about half-way between the

First and Second Narrow, near the point named in the chart N.S. de Valle,

where some peaked elevations, dividing vallies near the coast line, are

conspicuous. The Beagle anchored there, and found plenty of fresh water.

[29] Close to Port Famine.

[30] From Sarmiento's description of the coast, Point Santa Brigida is the

outward point of Nassau Island.(a) See Sarmiento's Voyage, p. 220.

[31] Formerly spelled 'Candish.'

[32] "Near to Port Famine they took on board a Spaniard, who was the only

one then remaining alive of the garrison left in the Strait by Sarmiento.

The account given by this man, as reported by Magoths, is, that he had

lived in those parts six years, and was one of the four hundred men sent

thither by the King of Spain in the year 1582, to fortify and inhabit

there, to hinder the passage of all strangers that way into the South Sea.

But that town (San Felipe) and the other Spanish colony being destroyed by

famine, he said he had lived in a house, by himself, a long time, and

relieved himself with his caliver(b) until our coming thither." Burney, ii.

p. 96. This man died on the voyage to Europe. Id. p. 97.

[33] So named by Bougainville.

[34] It belongs to the group which M. Temminck has lately named

_Hylobates_, without attending to the name long since conferred upon it by

Dr. Fleming. I designated it _Oidemia Patachonica_, from its large

dimensions, in my communication upon the Ornithology of the Straits.

Zoological Journal, vol. iv. p. 100. On my return to England, I found that

M. de Freycinet had figured this bird, in the account of his last voyage in

l'Uranie, where it is described by Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard under the name

of _Micropterus brachypterus_.

[35] Cook's Second Voyage, 4to. p. 570.

[36] On the shores of Eagle Bay we procured a large collection of shells,

among which were _Margarita violacea_ (Nob. in Zool. Journ. v. 346, No.

53), a beautiful _Modiola_ (_M. trapesina_, Lam.^k), a new _Pecten_ (P.

vitreus Nob. in Zool. Jour. v. 337, No. 17), and a delicate

transparent-shelled _Patella_, answering the description of _P.

cymbularia_. These four species were found attached to floating leaves of

the kelp (_Fucus giganteus_), and afford food to the steamer-duck. We also

collected good specimens of _Murex Magellanicus_, Lam.^k, of _Fissurella

picta_, Lam.^k, and a great number of the common patella of the Strait,

which forms a considerable article of food for the Natives.

[37] Byron's Voyage round the World, 4to. p. 38.

[38] l. c.

[39] _Psittacus smaragdinus_, Gmel. I have no doubt that the bird we saw is

the same as Bougainville procured, and from which a description has been

given in the Ency. Meth., art. Ornith. 139; although a material error is

made, for they are not _splendide viridis_, nor is the _uropygium_ red, in

other points, however, the description is correct. See Buffon's Hist. Nat.

des Oiseaux, vi. 262. Pl. enl. n. 85, Perruche des Terres Magellaniques.

[40] Bougainville says, "we have likewise perceived some perrokeets: the

latter are not afraid of the cold." To which the English translator, T. R.

Forster, who is incredulous of the correctness of Bougainville's assertion,

appends the following note: "Perruches, probably sea-parrots, or auks."

Buffon also doubted the fact, and the author of Histoire Naturelle, art.

Oiseaux, tom. ii. p. 322, suggests the possibility of a specimen having

been obtained in some other part of the world, and put, by mistake, amongst

those collected in the Strait.

[41] So named because Mr. Tarn, the surgeon of the Adventure, was the first

person who reached its summit.

[42] The height of this place, as shown by the barometer, on the ascent,

was 941 feet, and, on the descent, 973 feet.

[43] On this table-land the barometer stood at 27,767. Temperature of the

air 46deg,5, and of the mercury 47deg,5, which gave the elevation 1,327

feet.

[44] The result of the barometric observation for the height of Mount Tarn

is as follows:

Height by one barometer { ascent 2,567.7 }

{ descent 2,625.4 } mean 2,596.5 feet.

Do. two do. { ascent 2,619.3 }

{ descent 2,596.7 } -- 2,608.0

-------

2,602.2

-------

By angular measurement from Observation Cove, Port Famine, with theodolite,

allowing 1/12 of the intercepted arc for terrestrial refraction, the height

is 2,850 feet.

Another observation, with the sextant, made it 2,855 feet. The mean 2,852 I

consider more correct, from the difficulty of obtaining a correct reading

of the barometer on the summit.

[45] By Daniell's hygrometer, used in this sheltered spot, I found the

temperature of the air to be 48deg; dew point 41deg: but upon exposing the

instrument to the wind, the air was 39-1/2deg, and the dew point 36deg: the

difference in the former being 7deg; and the latter 3-1/2deg; from which

the following results are obtained:

air. dew pt. diff. exp. dryness. weight of

a cubic.

foot of air.

In the ravine 48 41 7 292 776 3.323

Exposed to wind 39-1/2 36 3-1/2 248 898 2.871

-------------------------------------------

Difference 8-1/2 5 3-1/2 44 122 0.452

The above being the difference in the short space of three feet apart; the

instrument, in the first case, being just under the lee of the rocky summit

of the mountain, and in the last, above it, exposed to the wind.

[46] The air was so dry this afternoon that I failed to procure a deposit

of dew upon Daniell's hygrometer, although the internal temperature was

lowered from 61deg to 37deg. One of Jones's portable hygrometers was also

tried, and the temperature was lowered to 31deg1/2 without a deposit; so

that, the difference being more than thirty degrees, the expansive force of

the air must have been less than 212, the dryness, on the thermometric

scale, less than 367, and the weight of vapour, in a cubic foot of air,

less than 2,355 grains.

[47] Fires made to attract attention, and invite strangers to land.

[48] This fern we found at the island of Juan Fernandez also.

[49] After the lieutenant of the Adventure.

[50] At Mr. Tarn's request.

