smallest change of level, as channels connecting the Strait
of Magellan, in the one case with the open sea, and in the
other with Otway AVater.
The climate of the southern part of South America presents
many phenomena of the highest interest. It has long
been observed that there exists some essential difference between
it, and that of the countries in the northern hemisphere.
I have already remarked on the surprising contrast
between the rank vegetation of the broken west coast, consequent
on the humid climate, as compared with the dry and
sterile plains of Patagonia. The clouded and boisterous state
of the atmosphere is necessarily accompanied hy a decrease
in extreme temperature; hence we find that fruits which
ripen well, and are very abundant, such as the grape and
fig, in lat. 41° on the east coast, succeed very poorly in a
lower latitude on the opposite side of the continent.* The
result is more strongly marked, if we take Europe as the
standard of comparison. In Chiloe, lat. 42°, corresponding
to the northern parts of Spain, peaches require the greatest
care, and seldom produce fruit; but strawberries and
apples succeed to admiration. At Valdivia, lat. 40°, or that
of Madrid, standard peaches bear abundantly; grapes and
figs ripen, but are far from common; olives seldom even
partially ripen, and oranges not at a ll; yet in Europe this is
the parallel most productive of these fruits. Even at Concepcion,
lat. 36°, oranges are not abundant, though the other
named fruits succeed perfectly. At the Falklands, in the
same latitude as the south of England, wheat very seldom
comes to maturity; but we ought to feel little surprise at
this, when we hear that in Chiloe (lat. 42°) the inhabitants
are frequently compelled to cut their corn before it is ready,
and bring it into their houses to dry.
AVith respect to the climate of Tierra del Fuego during
* A s th e r e a re n o s e ttlem e n ts o n th e P a ta g o n ia n co a st, th e r e a r e few
m ean s o f com p a riso n . C h e r ry - tre e s le f t b y th e S p a n ia rd s a t P o r t D e s ire ,
l a t . 48°, s till b e a r f ru it, w h e re a s, in C h ilo e , o n th e w e s t co ast, 3 6 0 m iles
fu r th e r n o r th , I b e lie v e th e y d o n o t su cceed .
the colder parts of the year. Captain King has published
some most interesting taWes in the Geographical Journal.*
The Beagle during this voyage, was employed in the extreme
southern parts of the country, from December 18th to
February 20th. From the appearance of the vegetation
during the first part, and from the weather we experienced
at the Falkland Islands, subsequent to the last date, I feel
little doubt that these sixty-five days included the best part
of the summer. Perhaps if another fortnight had been
added, the mean would have been a little higher. The first
eighteen of these days were spent partly at sea, near Cape
Horn, and we were drifted for a short time by bad weather
to nearly ninety miles to the southward. The mean temperature,
from observations made every two hours by the
officers on board the Beagle, was 45°. During the succeeding
thirty-seven days! the Beagle was at anchor in different
harbours a few leagues north of Cape Horn, and then the
mean from observations at 6 a . m ., noon, and 6 p . m ., was
50°. The mean, therefore, between these two periods, which
include the hottest part of the year, is only 47°. 5. The
latter of the two periods was unusually warm, but the
former much the contrary, and the station where the observations
were made was a little further to the southward.
The whole of these observations apply to the extreme
islands : Captain King’s were made in a central position
1° 45' further northward. If from the above considerations
we add two degrees and a half to the mean obtained this
voyage, the result (50°) will probably give the temperature of
the hottest part of the year in central Tierra del Fuego.
Captain King gives as the mean temperature of June 32°.97,
of July 33°.0.3, of the first twelve days in August 33°.25 ;
* J o u rn a l o f th e R o y a l G e o g ra p h ic a l S o c ie ty fo r th e y e a rs 1830, 18S1.
! T h e m e a n o f th e m a x im a o f th e s e th ir ty - s e v e n d ay s w a s o n ly 5 5 ° . 5,
a n d o f th e m in im a 4 5 ° . 3 ,— th e m e a n ra n g e th u s b e in g 10°. 2 . F o r th e
w h o le sixty-five days, th e m e a n o f th e m a x im a was o n ly 5 1 ° . 7, w h ic h
c e rta iiily 'is a v e ry w re tc h e d sum m e r, a n d shows h ow l it tl e b r ig h t s u n s
h in e th e r e c an be.