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n am e d b y him, ‘ A n co n sin salid a,’ was fo u n d , u p o n ex am in atio n ,
to e x te n d so fa r in to th e in te rio r, a n d in th e d ire c tio n o f th e
S k y r in g W a te r , th a t th e m o s t s tr ic t in v e stig a tio n o f th e n um e ro u s
so u n d s a n d canals was m a d e , in th e p e rfe c t c onvic tion o f finding
th e d e sired com m u n ic atio n . B u t a fte r a p a tie n t, lab o rio u s, a n d
m in u te ex am in atio n , p a rtic u la rly o f th o se o p e n in g s w h ic h le d to
th e so u thw a rd , am o n g w h ic h O b s tru c tio n S o u n d h e ld th e m ost
fla tte rin g ap p e a ran c e . L ie u te n a n t S k y r in g , w h o p e rfo rm ed th is
service, w a s o b lig e d to g iv e u p th e sea rch a n d r e tu rn . A t one
p a r t, n e a r th e so u th -e a s te rn e n d o f th e so u n d , h e e n te re d a n o p e n in
g , w h ic h a t first h a d a n a p p e a ra n c e th a t was fav o u ra b le to th e
d e sired com m u n ic atio n , b u t i t te rm in a te d in low, w oody land.
T h e r e w as, h ow e v e r, a h ill n e a r th e shore, wh ich h e a sc e n d ed w ith
th e h o p e o f o b ta in in g a v iew o f th e c o u n t r y ; b u t th e sides a n d
sum m it o f th e h ill w e re so th ic k ly wooded as to o b s tru c t h is v iew ,
a n d w ith th e ex c e p tio n o f some d is ta n t h ig h la n d in th e so u th -e a s t
q u a rte r, a n d a sh ee t o f w a te r a b o u t six miles off in th e same b e a rin
g , n o th in g was d is c e rn e d to r e p a y h im fo r th e fa tig u e a n d tro u b le
o f th e a sc en t. W h e th e r th e w a te r is a lagoon, o r a p a r t o f th e
S k y r in g W a te r , o r w h e th e r i t com m u n ic ates w ith th e o p en in g
tr e n d in g ro u n d th e n o rth side o f D y n e v o r Castle, y e t rem a in s to
b e a sc e rta in ed .
B e in g foiled in th is a ttem p t. L ie u te n a n t S k y r in g p ro c e ed ed
o nw a rd in a S .S .W . d ire c tio n , a n d a fte r a p u ll o f te n miles came to
th e b o ttom o f th e so u n d , w h ic h was te rm in a te d b y h ig h , p re c ip ito
u s la n d e n c irc lin g e v e ry p a rt. N e ith e r w igw am s n o r tra c e s o f
In d ia n s w e re seen, a n o th e r p ro o f, w e re one re q u ire d , o f th e so u n d
n o t com m u n ic a tin g w ith th e S k y r in g W a te r ; fo r tb e In d ia n s v e ry
ra re ly v is it th e se de ep in le ts , b u t a re a lw ay s to b e fo u n d in nai--
row s tra its or c om m u n ic a tin g ch an n e ls, where, from th e s tre n g th
o f th e tid e , seals a n d p orpoises, w h ic h c o n s titu te th e p rin c ip a l food
o f th e F u e g ia n In d ia n s , a b o u n d . S a rm ie n to 's n am e , th e re fo re , o f
‘ A ncon s in salid a,” w h ic h w e h a d h o p e d to h a v e e x p u n g e d from
th e c h a rt, m u s t n ow rem a in , a la s tin g m em o ria l o f h is e n te rp ris in g
ch a ra c te r, a n d o f a v o y ag e d e se rv e d ly one o f th e m ost c e leb ra ted ,
as w e ll as m o s t u sefu l, o f th e ag e in which it was p e rfo rm ed .
T h e te rm in a tio n o f O b s tru c tio n S o u n d is one o f th e m o s t r em a rk ab
le fe a tu re s in th e g e o g ra p h y o f th is p a r t o f S o u th America.