[51] King's 'Australia,' vol. i. p. 70; also vol. ii. pp. 573, 582, and

613.

[52] At high tide the sea-water undermines, by thawing, large masses of

ice, which, when the tide falls, want support, and, consequently, break

off, bringing after them huge fragments of the glacier, and falling into

the still basin with a noise like thunder.

[53] "En los dias 24, y 25, oimos un ruido sordo, y de corta duracion, que,

por el pronto, nos parecio trueno; pero habiendo reflexionado, nos

inclinamos a creer que fue efecto de alguna explosion subterranea, formado

en el seno de alguna de las montanas inmediatas, en que parece haber

algunos minerales, y aun volcanes, que estan del todo o casi apagados,

moviendonos a hacer este juicio, el haberse encontrado, en la cima de una

de ellas, porcion de materia compuesta de tierra y metal, que en su peso,

color, y demas caracteres, tenia impreso el sello del fuego activo en que

habia tomado aquel estado, pues era una perfecta imagen de las escorias del

hierro que se ven en nuestras ferrerias.--_Apendice al Viage de Cordova al

Magallanes_, p. 65.

[54] No canvas could withstand some of these squalls, which carry spray,

leaves, and dirt before them, in a dense cloud, reaching from the water to

the height of a ship's lower yards, or even lower mast-heads. Happily their

duration is so short, that the cable of a vessel, at anchor, is scarcely

strained to the utmost, before the furious blast is over. Persons who have

been some time in Tierra del Fuego, but fortunate enough not to have

experienced the extreme violence of such squalls, may incline to think

their force exaggerated in this description: but it ought to be considered,

that their utmost fury is only felt during unusually heavy gales, and in

particular situations; so that a ship might pass through the Strait of

Magalhaens many times, without encountering one such blast as has

occasionally been witnessed there.--R. F.

[55]

"sub rupe cavata

Arboribus clausam circum atque horrentibus umbria."

[56] Mount Boqueron.

[57] Including the master, there were on board, when cast away, twenty-two

persons.

[58] Bougainville Harbour, better known to Sealers by the name of 'Jack's

Harbour.'

[59] "Voyage autour du Monde." 1767.

[60] One of the feathered tribe, which a naturalist would not expect to

find here, a 'humming bird,' was shot near the beach by a young

midshipman.--Stokes MS.

[61] Hawkesworth's Coll. of Voyages, vol. i. p. 76.

[62] It was here that Commodore Wallis and Captain Carteret separated, the

Dolphin going round the world; the Swallow returning to England.

Sarmiento's name of Puerto de la Misericordia, or 'Harbour of Mercy,' being

of prior date, ought doubtless to be retained.

[63] Called the Scilly Isles.

[64] 'Anas Rafflesii,' Zool. Journ., vol. iv., and Tab. Supp., xxix.

[65] Of these a species of mactra (_M. edulis Nob._) was most abundant.

[66] Burney, i. 35 and 37.

[67] Falkner's Patagonia, pp. 110, 111.

[68] It is good to be drunk, it is pleasant to be drunk.

[69] Two Portuguese seamen, however, who had resided some months with them,

having been left behind by a sealing vessel, and taken off by us at a

subsequent period of the voyage at their own request, informed us that

Maria is not the leader of religious ceremonies. Each family possesses its

own household god, a small wooden image, about three inches in length, the

rough imitation of a man's head and shoulders, which they consider as the

representative of a superior being, attributing to it all the good or evil

that happens to them.

[70] Burney, i. p. 33.

[71] Ibid. p. 135.

[72] Burney, i. 318.

[73] Ibid, i. 324.

[74] Sarmiento, p. 244.

[75] Sarmiento's Appendix, xxix.

[76] Purchas, iv. ch. 6 and 7.

[77] Burney, ii. p. 106.

[78] The tribes described by this boy are the

1. Kemenites, inhabiting a place called Karay.

2. Kennekas, Karamay.

3. Karaike, Morine.

4. Enoo, the tribe to which the Indians, whom they murdered, belonged.

[79] Burney, ii, 215.

[80] Ibid. ii. 334.

[81] Hawksworth's Coll. i 28.

[82] Ibid.

[83] See a letter from Mr. Charles Clarke, an officer on board the Dolphin,

to Mr. Maly, M.D., secretary of the Royal Society, dated Nov. 3, 1766, read

before the Royal Society on 12th April 1767, and published in the

fifty-seventh volume of the Phil. Trans., part i. p. 75, in which an

exaggerated account is given of this meeting. The men are described to be

eight feet high, and the women seven and a half to eight feet. "They are

prodigious stout, and as well and proportionably made as ever I saw people

in my life." This communication was probably intended to corroborate the

commodore's account.

[84] Ultimo Viage, p. 21.

[85] Falkner, according to Dean Funes, was originally engaged in the slave

trade at Buenos Ayres; but afterwards became a Jesuit, and studied in the

college at Cordova, where, to an eminent knowledge of medicine, he added

that of theology. He is the author of a description of Patagonia, published

in London after the expulsion of the Jesuits.--(_Ensayo de la Historia

Civil del Paraguay, Buenos Ayres, y Tucuman, por el Doctor Don Gregorio

Funes, iii. p. 23, note. Published at Buenos Ayres. 8vo. 1817._)

[86] See Dean Funes's account of Buenos Ayres, and of the Indian tribes,

vol. ii. 394.

[87] We left Gregory Bay in the morning, and passed Cape Virgins in the

evening of the same day.

[88] On our passage from Santos to St. Catherine's, in latitude 28deg

south, we caught a 'dolphin' (_Coryphena_), the maw of which I found filled

with shells, of _Argonauta tuberculosa_, and all containing the '_Octopus

Ocythoe_' that has been always found as its inhabitant. Most of the

specimens were crushed by the narrow passage into the stomach, but the

smaller ones were quite perfect, and had been so recently swallowed that I

was enabled to preserve several of various sizes containing the animal. To

some of them was attached a nidus of eggs, which was deposited between the

animal and the spire. The shells varied in size from two-thirds of an inch

to two and a half inches in length; each contained an octopus, the bulk and

shape of which was so completely adapted to that of the shell, that it

seemed as if the shell increased with the animal's growth. When so many

learned naturalists have differed so materially as to the character of the

inhabitants of the argonauta, it would be presumption in me to express even

an opinion; I therefore merely mention the fact, and state that in no one

specimen did there appear to be any connexion between the animal and the

shell.

