Narrative of the surveying voyages of His Majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836
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193
They are deposited in the Museum of the Geological Society.
194
For evidence that Indians have been thereabouts, see Byron's account of the cave entered by the surgeon of the Wager. I believe that curious place was either in, or close to, Port Otway. – R. F.
195
The Marine Islands were so called, in remembrance of the four marines who were put on shore from the Wager's boats, and left behind. See Byron's Nar., p. 85.
196
Could 'Plasta' refer to Alexander Campbell? – R. F.
197
Pedro Osorio died at San Carlos in 1832. – R. F.
198
Or by an earthquake wave. – R. F.
199
Mr. Kirke, who examined them, says, "There are two openings opposite Xavier Island, on the mainland: the northernmost runs through high land, and is terminated by a low sandy beach, with a river in the middle, running from a large glacier; the southern inlet is ended by high mountainous land."
200
During much of this cruise, Lieutenant Skyring was so ill that he was unable to leave the Adelaide; and for a month he was confined to bed. His illness was caused by fatigue, and by sitting too long while constructing charts. – R. F.
201
On the west shore Mr. Kirke noticed what appeared to be a channel, about twelve miles N.W. of Halt Bay, in the mouth of which was a considerable tide-ripple; an almost certain indication of such an opening. "I thought the inlet about twelve miles north-west of Halt Bay much like a channel. I also noticed a distinct tide ripple, which I did not remark near any other opening. To me this appeared the southernmost inlet, of any depth; or at all likely to be a channel." – Kirke MS.
202
At the request of Lieutenant Mitchell, of the Adventure.
203
Iron pyrites.
204
Mr. Kirke was rather short-sighted, and therefore unable to discern distant objects clearly. From the natives of Ponsonby land, between the Otway and Skyring Waters, I procured, and gave to Captain King, some short straight horns, and parts of the skins of animals, which were probably deer of the kind seen by Mr. Kirke, and, since that time, by Mr. Low, when he followed my track into the Skyring Water with his sealing vessel, the Unicorn schooner. – R. F.
205
Phal: capite cristato, collo posteriori, corporeque supra intensè purpureis; alis scapularibusque viridi-atris; remigibus rectricibusque duodecim fusco-atris; corpore subtus, fasciá alarum maculâque dorsi medii sericeo-albis; rostro nigro; pedibus flavescentibus. Staluria Phal. Carbonis. It was found in the Inner Sounds, within the 'Ancon sin Salida.' – Proceed. of the Zool. Society, vol. i.; also Phil. Magazine, for March 1831, p. 227.
206
C. albus remigibus primariis ad apicem nigris, rostro pedibusque rubris, illo lato subdepresso. Molina describes a Chilian duck thus. Anas Coscoroba —A. rostro extremo dilatato rotundato, corpore albo, but I do not think it is the same as my specimen; certainly it is not Anser Candidus of Veillos, the ganso blanco of D'Azara, which the author of the Dict. D'Hist. Nat. (xxiii. 331.) supposes to be the same as A. Coscoroba (id. p. 332). Molina's description is very short, and does not mention the tips of the primary wing-feathers being black.
207
Mate, lent to the Beagle, from the Adventure.
208
A small vessel may moor between the islands, instead of lying in the outer road.
209
In Otway Bay, not far from Landfall Island, is a rock on which Mr. Low found Fuegians living among a number of (apparently) tame seals. See second volume. – R. F.
210
And thence to the Strait of Le Maire. – R. F.
211
See second volume for further remarks on this subject. – R. F.
212
Mr. Sorrell, formerly with Mr. Weddell, and since that time with Mr. Brisbane. – R. F.
213
The three peaks, in-shore of Cape Kempe, are very remarkable.
214
Specimens of the rock at the summit are in the collection at the Geological Society, numbered 184 and 188.
215
Geological Society, Coll. No. 197.
216
Geological Society, No. 238 to 240, (perhaps clay-slate. P. P. K.)
217
Name given by sealers to a thick rushy kind of grass, which grows near the sea, in these latitudes.
218
A high mountain at the N.W. end of London Island.
219
I carried two tents from the Beagle, theirs having been cut up for the basket.
220
It afterwards appeared that we had taken the families of the very men who stole the boat from Mr. Murray.
221
Adventure Passage.
222
Gilbert Islands.
223
Doris Cove.
224
So called in remembrance of the basket-like canoe by which we received intelligence of the loss of our boat.
225
The man I took out of the canoe.
226
It had formerly belonged to H.M.S. Doris, which was condemned at Valparaiso; being unserviceable.
227
Mr. Murray had some bottles of beer in his boat – besides those in which the men's allowance of spirits was kept.
228
In the lost boat were several pieces of spare line, 'King's white line,' quite new.
