C I IA P T E U I I I .
Mo n te V id e o -M a ld o n a d o -E x c u r s io n to R , P o ln n c o -L a z o an d Bolas
- P a r t r id e e s -G c o lo g y -A b s e n c e o f tr e e s -C e v v u s c am p e s tn s -K iv e t
h o » - T u c u t u c o - Molothrus, cuckoo-like h a b its -T y r a n t- r ty c a t c h e r -
M o ck in g -b ird -C an -io n b aw k s -T u b e s formed by lig b tnm g -H o u s e
Struck.
MALDONADO.
J u l y .fiTii, 1832.—In the morning we got under way, and
stood out of the splendid harbour of Rio de Janeiro. In
our passage to the Plata, we saw nothing particular, excepting
on one day a gi-eat shoal of porpoises, many hundreds
in number. The whole sea was in places furrowed by
them; and a most extraordinary spectacle was presented, as
hundreds, proceeding together by jumps, m which their
whole bodies were exposed, thus cut the water. M hen the
ship was running nine knots, these animals could cross and
recross the bows with the greatest ease, and then dash away
riffiit ahead. iVs soon as we entered the estuary of the 1 lata,
the weather was very unsettled. One dark night we were
surrounded by numerous seals and penguins, which made
such strange noises, that the officer on watch reported he
could hear the cattle bellowing on shore. On a second
nlffiit we witnessed a splendid scene of natural fireworks;
the mast-head and yard-arm ends shone with St. Elmo s
lio-ht • and the form of the vane could almost be traced, as it
it°had been rubbed with phosphorus. The sea was so
Ificrhly luminous, that the tracks of the penguins were marked
In” a' fiery wake, and lastly, the darkness of the sky was
momentarily ffluminated by the most vivid lightning.
AVhen within the mouth of the river, I was interested by
observing how slowly the waters of the sea and river mixed.
The latter, muddy and discoloured, from its less specific
gravity, floated on the surface of the salt water. This was
curiously exhibited in the wake of the vessel, where a line
of blue was seen mingling in little eddies, with the adjoining
fluid.
J u l y 26t i i .—We anchored at Montevideo. The Beagle
was employed in surveying the extreme southern and eastern
coasts of America, south of the Plata, during the two succeeding
years. To prevent useless repetitions, I will extract
those parts of my journal which refer to the same districts,
without always attending to the order in which we visited
them.
M a l d o n a d o is situated on the northern bank of the Plata,
and not very far from the mouth of the estuary. It is a
most quiet, forlorn, little town ; built, as is universally the
case in these countries, with the streets running at right
angles to each other, and having in the middle a large plaza
or square, which, from its size, renders the scantiness of the
population more evident and more unsociable. It possesses
scarcely any trade; the exports being confined to a few hides
and living cattle. The inhabitants are chiefly landowners,
together with a few shopkeepers and the necessary tradesmen,
such as blacksmiths and carpenters, who do nearly all
the business for a circuit of fifty miles round. The town is
separated from the river by a band of sand-hillocks, about a
mile broad: it is surrounded on all other sides, by an open
shglitly-undulating country, covered by one uniform layer of
fine green turf, on which countless herds of cattle, sheep, and
horses graze. There is very little land cultivated even close
to the town. A few hedges, made of cacti and agave, mark
out where some wheat or Indian corn has been planted.
The features of the country are very similar along the whole
northern bank of the Plata. The only difference is, that here
the granitic hills are rather more boldly pronounced. The
scenery is very uninteresting; there is scarcely a house, an
enclosed piece of ground, or even a tree, to give it an air of
cheerfulness. ^ Yet, after being imprisoned for some time in
a ship, there is a charm in the unconfined feeling of walkin«-
over boundless plains of turf. Moreover, if your view is
i 'iil