[89] Nodales, p. 48.

[90] Falkner says, in his account of the burial ceremonies of the southern

Patagonians--that, after a certain interval, the bodies are taken out of

the tomb, and skeletons are made of them by the women--the flesh and

entrails having been burnt. It is possible that in this case the body had

been so treated, and that the fire near it was for the purpose of burning

the flesh, and perhaps with it all the flags and ornaments of the tomb.

[91] He was a great favourite with them.

[92] The medicinal property of this intestinal concretion is well known

wherever the animal is found. Marcgrave, in his "Tractatus topographicus et

meteorologicus Brasiliae," folio, p. 36, says:--"Haec animalia (guanacoes)

generant lapides Bezoares in sinu quodam ventriculi, qui maximi aestimantur

contra venena et febres malignos ad roborandum et refocillandum cor,

aliosque affectus. Materia e qua generantur sunt herbae insignis virtutis,

quibus vescuntur naturae instinctu ad sanitatem tuendum, aut morbos et

venena superandum. Hi lapides inveniuntur in adultioribus hisce animalibus

atque interdum tam grandes, ut unum in Italiam attulerim qui pendet uncias

duas supra triginta."--Mr. Thompson, on Intestinal Concretions. See his

Syn. of Chemistry, iv. 576.

[93] _Anser nigrocollis_. Encyc. Method., art. Ornithol. 108.

[94] Weddell's Voyage.

[95] I cannot avoid noticing here the considerate conduct of the

Commander-in-chief (Sir George Eyre) with respect to this appointment. By

the tenor of my instructions the Adventure and Beagle were placed under the

Admiral's orders; and the vacancy, had he wished to exercise his

prerogative, might have been filled by one of his own followers. It was,

however, given, at my request, to Mr. Sholl, as being more conversant with

the duties of this peculiar service than any of the midshipmen of the

flag-ship. The Admiral's conduct, on this occasion, calls for my warmest

thanks.

[96] Relacion del Viage, &c. que hicieron los Capitanes B. G. de Nodales y

Gonzalo de Nodales, p. 59.

[97] Falkner describes the Indians who inhabit the eastern islands of

Tierra del Fuego, to be 'Yacana-cunnees,' and as he designates those who

inhabit the Patagonian shore of the Strait by the same name, it might be

inferred that they are of the same race; but however closely connected they

may have been formerly, they certainly are not so now, for Maria (the

Patagonian) spoke very contemptuously of them, and disclaimed their

alliance; calling them 'zapallios,' which means slaves.

[98] Berberis ilicifolia.--Banks and Solander MSS.

[99] The specimen that was found at Port Gallant was sent by me to Mr.

Vigors, who considering it, although well known to ornithologists, as never

having yet been named, describes it in the Zoological Journal (vol. iii. p.

432, Aug. 1827), as Mellisuga Kingii. Shortly afterwards M. Lesson

published it in his Manuel d'Ornithologie (vol. ii. p. 80.), as _Ornismya

sephaniodes_, as a discovery belonging to La Coquille's voyage, in the

illustrations of which it is figured at plate 31. I rather think, however,

that it is Molina's _Trochilus galeritus_.--(Molina, i. 275.).

[100] Sarmiento, p. 213.

[101] Este monte es el que llaman las Relaciones antiguas la Campana de

Roldan.--Sarmiento.

[102] Here we obtained a second species of the Steamer-duck, which is

described in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, as

'_Micropterus Patachonicus_, Nob.' It differs from the _M. brachypterus_

not only in colour but in size, being a smaller bird, and having the power

of raising its body, in flight, out of the water. We called it the 'Flying

Steamer.'

[103] Afterwards examined by Capt. Fitz Roy. It was called Xaultegua by

Sarmiento, who very correctly describes it.--(Sarmiento's Voyage, p. 208.)

[104] Because they formed a capital leading mark for the Strait of

Magalhaens.

[105] Beagle Island N. 71deg. E., Cape Isabel N. 32deg. E., a remarkable

mountain in the bight between Cape Santa Lucia and Cape Isabel N. 11deg. W.

Cape Santa Lucia N. 33deg. W.; distance off shore three leagues; and

soundings fifty fathoms, sandy bottom.

[106] (Sarmiento, p. 65.)

[107] The description of Port Henry is given in our Sailing Directions.

[108] The N.W. end of the Island de la Campana bearing N. 71deg. 40'. E.

Two distant hummocky islands (answering pretty well in position with the

Guaianeco Islands of the Spanish charts) N. 53deg. 30'. E., and N. 55deg.

48'. E., and a remarkable rock, the 'Dundee' of Bulkeley and Cummings,

about forty-five feet high, rising like a tower from the sea, distant

offshore five miles, bearing east of us, distant one mile.

[109] Length twenty feet five inches and a half, sided twelve inches, and

moulded eight inches and a half.

[110] Xavier's Island is certainly the Montrose Island of Byron's

Narrative. The Wager was lost, as will be seen, more to the southward, on

the Guaianeco Islands.

[111] This group was afterwards called Hazard Isles.

[112] D'Azara, in his Essai sur l'Histoire Naturelle des Quadrupedes de

Paraguay, gives the following account of this animal, which he calls

Yagouare. It burrows in the ground, eats insects, eggs, and birds, when it

can surprise them, and moves about the plains and fields both by day and

night in search of food; brushing the ground with its body, and carrying

its tail horizontally. It regards not the presence of man or beast; unless

an attempt be made to injure or take it, when it gathers up its body,

bristles up the hairs of its tail, erecting it vertically; and in this

position awaits the approach of its enemy, at whom it ejects its urine,

which produces so unbearable a smell, that neither man, dog, nor tiger,

will attempt to touch the animal.

