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192 PORT D E S IR E TOWER ROCK. March 1829,
On anchoring off Port Desire (14tli), we found that the
Beagle had arrived, but had not met the Adelaide. The following
afternoon 1 landed to examine the Tower Rock, a very
conspicuous object, on the south side of this harbour, having
the appearance of an enormous dead tree with its branches
lopped off. On our way to it we passed over an undulating
plain, composed of a sandy light soil, lying on a rocky basis,
which in many parts protruded. The soil was so poor, as only
to produce a few tufts of grass, and here and there a straggling
bush of Berberis, or Piccoli, a dwarf woody shrub, which is
much esteemed as firewood by the sealers who frequent the
coast. Sir John Narborough, in describing this place, says,
“ The soil is gravelly and sandy, with tufts of dry seared grass
growing on i t ; ” again: “ from the tops of the hills I could
see a great way into the land, which is all hills and downs, like
Cornwall, toilsome travelling to those who were not used to it.”
The Tower Rock is evidently the remains of what was once
probably a considerable rocky mass, which has either been partially
destroyed by some convulsion, or, more probably, has
been gradually worn away by the effect of weather. Like all
the débris around, it is of a fine-grained red porphyritic clay-
stone, much decomposed, but very hard, and difficult to
break.*
It stands erect at the summit of a mound or heap of broken
stones, of all sizes, some being very large blocks, from ten to
twenty, or thirty tons weight. It is about forty feet high, and
twelve in diameter, having its upper portion cleft, as it were,
for about one-third down the middle, which gives it a resemblance
to the forked branch of an immense tree. It is covered
with moss and lichen, and, from its peculiar shape and prominent
situation, presents a very remarkable object.
Near it we observed traces of an Indian visit, among which
was a horse’s skull. From the sterility of the soil and absence
of fresh water, it is probable that it is but little frequented by
them. Port Desire is celebrated as being the place where
* Specimens e f this rock are deposited in the Geolog-ical Society’s
Museum, Nos. 3 and 3—1.
March 1829. SK E L E TO NS S EA BEAR BAY. 193
Schouten, the Dutch navigator, is said to have found skeletons
measuring eleven or twelve feet in length !
Captain Fitz Roy informed me that he had not seen the
Adelaide since we separated. The Beagle had lost another boat
in the gale; the eleventli we have lost in the expedition since
leaving England. As the Adelaide did not make her appearance,
I determined upon proceeding in the Adventure to Sea
Bear Bay, a few miles to the southward of Port Desire, to
await her arrival with the Beagle. While standing into the bay,
we were amused by a chase of a novel description : a guanaco
was observed following a fox, which had much difficulty in
keeping his pursuer at a distance. As the guanaco is not carnivorous,
it may have been in playfulness: Reynard, however,
by his speed, and anxiety to escape, did not seem to think it an
amusement. How the chase terminated ■we did not see, for they
disappeared in a valley.
While the ship was being moored, I landed to examine some
wells near the outer point, which have been said to afford
some tuns of good water. I found them to be deep holes in the
solid rock, within the wash of a heavy surf, and large enough
to contain two hundred gallons of water ; but in one only was
the water fresh, the sea having broken into the others, and, of
course, spoiled their contents. They receive the rain from the
ravines, and are much depended upon by sealing vessels which
frequent this coast.
_ Sea Bear Bay was discovered in the voyage of the Nodales,
in the year 1618; they describe the place, but give it, as it
deserves, a very poor character. “ The port,” they say, “ for a
short stay, is not bad, since it affords a good depth of water and
a clear bottom ; but otherwise it possesses nothing to make it
worth a ship visiting it, for there is neither wood nor water,
which are what ships most require.” Nodales called the bay
‘ Sea Lion,’ from the multitude of sea-lions {Phoca jubata)
found on Penguin Island. Why it has been changed to Sea
Bear Bay I cannot determine.
, In one of Mr. Tarn’s excursions into the country, he observed
a sail in the offing, which he tliought was a whale-boat; and
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