* i l | i !
r il: ' ‘
G E O L O G I C A L l l E M A K K S .
e x c e p tin g th e shores o f th e B eagle C h an n e l, w h ic h e x ten d s from
C h ristm a s S o u n d to C ap e San P io , a d is ta n c e o f a h u n d r e d a n d
tw e n ty mile s, w ith a course so d ire c t th a t no po in ts o f th e o pposite
shores cross a n d in te rc e p t a fre e view th r o u g h ; a lth o u g h its av er-
a g e b re a d th , w h ic h also is v e ry p a ra lle l, is n o t m u c h above a mile,
a n d in some places is b u t a th ir d o f a m ile across. T h e so u th shores
o f H o ste a n d N a v a rin Is la n d s a re o f h o rn -b le n d e ro c k , w h ic li is
also th e p rin c ip a l com p o n e n t o f th e islan d s in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d ,
as w e ll as o f th e is lan d its e lf o f C ap e H o rn . T h e e a s te rn p a r t o f
K in g C h arle s S o u th L a n d is low, w ith p la in s lik e th e P a ta g o n ia n
c o a s t; b u t th e ra n g e o f h ig h la n d in te r r u p te d a t P o r t F am in e e x ten
d s d ow n th e n o rth side o f A dm ira lty S o u n d , a n d p e rh a p s , w ith
som efew in te rv a ls , c o n tin u e s to th e so u th -e a s t e x trem ity o f th e la n d ,
n e a r C ap e Good Success, w h ic h is th e so u th c ape o f th e w e st side
o f S tr a it L e M a ire , a n d th e re te rm in a te s in lo fty m o u n ta in s covered
w ith snow, one o f w h ic h , c alled in th e c h a rts ‘ T h e S u g a r L o a f,’ is
p ro b a b ly fo u r th o u s a n d fe e t h ig h .
T h e e a s te rn sh o re o f K in g C h arle s S o u th L a n d , tow a rd s th e
so u th p a r t, is lo fty , b u t n e a r th e n o rth e rn p a r t is v e ry low. T h e
in te rio r is also low, w ith e x ten siv e p la in s , a b o u n d in g w ith g u a n a coes,
some o f w h ic h also w e re fo u n d , a n d sh o t b y th e officers o f th e
Beagle, w ith in fifty miles o f Cape H o rn .
T h e e a s te rn coast o f P a ta g o n ia , from th e e n tra n c e o f th e S tr a it
o f M ag a lh a en s to th e R iv e r P la ta , is c om p a ra tiv e ly low. F rom
C ap e V irg in s to P o r t S t. J u lia n , w h e re p o rp h y r itic clay stone commences,
th e coast is fo rm ed o f clay cliffs, h o riz o n ta lly stra tified,
and th e c o u n try is u n d u la tin g , w ith extensive p la in s , o r p am p a s,
co v ered w ith g ra s s , b u t w ith o u t tre e s . A t P o r t S t . J u l i a n , th e
c o u n try becomes h illy , a n d co n tin u e s so as fa r to th e n o r thw a rd as
la titu d e 4 4 '’, th e ro c k b e in g p o rp h y r itic . T h e clay fo rm a tio n to
th e s o u thw a rd has b e en lik e n e d to th e a p p e a ran c e o f th e coast o f
K en t, an d a t a sh o rt d istan ce it b e a rs c e rta in ly a v e ry g r e a t re s em blan
c e to i t ; b u t th e cliffs, in s te ad o f b e in g o f c h a lk , a re composed
o f a so ft m a rly c la y , w ith o u t a n y g ra v e l o r impressions o f o rg an ic
rem a in s , ex c e p tin g a t P o r t S t. J u lia n , w h e re fossil shells, b o th
b iv a lv e s a n d u nivalves, a re fo u n d im b e d d e d in clay cliffs ; a n d on
th e su rfa c e a re ly in g , s trew ed a b o u t, la rg e o y s ter-sh ells.
I n th e c lay formation th e re a re tw o r iv e r s : th e Gallegos, in la t.