The yagouare moves very slowly, and cannot run. It produces two young ones,

which are placed at the bottom of its burrow. The unconquered Indians of

the Pampas make mantles with the furs of the fox, cavia, or other animals,

and border them with the skins of the yagouare, which are very soft and

fine, and would be fit for being employed by the furrier were it not for

the disagreeable odour which they impart to every thing they touch. The

Indians eat the flesh of this animal, which they irritate until its only

means of defence is unavailing, and it can be captured without offensive

consequences.

[113] From which the Mount (at Monte Video) bore N. 11deg. W., distant

eight leagues.

[114] Specimens of this rock are deposited in the Geological Society's

Museum, Nos. 3 and 3-1.

[115] See Zoological Journal, vol. iv. p. 92.

[116] Nos. 1 and 2 in the Geological Society's Museum. A new species of

Solen (_Solen Scalprum_, nob., Zool. Journ. V. 335. No. 5.) was found on

the beach; and the camerated nidus of _Buccinum muriciforme_, nob., Zool.

Journal, l.c. No. 62.

[117] According to Capt. Fitz Roy the best berth is in sixteen fathoms.

(Sail. Directions.)

[118] Nos. 268 to 271, Geo. Soc. Museum.

[119] A species of Gunnera (_Dysemore integrifolia_, Banks and Solander),

and the green-stemmed Cineraria (_Cin. leucanthema_. Banks and Solander).

[120] Nos. 283 to 286, in Geol. Soc. Museum.

[121] The changes of pressure, during the intervals of ascent and descent,

were obtained by registering the ship's barometer, which was done by signal

from the stations on shore, when the readings were taken. During the ascent

the column fell 0.039 inches, and during the descent rose 0.041 inches.

Corrections were made for the dew point, as observed by Daniell's

hygrometer at the base and summit, and the calculations were made according

to the formula in Daniell's Meteorological Essay.

The following is the result:

By Bunten's Syphon. By Jones 509.

Ascent 1743.4 1749.3

Descent 1738. 1739.1

------ ------

Mean 1741. 1744.2

Mean of the two instruments 1742.4 feet.

[122] This rock is very similar to the boulders and pebbles which we found

on the beach at Point St. Mary (Freshwater Bay).

[123] The underwood is composed chiefly of _Arbutus rigida_--_Berberis

parvifolia_ and _ilicifolia_--(_sempervirens_ of Banks and Solander).

_Veronica_ (_decussata_?) and, in moist places, _Cineraria leucanthema_,

and _Dysemore integrifolia_; both of which are found in all the sheltered

corners of Tierra del Fuego. No _Fuchsia_ was seen, but Mr. Anderson

gathered the sweet-scented _Callixene marginata_, and a species of

_Escalonia_, on the hill sides.

[124] Ann. Meeting, 30th Nov. 1832.

[125] The Survey of this part now presents the navigator with the means of

ascertaining his position, to a nicety, by angles taken with a sextant

between Cape Horn summit and Jerdan's Peak, or Mount Hyde, and Kater's

Peak; and if Jerdan's Peak and Mount Hyde be brought in a line, and an

angle taken between them and Cape Horn summit, the operation will be still

more simple.

[126] Miers, in his account of Chile, gives a table of barometrical

measurements of the heights of the land between Valparaiso and Mendoza,

from which it appears that he has deduced the height of Curacavi to be

1,560 feet. As my determinations are the results of observations made on my

way to and from Santiago, I have no doubt of their correctness, and think

that the registered height of Miers's table should be 29.355 instead of

28.355.

[127] The following are the results of the barometrical determination of

the height of various points on the road between Valparaiso and Santiago:--

Feet above the sea.

Casa Blanca, ten leagues from Valparaiso 803

Highest point of the road over the Cuesta de Zapata 1,977

Inn at Curacavi 633

Plain near Bustamente 808

Summit of Cuesta de Prado (not certain to 200 feet) 2,949

Inn, or post-house, at the base of the east side of the

Cuesta de Prado 1,804

Santiago, by mean of numerous observations 1,821

Miers makes the above places above the sea as follows:--

Feet above the sea.

Casa Blanca 745

Summit of Cuesta de Zapata 1,850

Curacavi 1,560

Summit of Cuesta de Prado 2,543

Post-house, Prado 1,773

Santiago, mean of two observations 1,691

Do. by Malespina 2,463 } {2,254}

Do. Mercurio Chileno 1,693-1/2 } Spanish {1,550} English

[128] Probably they are the same as we observed on the fish taken by us off

Cape Fairweather, and which, I believe, to be nearly allied to the one that

is figured in Cuvier's Regne animal, Plate XV. figure 5, a species of

_Lernaea_, or _Entomoda_ of Lamarck, iii. 233. The species is new.

[129] Geol. Soc. Museum, Nos. 176 to 205, and Zool. Mus.

[130] By angular measurement it was found to be 2,270 feet.

[131] The wristbands of our shirts, and all our outer clothes, were coated

with ice, while our inner clothing was wet through.

[132] On heaving up the best bower, we found it had lost one fluke.

[133] The Adventure arrived on the 21st.--P. P. K.

[134] In the old Dutch charts, a passage was laid down near the place, and

nearly in the direction of the Cockburn Channel, and named 'Jelouzelt:' but

until some written authority can be produced to prove that this passage was

explored, or, at the least, discovered by the person who gave the name of

'Jelouzelt' to one of the almost innumerable openings in Tierra del Fuego,

it does not appear that the inlet so called has any claim to our

consideration, greater than that of the non-existing San Sebastian

Channel,--or a number of other imaginary passages which must have been laid

down, upon supposition only, in many old charts.

