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The following day was calm, and so warm, that we thought
if Wallis and Cordova were correct in describing the weather
they met with, Duclos Guyot was equally entitled to credit;
and we began to hope we had anticipated worse weather
than we should experience. But this was an unusually fine
day, and many weeks elapsed, afterwards, without its equal.
The temperature of the air, in the shade on the beach, was
6‘7i°, on the sand 87^°; and that of the water 55°. Other
observations were made, as well as a plan of the hay, of which
there is a description in the Sailing Directions.
Here we first noticed the character of the vegetation in the
Strait, as so different from that of Cape Gregory and other
parts of the Patagonian coast, which is mainly attributable to
the change of soil ; the northern part being a very poor clay,
Avhilst here a schistose sub-soil is covered by a mixture of
alluvium, deposited by mountain streams ; and decomposed
vegetable matter, which, from the thickness o f the forests, is
in great quantity.
Two specimens of beech {Fagus hetuloides and antárctica),
the former an evergreen,—and the winter’s bark (Wintera
aromático.), are the only trees of large size that we found
here; but the underwood is very thick, and composed of a
great variety of plants, of which Arbutus rígida, two or three
species of Berberís, and a wild currant {Ribes antárctica.^
Bankes and Solander MSS.), at this time in flower, and
forming long clustering bunches of young fruit, were the
most remarkable. The berberís produces a berry of acidulous
taste, that promised to be useful to us. A species of wild
celery, also, which grows abundantly near the sea-shore, was
valuable as an antiscorbutic. The trees in the immediate
vicinity of the shore are small, but the beach was strewed with
trunks of large trees, which seemed to have been drifted there
by gales and high tides. A river falls into the bay, by a very
narrow channel, near its south end ; but it is small, and so
blocked up by trees as not to be navigable even for the smallest
boat: indeed, it is merely a mountain torrent, varying in size
according to the state of the weather.
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Tracks of foxes were numerous about the beach, and the
footsteps of a large quadruped, probably a puma, were observed.
Some teal and wild ducks were shot; and several geese were
•seen, but, being very wary, they escaped.
Upon Point St. Mary we noticed, for the first time, three
or four huts or wigwams made by the Fuegian Indians, which
had been deserted. They were not old, and merely required
a slight covering of branches or skins to make them habitable.
These wigwams are thus constucted: long slender
branches, pointed at the end, are stuck into the ground in a
circular or Oval figure; their extremities are bent over, so as
to form a rounded roof, and secured with ligatures of rush ;
leaving two apertures, one towards the sea, and the other
towards the woods. The fire is made in the middle, and
half fills the hut with smoke. There were no Indians in
the bay when we arrived, but, on the following evening,
Lieutenant Sholl, in walking towards the south end of the
bay, suddenly found himself close to a party which had just
arrived in two canoes from the southward. Approaching
them, he found there were nine individuals—three men, and
the remainder women and children. One of the women was
Very old, and so infirm as to require to be lifted out of the canoe
and carried to the fire. They seemed to have no weapons
of any consequence; but, from our subsequent knowledge of
their habits, and disposition, the probability is they had
spears, bows, and arrows concealed close at hand. The only
implement found amongst them was a sort of hatchet or knife,
made of a crooked piece of wood, with part of an iron hoop
tied to the end. The men were very slightly clothed, having
only the back protected by a seal’s skin ; but the females wore
large guanaco mantles, like those of the Patagonian Indians,
whom our pilot told us they occasionally met for the purpose
of barter. Some of the party were devouring seal’s flesh, and
drinking the oil extracted from its blubber, which they carried
in bladders. The meat they were eating was probably part
of a sea lion {Phoca ju b a ta ); for Mr. Sholl found amongst
them a portion of the neck of one of those animals, which is
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