51° 3 8 '; a n d P o r t S a n ta C ru z , in la t. 50° T . T h e G a lleg o s, a t
K I V E I t S I N D I A N S G R A V E S , 581
h ig h w a te r, may be easily e n te re d , b u t a t low w a te r th e b a n k s a re
d ry to a g re a t e x t e n t ; a ch an n e l, h ow ev er, is le f t on its so u th side,
o f sufficient d e p th fo r a small v e s s e l; th e tid e rise s fo rty -s ix feet,
a n d th e s tre am is v e ry s tro n g .
P o r t D e s ire , in 47° 4 5 ' so u th la titu d e , h a s a n a rrow en tran c e
w ith s tro n g t id e s ; b u t affords in th e offing v e ry g o o d a n ch o rag e
as well as sh e lte r from th e p re v a ilin g w in d s , w h ic h a re off shore,
o r w e ste rly . T h e in le t e x te n d s u p th e c o u n try , n e a r ly in a we st
d ire c tio n , fo r e ig h te en m ile s ; b u t th e la n d is d ry a n d p a rc h ed ,
a n d v e ry u n su ita b le fo r th e e s tab lishm en t w h ic h th e S p an ish
g o v e rnm e n t fo rm ed th e r e n o t m a n y y e a rs since, a n d o f w h ich
e v id e n t tra c e s rem a in to th is d a y .
S t. G eorge ’s G u lf, c alled in th e o ld c h a rts ‘ B ah ia s in F o n d o ,’
or D e ep-Se a G u lf, wa s fo rm e rly co n sid e red to b e a d e ep s in u o sity
o f th e coast, in to w h ic h a r iv e r em p tie d its w a te rs a fte r w in d in g
th ro u g h a la rg e tr a c t o f c o u n t r y ; for, u n til th e D e sc u b ie rta a n d
A tre v id a ’s voyage o f d isco v e ry , v e ry v a g u e a cco u n ts h a d b e en g iv e n
o f th is , o r in d e e d o f a n y o th e r p a r t o f th e coast. T h e G u lf, u p o n
th a t ex am in atio n , was fo u n d to possess n o r iv e r or c re e k in an y
p a r t e x c e p tin g on th e n o r th side, w h e re th e re a re s ev e ra l d e ep
b a y s a n d coves, w h ic h a re , a n d h a v e b e e n fre q u e n te d b y o u r sealin
g vessels. T h e c o u n try a b o u t is d ry a n d p a rc h e d , a lth o u g h
p a rtia lly co v ered w ith sm all sh ru b s , a n d a w iry g ra s s on w h ic h
la rg e h e rd s o f g u an aco e s feed.
A c co rd in g to F a lk n e r (th e J e s u it m issio n ary , w h o re s id ed m a n y
y e a rs am o n g th e In d ia n trib e s in h a b itin g th e c o u n try a b o u t Bu en o s
Ayres), th e e a s te rn coast b e tw e e n tb e la titu d e s o f 41° an d 51° is
fr e q u e n te d b y th e n a tiv e s fo r th e p u rp o s e o n ly o f b u ry in g th e
d e a d : th e y h av e, h ow e v e r, be en occasionally m e t w ith tra v e llin g
a lo n g th e coast, a p p a r e n tly w ith o u t an y p a rtic u la r o b je c t in v iew .
N e a r P o r t D e sire I h a v e seen th e g ra v e s o f th e In d ia n s on th e
s um m it o f tlie hills, b u t th e b o d ie s h a d b e en rem o v ed , p ro b a b ly
b y th e In d ia n s th em s e lv e s ; fo r w e a re in fo rm e d b y F a lk n e r , th a t,
a fte r th e d e ad h ave be en in te r r e d tw e lv e m o n th s , th e g ra v e s a re
v is ite d b y tb e trib e , fo r th e p u rp o s e o f coUeeting th e bone s a n d
c o n v ey in g th em to th e ir fam ily sep u lch re s , w h e re th e y a re set u p
a n d a d o rn e d w ith all th e b e ad s a n d o rn am en ts th e frien d s a n d
fam ily o f th e d e ceased can collect for th e occasion. T h e c erem ony