The first person known to have passed through the Cockburn Channel was the

mate of the Prince of Saxe Cobourg, who went in a boat (see page 66). It

was afterwards passed by Mr. William Low, master of the Mercury, and has

since been used by several vessels.

[135] Since surveyed by Capt. Fitz Roy in the Beagle, 1829-30.

[136] San Carlos, in Chiloe.

[137] Mr. Kirke.

[138] A heap, or stack of corn.

[139] No doubt the Mount Oracion of Sarmiento, p. 144.--P. P. K.

[140] This place is described in Sarmiento's journal, p. 144.--P. P. K.

[141] Ensenada de la Oracion of Sarmiento.--P. P. K.

[142] This bay is also described by Sarmiento as an 'Ancon sin salida,' p.

143; but it is evidently not the one that bears that name on the

chart.--P. P. K.

[143] Here is certainly the Ancon sin salida of Sarmiento, whose journal

describes the inlet as terminating in a cove to the north, p. 142. The

mountain of Ano Nuevo cannot be mistaken; indeed the whole of the coast is

so well described by the ancient mariner, that we have little difficulty in

determining the greater number of places he visited. In all cases we have,

of course, preserved his names. The chart compiled by Admiral Burney is a

remarkable instance of the care which that author took in arranging it, and

how ingeniously and correctly he has displayed his judgment; it is also a

proof that our favourite old voyager, Sarmiento, was at least correct in

his descriptions, although he appears to have been quite ignorant of the

variation of the compass.--See Burney Coll. Voyages, p. 31; and Sarmiento,

p. 162.

[144] 'Cordillera Nevada' of Sarmiento.

[145] A very full and detailed account of this journey is given by Agueros,

in his 'History of the Province of Chiloe,' pp. 50 to 56, as well as in the

'Chronicles of the Province of Lima, by Padre Fr. Diego de Cordova,'

Salinas, chap. xvii. p. 485.

[146] Agueros, l. c. p. 57.

[147] Agueros describes its boundary thus:--It is situated between the

latitudes 41deg 30' and 44deg; from Point Capitanes to Quilan. On the north

it is bounded by the territories of the Indian tribes Juncos and Rancos,

which extend to Valdivia; on the N.E. by those of the ancient but destroyed

city Osorno; on the south by the archipelago of Guaitecas and Guaianeco,

and others which extend to the Strait of Magalhaens; on the east by the

Cordillera; and on the west by the sea. (Agueros, p. 61.)

[148] When the Yntendente, or governor of the province, visited Castro for

the purpose of taking a census of the population, a family of Indians

waited upon him to render an account of their property; who, upon being

asked whence they came, replied, "Del fin de la Cristiandad." The name

being new to the Yntendente, it was explained to him that they belonged to

Caylin, which was more generally known by the above name, because there

existed no Christian population beyond, or to the southward of, that

island.

[149] In the year 1783 there were 23,447 (Agueros): and in 1832, 43,830.

[150] Agueros says, "both men and women go generally with the foot and leg

uncovered; with the exception of the principal families; but even those do

not all wear shoes."--(Agueros, p. 108.)

[151] Places where seal congregate--so called always by the sealers.

[152] Potatoes are not mentioned in the report, yet they must have been

exported in considerable quantities.

[153] Molina, i. 167. A species of 'Dolichos.'

[154] The fanega weighs 175 lbs. and contains twelve almudes, which being

cubic measures of eight inches and a half, contain each 614.125 cubic

inches; therefore a fanega contains 7369.5 cubic inches, and as an English

bushel contains 2150.4 cubic inches (2150.4 x 175)/7369.5 = 51-6/10 lbs.

the weight of a bushel.

[155] Molina notices the 'Cagge,' or 'Chiloe duck,' (_Anas antarctica_)

vol. i. p. 268, and calls it _Anas hybrida_. M. Lesson, in his 'Manuel

d'Ornithologie,' ii. 409, has taken great pains to describe it, and

remarks, with reason, that much obscurity exists in the specific

descriptions of the goose kind in the Malouine (Falkland) Islands, and the

extreme southern land of America. The male, Lesson says, is white, the feet

and beak of a bright yellow colour. All the specimens that we saw, and

numbers were killed by us, had a black beak with a red cere--otherwise M.

Lesson's description is correct. In many specimens, however, we found the

tip of the primary wing feathers black, which is not to be wondered at when

the colour of the female is considered, but which it is not an easy task to

describe. M. Lesson, I think, has done it justice in a note to his vol. ii.

p. 409:--"Anas antarctica. A capite griseo, genis gulo colloque albo et

nigro acuti-striatis; oculorum circuitu nudo: pectore abdomineque omnino

atris, atque vittis niveis notatis: tectricibus alarum nigris; dorso

uropygio cauda et ano albis; alis niveis cum speculo lato virescente,

brunneo marginato; pennis longis aterrimis; rostro et pedibus,

aurantiacis."

These birds are very common in the Straits of Magalhaens, and every where

on the west coast between the Strait and Chiloe; also at the Falkland

Islands.

The _Cancania_ (or _Canquena_) is the _Anas Magellanica_, _Anser

Magellanicus_ (Ency. Meth. p. 117). From Buffon's description, and a

well-drawn but badly-coloured figure, in the Planches Enluminees, No. 1006,

I have no hesitation in assigning it to that kind. The colour of the head,

however, instead of being 'reddish purple,' is cinereous with a reddish

hue; the feathers of the sides and thigh covers are white, with five black

bars, the extremity being white; the central portion of the abdomen is

white; the speculum of a splendid shining green. This bird is common to the

Strait as well as to Chiloe, and is probably Byron's 'Painted Duck,' and

the _Anser pictus_ of the Ency. Meth., p. 117. M. Lesson considers _Anas

leucoptera_, Gmel. as the male of _Anas Magellanica_, which may be doubted.