I n tin s e x am ination th e s o u th e rn e x trem ity o f th e C o rd ille ra was
a sc e rta in ed . T h e e a s te rn shore s o f th e in te rio r ch an n e ls w e re
fo u n d to b e low pla in s , w ith no h ills or m o u n ta in s v isib le in th e
d is ta n c e ; a n d su ch b e in g c h a ra c te ris tic also o f th e n o r th e rn sh o re s
o f th e O tw a y a n d S k y r in g W a te r s , i t is p ro b a b le th a t a ll th e co u n t
r y to th e e ast o f th e so u n d s is a c o n tin u e d p la in .
R e c e n t tra c e s o f In d ia n s w e re seen in some p la c e s ; b u t a t th e
tim e o u r p a r ty wa s th e re , th e y w e re e ith e r a b se n t or h a d concealed
themselve s. I sh o u ld n o t th in k th a t th e s e in te rio r so u n d s a re
m u c h fre q u e n te d b y th e m ; a fam ily w as, h ow ev er, m e t in th e
pa ssag e b e tw e e n tb e O tw a y a n d th e S k y r in g W a te r , c lo th e d w ith
g u a n a c o skins, lik e th e P a ta g o n ia n trib e s , b u t in m a n n e rs a n d
d isp o sitio n re s em b lin g th e w a n d e r in g in h a b ita n ts o f th e S tr a it a n d
T ie r ra d e l F u e g o ; a n d th e y h a d canoes, w h ic h th e P a ta g o n ia n s
do n o t use. T h e y h a d p ro b a b ly come th u s fa r fo r th e p u rp o s e o f
com m u n ic a tin g w ith th e la tte r trib e s , w ith w h om th e y fr e q u e n tly
h a v e frien d ly in te rc o u rs e . N o g u an aco e s w e re seen e ith e r o n th e
shores o f th e in la n d w a te r s o r o f th e so u n d s w ith in th e ‘ A n c o n
sin salid a,’ a lth o u g h th e c o u n try , b e in g o p en a n d co v e red w ith
lu x u r ia n t g ra s s, was p e cu lia rly su ite d to th e ir h a b i t s ; b u t as
sev e ra l la rg e h e rd s o f d e e r w e re o b s e rv ed fe e d in g n e a r th e seash
o re o f O b s tru c tio n S o u n d , a n d th e n e ig h b o u rin g c o u n try , th e
p re s en c e o f th e s e la tte r an im a ls m a y p ro b a b ly b e th e c a u s e ; for
on th e e a s te rn coast, w h e re th e gu an aco e s a re e v e ry w h e re a b u n d
a n t, th e d e e r do n o t m a k e th e ir ap p e a ran c e . S e a -o tte rs w e re th e
o n ly o th e r an im a ls th a t w e m e t w i t h ; b u t th e y w e re o n ly occasiona
lly n o tic ed , sw im m in g a b o u t th e k e lp . T h e shores o f th e so u n d s
w ere in m an y pla c es c row d e d w ith th e b la c k -n e c k e d swan {A n a s
nigricoUis, L in n .) , a n d th e r e w e re a few seen, b u t only one c ap tu
r e d , whose p lum a g e , e x c e p tin g th e tip s o f th e w in g s , w h ic li
w e re b la c k , was o f a d a z z lin g w h ite colour. I h a v e d e sc rib ed it
in th e first p a r t o f th e P ro c e e d in g s o f th e Zoological S o c ie ty as a
n ew species {C yg n u s anatmdes.)
T h e S tr a it o f M ag a lh a en s, b e in g a tra n sv e rs e s e c tio n o f th e
c o n tin e n t, e x h ib its a view o f its g eologic al s tru c tu re . T h e S tr a it
may b e d iv id e d in to th re e p o r tio n s ; th e w e ste rn , th e c en tra l, a n d
th e e as te rn . T h e w e ste rn a n d c e n tra l a re o f p rim itiv e c h a ra c te r,
ru g g e d a n d v e ry m o u n ta in o u s ; b u t th e e a s te rn p o rtio n is o f r e c e n t
fo rm a tio n a n d low . T h e w e ste rn tr a c t is composed o f a succession
o f s tra tified ro ck s , a difference a t o n c e d is tin g u ish ab le b y th e fo rm
VOL. I . 2 p