229
False Cape Horn, or Cape False.
230
A rushy kind of coarse grass.
231
The mercury in the barometer fell to 28,94, and the oil in the sympiesometer to 28,52; the thermometer ranging from 40° to 48° (Faht.)
232
In longitude 69.20. W.
233
The stuffed skin is now in the British Museum.
234
Five fathoms only were found in one spot during the Beagle's last voyage. – R. F.
235
The powder and shot expended here procured four meals of fresh provisions for all hands.
236
From the Adventure's deck, the eye being thirteen feet above the water, they were seen on the horizon at the distance of fourteen miles.
237
If from the Second Narrow, N.E. ¼ E. will be the compass course; but I should recommend a ship to haul up to the northward until abreast of Cape Gregory, and then to steer as above.
238
The Tide begins to set to the Southward at Noon, at Full and Change.
239
In the Appendix to the second volume these alterations are discussed. – R. F.
240
2,600 Ang. R. F.
241
Or Mephitis Americana?
242
Elminius Kingii, Gray in Zool. Miscell. from a specimen collected during the voyage. – Ed.
243
Whilst this sheet was printing, the September number of the Annales des Sciences made its appearance in England, containing a description of the above shell by M. Sander Rang, accompanied by an excellent figure (Annales des Sciences Naturelles, September 1831, p. 55, pl. 3, f. 1). It is there named Helix multicolor. In my description I have considered it to be a Bulinus, but its specific name has been altered to that given to it by M. Rang.
244
There has existed much difference of opinion as to the correct mode of spelling the name of this celebrated navigator. The French and English usually write it Magellan, and the Spaniards Magallanes; but by the Portuguese, (and he was a native of Portugal,) it is universally written Magalhaens. Admiral Burney and Mr. Dalrymple spell it Magalhanes, which mode I have elsewhere adopted: but I have since convinced myself of the propriety of following the Portuguese orthography for a name, which to this day is very common both in Portugal and Brazil.
245
During our examination of this part, our boats ascended the river San Tadeo, and endeavoured in vain to find any traces of the road; an almost impenetrable jungle of reeds and underwood lined the banks of the river, and time was too valuable to admit of further delay, in search of an object comparatively of minor importance.
246
Agüeros, Descripcion Historial de la Provincia y Archipielago de Chilóe, 1791, p. 229.
247
The precise situation of the wreck of this vessel had hitherto been very vaguely marked on our charts: a careful perusal, however, of Byron's narrative, and of Agüeros' account of the Missionary Voyages in 1779, sufficiently points out the place within a few miles. It is on the north side, near the west end of the easternmost of the Guaianeco islands, which we named, in consequence, Wager Island. At Port Santa Barbara, seventeen miles to the southward of this group, a very old worm-eaten beam of a vessel was found, which there is reason to think may be a relic of that unfortunate ship. It was of English oak, and was found thrown up above the high-water mark upon the rocks at the entrance of the port. No other vestige was detected by us; – the missionaries, however, found broken glass bottles, and other evident traces of the wreck. At Chilóe I saw a man who had formed one of this enterprising party, and obtained from him a curious and interesting account of those voyages.
248
Agüeros, p. 205, et seq.
249
Ibid. p. 181, et seq.
250
Ibid. p. 237.
251
Living plants of the above trees, and other vegetable productions from the Strait of Magalhaens, were introduced into England upon the return of the expedition, and have since thriven exceedingly well.
252
Near Falcon Inlet, seven miles up the eastern side of Sir George Eyre Sound, are some large 'rookeries,' or breeding-haunts, of fur-seal. Many thousands of these animals were congregated together, which probably had been driven from the sea-coast by the activity of the seal-fishers; and perhaps, for many years, if not ages, have been breeding undisturbed in this hitherto unknown, and therefore safe and quiet recess. Two seals that were killed appeared to be of the same description as the species which frequents the sea-coasts.
253
Hawkesworth, Voyages, i. 38.
254
The stems of both from six to seven inches in diameter.
255
This bird, although not rare in several English collections had never been noticed until I forwarded it to England in the early part of the year 1827, when my friend Mr. Vigors described it in the Zoological Journal for the month of November 1827 (vol. iii. p. 432), under the name of Mellisuga Kingii. Shortly afterwards, M. Lesson published it in his Manuel d'Ornithologie (vol. ii. p. 80), as Ornismya sephaniodes, as a discovery belonging to the Coquille's voyage, in the illustrations of which it is figured at plate 31.
256
Sarmiento, p. 180.
257
Narborough's Voyage, p. 78.
258
By Nassau Island is meant the land forming the south shore of the Second Narrow. – R. F.
259
A kind of gun. – R. F.