The 'Barking Bird,' as our sailors called it, was first brought to me by

Capt. Stokes, having been shot during the Beagle's visit to Port Otway, in

the Gulf of Penas. It was an imperfect specimen; but Mr. Tarn afterwards

obtained for me several others. It seems to have a great affinity to the

genus _Megapodius_; but no specimens of that genus being in England when I

was last there, and the Barking Bird differing in essential points from M.

Tenminck's description of the genus, and from the figured specimen of

_Megapodius Freycinettii_;--particularly in the length and form of its

wings, which are rounded, and so short as not to reach beyond the base of

the tail;--also in the emargination of the upper mandible;--I have been

induced, by Mr. Vigors' advice, to form it, provisionally, into a new

genus, termed _Hylactes_. (See Proc. Zool. Soc., vol. i. p. 15.) There is

another specimen in our collection (now in the Zoological Society's

Museum), which will probably be placed in this genus, but there existed

some uncertainty in essential points, which prevented my describing it

before I left England.

[156] Among the numerous testaceous productions is a small shell, which

constitutes a new genus. _Marinula_, nob. in Zool. Journal, vol. v. p. 343.

It was found on the wooden piles which support the mole in the bay of San

Carlos, below the wash of the high water. The mole stands out into the sea,

and there is no fresh water near it, save a very little rill, which

discharges its tiny stream more than fifty yards off. This shell was named

_Marinula Pepita_, Zool. Journal, l. c. No. 43. The following is its

generic character:--'Testa ovato-producta, sub-solida; apertura ovata,

integra; columella bidentata et basin versus uniplicata; dentibus magnis

sub-remotis conniventibus, superiori maximo; operculum nullum.'

[157] Zool. Journal, vol. v. p. 333.

[158] Some have since been found on the north-east side of the Guaytecas

Islands.

[159] Chaura. Una murta que no se come. Febres, Dict. of the Chileno

language. It is, however, edible, and has rather a pleasant flavour.

[160] The small-pox was introduced into the island, in the year 1776 by a

ship from Lima; but it was confined to San Carlos, and was soon eradicated.

The measles also were introduced by similar means, in the year 1769; but

did not re-appear after once ceasing.

[161] See orders to Captain Fitz Roy, in the Appendix.

[162] See orders to Lieut. Skyring, in the Appendix.

[163] Phil. Journal, and Annals of Philosophy, for March 1831 (new series

x.), 220.

[164] Juan Fernandez is called 'de Tierra,' because it is nearer the

mainland than another adjacent island, which is called 'Mas-a-fuera'

(farther off, or more in the distance).

[165] Anson's Voyage, p. 118.

[166] Arca angulata. See Zool. Journal, vol. v. p, 336.

[167] Trochilus Fernandensis, nob. _Troch: ferugineo-rufus; capitis vertice

splendento-coccineo; remigibus fuscis._ Long. 5 uncias.

Trochilus Stokesii, nob. _Troch: corpore supra viridi-splendente, subtus

albo, viridi-guttato; capite supra, guttisque confertis gulae

lazulino-splendentibus: remigibus fusco-atris; remigum omnium, mediis

exceptis, pogoniis internis albis._ Long. 4-1/2 uncias. Proceed. Zool.

Society, vol. i.; also Phil. Magazine, for March 1831, p. 227.

[168] Pinoleo (from 'Pino,' pisando; and 'leo,' rio; or, pisando sobre el

rio, living close to the banks of a river), is the Chief of a small tribe,

whose territory is near the River Imperial; but he generally lives in the

confines of Concepcion. He has four wives in the interior (la tierra) and

three in the town.

[169] Hall's Extracts from a Journal, vol. i. pp. 316. 322.

[170] In Febres 'Arte de la lengua de Chile' they are thus described

"Ahujas grandes con una plancha redonda de plata como una hostia, o mayor,

con que prenden las mujeres sus mantas--Certain large bodkins, with a round

silver plate, as large as, or larger than, an oyster, with which the women

fasten their mantles."

[171] The ornament on the forehead, which is worn only by unmarried women,

is called Trare-lonco, from the old Chilian words trarin, to fasten, and

lonco, the head. The bracelet is called Anello curo; the anklets, Anelleo.

[172] From 'Mari,' diez, and 'loan,' huapo: whence Mariloan means 'huapo

como diez,' or, 'equal to ten men.'

[173] The same comet was seen at the Mauritius; and its orbit calculated.

See Ast. Soc. Proceedings, and Phil. Journal.

[174] They are deposited in the Museum of the Geological Society.

[175] The Marine Islands were so called, in remembrance of the four marines

who were put on shore from the Wager's boats, and left behind. See Byron's

Nar., p. 85.

[176] Mr. Kirke, who examined them, says, "There are two openings opposite

Xavier Island, on the mainland: the northernmost runs through high land,

and is terminated by a low sandy beach, with a river in the middle, running

from a large glacier; the southern inlet is ended by high mountainous

land."

[177] On the west shore Mr. Kirke noticed what appeared to be a channel,

about twelve miles N.W. of Halt Bay, in the mouth of which was a

considerable tide-ripple; an almost certain indication of such an opening.

"I thought the inlet about twelve miles north-west of Halt Bay much like a

channel. I also noticed a distinct tide ripple, which I did not remark near

any other opening. To me this appeared the southernmost inlet, of any

depth; or at all likely to be a channel."--Kirke MS.

[178] At the request of Lieutenant Mitchell, of the Adventure.

[179] Iron pyrites.

[180] _Phal: capite cristato, collo posteriori, corporeque supra intense

purpureis; alis scapularibusque viridi-atris; remigibus rectricibusque

duodecim fusco-atris; corpore subtus, fascia alarum maculaque dorsi medii

sericeo-albis; rostro nigro; pedibus flavescentibus. Staluria Phal.

Carbonis._ It was found in the Inner Sounds, within the 'Ancon sin

Salida.'--Proceed. of the Zool. Society, vol. i.; also Phil. Magazine, for

March 1831, p. 227.

[181] _C. albus remigibus primariis ad apicem nigris, rostro pedibusque

rubris, illo lato subdepresso._ Molina describes a Chilian duck thus. Anas

Coscoroba--_A. rostro extremo dilatato rotundato, corpore albo_, but I do

not think it is the same as my specimen; certainly it is not _Anser

Candidus_ of Veillos, the ganso blanco of D'Azara, which the author of the

Dict. D'Hist. Nat. (xxiii. 331.) supposes to be the same as A. Coscoroba

(id. p. 332). Molina's description is very short, and does not mention the

tips of the primary wing-feathers being black.

[182] Mate, lent to the Beagle, from the Adventure.

[183] A small vessel may moor between the islands, instead of lying in the

outer road.

[184] The three peaks, in-shore of Cape Kempe, are very remarkable.

[185] Specimens of the rock at the summit are in the collection at the

Geological Society, numbered 184 and 188.

[186] Geological Society, Coll. No. 197.

[187] Geological Society, No. 238 to 240, (perhaps clay-slate. P. P. K.)

[188] Name given by sealers to a thick rushy kind of grass, which grows

near the sea, in these latitudes.

[189] A high mountain at the N.W. end of London Island.

[190] I carried two tents from the Beagle, theirs having been cut up for

the basket.

[191] It afterwards appeared that we had taken the families of the very men

who stole the boat from Mr. Murray.

[192] Adventure Passage.

[193] Gilbert Islands.

[194] Doris Cove.

[195] So called in remembrance of the basket-like canoe by which we

received intelligence of the loss of our boat.

[196] The man I took out of the canoe.

[197] It had formerly belonged to H.M.S. Doris, which was condemned at

Valparaiso; being unserviceable.

[198] Mr. Murray had some bottles of beer in his boat--besides those in

which the men's allowance of spirits was kept.

[199] In the lost boat were several pieces of spare line, 'King's white

line,' quite new.

[200] False Cape Horn, or Cape False.

[201] A rushy kind of coarse grass.

[202] The mercury in the barometer fell to 28,94, and the oil in the

sympiesometer to 28,52; the thermometer ranging from 40deg to 48deg (Faht.)

[203] In longitude 69.20. W.

[204] The stuffed skin is now in the British Museum.

[205] The powder and shot expended here procured four meals of fresh

provisions for all hands.

[206] From the Adventure's deck, the eye being thirteen feet above the

water, they were seen on the horizon at the distance of fourteen miles.

[207] If from the Second Narrow, N.E. 1/4 E. will be the compass course;

but I should recommend a ship to haul up to the northward until abreast of

Cape Gregory, and then to steer as above.

[208] The Tide begins to set to the Southward at Noon, at Full and Change.

[209] In the Appendix to the second volume these alterations are

discussed.--R. F.

[210] 2,600 Ang. R. F.

[211] This is derived from the observations of Captains Duperrey and

Fitz-Roy at the Bay of Islands, in Lat. 35deg. 16'. The interval is short;

but the indication receives confirmation from the observations of Captains

Cook and Vancouver at Dusky Bay, New Zealand, in Lat. 45deg. 47'.

Cook 1773 70deg. 06' } 1'.4 annual decrease.

Vancouver 1791 69. 43 }

[212] Or _Mephitis Americana_?

[213] _Elminius Kingii_, Gray in Zool. Miscell. from a specimen collected

during the voyage.--Ed.

[214] Whilst this sheet was printing, the September number of the Annales

des Sciences made its appearance in England, containing a description of

the above shell by M. Sander Rang, accompanied by an excellent figure

(Annales des Sciences Naturelles, September 1831, p. 55, pl. 3, f. 1). It

is there named _Helix multicolor_. In my description I have considered it

to be a _Bulinus_, but its specific name has been altered to that given to

it by M. Rang.

[215] There has existed much difference of opinion as to the correct mode

of spelling the name of this celebrated navigator. The French and English

usually write it Magellan, and the Spaniards Magallanes; but by the

Portuguese, (and he was a native of Portugal,) it is universally written

Magalhaens. Admiral Burney and Mr. Dalrymple spell it Magalhanes, which

mode I have elsewhere adopted: but I have since convinced myself of the

propriety of following the Portuguese orthography for a name, which to this

day is very common both in Portugal and Brazil.

[216] During our examination of this part, our boats ascended the river San

Tadeo, and endeavoured in vain to find any traces of the road; an almost

impenetrable jungle of reeds and underwood lined the banks of the river,

and time was too valuable to admit of further delay, in search of an object

comparatively of minor importance.

[217] Agueros, Descripcion Historial de la Provincia y Archipielago de

Chiloe, 1791, p. 229.

[218] The precise situation of the wreck of this vessel had hitherto been

very vaguely marked on our charts: a careful perusal, however, of Byron's

narrative, and of Agueros' account of the Missionary Voyages in 1779,

sufficiently points out the place within a few miles. It is on the north

side, near the west end of the easternmost of the Guaianeco islands, which

we named, in consequence, Wager Island. At Port Santa Barbara, seventeen

miles to the southward of this group, a very old worm-eaten beam of a

vessel was found, which there is reason to think may be a relic of that

unfortunate ship. It was of English oak, and was found thrown up above the

high-water mark upon the rocks at the entrance of the port. No other

vestige was detected by us;--the missionaries, however, found broken glass

bottles, and other evident traces of the wreck. At Chiloe I saw a man who

had formed one of this enterprising party, and obtained from him a curious

and interesting account of those voyages.

[219] Agueros, p. 205, et seq.

[220] Ibid. p. 181, et seq.

[221] Ibid. p. 237.

[222] Living plants of the above trees, and other vegetable productions

from the Strait of Magalhaens, were introduced into England upon the return

of the expedition, and have since thriven exceedingly well.

[223] Near Falcon Inlet, seven miles up the eastern side of Sir George Eyre

Sound, are some large 'rookeries,' or breeding-haunts, of fur-seal. Many

thousands of these animals were congregated together, which probably had

been driven from the sea-coast by the activity of the seal-fishers; and

perhaps, for many years, if not ages, have been breeding undisturbed in

this hitherto unknown, and therefore safe and quiet recess. Two seals that

were killed appeared to be of the same description as the species which

frequents the sea-coasts.

[224] Hawkesworth, Voyages, i. 38.

[225] The stems of both from six to seven inches in diameter.

[226] This bird, although not rare in several English collections had never

been noticed until I forwarded it to England in the early part of the year

1827, when my friend Mr. Vigors described it in the Zoological Journal for

the month of November 1827 (vol. iii. p. 432), under the name of _Mellisuga

Kingii_. Shortly afterwards, M. Lesson published it in his Manuel

d'Ornithologie (vol. ii. p. 80), as _Ornismya sephaniodes_, as a discovery

belonging to the Coquille's voyage, in the illustrations of which it is

figured at plate 31.

[227] Sarmiento, p. 180.

[228] Narborough's Voyage, p. 78.

[229] Except gun-room, second and third messes.

[230] Except cabin, fourth and fifth messes.

[231] Except cabin, sixth and seventh messes.

ADDITIONAL NOTES BY ROBERT FITZ-ROY

(a) By Nassau Island is meant the land forming the south shore of the

Second Narrow.--R. F.

(b) A kind of gun.--R. F.

along one shore, it often happens that the 'stream of tide' either sets in

a contrary direction, along each side of the Strait, or that it follows

only the shore opposite to that washed by the 'current.'--R. F.

(e) Or the animal called by Molina 'Huemul.'--R. F.

(f) Thomas Sorrell, now boatswain of the Beagle (1837). He was boatswain of

the Saxe Cobourg, when wrecked in Fury Harbour.--R. F.

(g) Campana, or Bell Mountain.--R. F.

(h) I do not think the bay adjacent to Cape Horn is that which was named by

D'Arquistade 'St. Francis,' and, if my supposition is correct, Port Maxwell

is not the place which was called 'St. Bernard's Cove.' See Second

volume.--R. F.

(k) Sharp frosts sometimes occur.--R. F.

(l) This was a remarkable instance of what I often observed afterwards in

those regions, a kind of 'ignis fatuus,' which sometimes was stationary,

like the light of a lanthorn, and at others suddenly flitting, like the

flashes of pistols, at a distance. It was only seen upon the lower

hills.--R. F.

(m) Each officer and man, when detached from the Beagle during a night,

carried a blanket, or large poncho (sewed up, and with a drawing-string,

like a large bag), in which he slept, and found much comfort and

warmth.--R. F.

(n) Like a roebuck; supposed to be the 'Huemul' mentioned by Molina.--R. F.

(o) Black-necked swan, noticed elsewhere by Captain King.--R. F.

(p) Noticed previously by Captain Stokes.--R. F.

(q) At the western entrance of the Strait the water is said to be generally

a few degrees warmer than at the eastern.--R. F.

(r) Por milagro (miraculously); as the inhabitants told me.--R. F.

(s) I do not think that there is any opening at the bottom of Keats Sound;

which lies at the base of a chain of snow-covered mountains, whose southern

side I have closely traced.--R. F.

(t) A kind of beech, found every where on these shores. The literal meaning

of Roble, is oak.--R. F.

(u) Native of Chiloe.--R. F.

(v) When moderately laden they are stiff under sail; and are not such very

bad sea-boats, if properly managed.--R. F.

(w) Not since the first Spanish conquest, perhaps.--R. F.

(x) I believe that the natives who have canoes of the kind described above,

do not go near the Hermite Islands, on which Cape Horn is situated.--R. F.

(y) For evidence that Indians have been thereabouts, see Byron's account of

the cave entered by the surgeon of the Wager. I believe that curious place

was either in, or close to, Port Otway.--R. F.

(z) Could 'Plasta' refer to Alexander Campbell?--R. F.

(a) Pedro Osorio died at San Carlos in 1832.--R. F.

(b) Or by an earthquake wave.--R. F.

unable to leave the Adelaide; and for a month he was confined to bed. His

illness was caused by fatigue, and by sitting too long while constructing

charts.--R. F.

(d) Mr. Kirke was rather short-sighted, and therefore unable to discern

distant objects clearly. From the natives of Ponsonby land, between the

Otway and Skyring Waters, I procured, and gave to Captain King, some short

straight horns, and parts of the skins of animals, which were probably deer

of the kind seen by Mr. Kirke, and, since that time, by Mr. Low, when he

followed my track into the Skyring Water with his sealing vessel, the

Unicorn schooner.--R. F.

(e) In Otway Bay, not far from Landfall Island, is a rock on which Mr. Low

found Fuegians living among a number of (apparently) tame seals. See second

volume.--R. F.

(f) And thence to the Strait of Le Maire.--R. F.

(g) See second volume for further remarks on this subject.--R. F.

(h) Mr. Sorrell, formerly with Mr. Weddell, and since that time with Mr.

Brisbane.--R. F.

(k) Five fathoms only were found in one spot during the Beagle's last

voyage.--R. F.

[Illustration]

* * * * *

Corrections made to printed original:

Errata et Corrigenda:--"443", printed as "----" in original.

Page 23 (in "These wigwams are thus constructed:"):--"constructed", printed

as "constucted" in original.

Page 240 (in "to the best account"):--"account", printed as "acccount" in

original.

Page 512 (top of column 2):--"1834", printed as "1831" in original.

Page 538 (Chionis alba):--"46.", printed as "44." in original.

Page 554 (Achatina Donellii, in "Mus. nost."):--"Mus.", printed as "Must."

in original.

Appendix header page (in "Royal Geographical Society"):--"Society", printed

as "Sociely" in original.

Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836, Vol. 1 [of 3] · 第 26 / 26 章

In the winter of 1829, Captain Robert Fitz-Roy, then commanding the Beagle,