New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-18
ANTARCTIC SCENES.
TirE HAssLER IN THE PACIFIC.


ExPLoRATION-A BIRD FOLLOWS THE 1A-
AMPLE OF CAPT. SCOTS COON.
prom AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF Thh Ii.S 10
P.oRJA BAY. March 22--FrOm Sandy foin''
The CHILEAN settlement in the eastern nsh VI wy
~ Marahaens during one OF the lovenes' VI -.
days we enjoyed exceedingly the psssse .ora the
Famine Our chief attention was drawn ""a1N .I0
heap,,fnl snov-covered mountains ID inc sVa'n. 80
oftv double peak sarmisato showing both below and
above a layer Of clouds, the symmetrical cone OF
Buckland and massive dome In the dhecuoh oi
sherrard being in cloudless suhhgn@ "o rev
sandy Point about noon. and reaehed fort fanu"o "
t,,ne "a co lahore and collect few plants AND amas
yo cot also the nshtrap and caught great numbers OF
an, nr,ons kline which We had found at Sandy Point
We raised our anchor early the 2oth and were under
xav at 6h. ION. Sarmento hid his face from us, ana
threatened with rain. But moved on ana the shy
grew somewhat clearer. The day proved to be DAY OF
living clouds and hight squalls never rain enough 10
drive us from the deck We should have preferred nt
tie moro sunlight aud fewer clouds; yet we couio
not but esteem ourselves fortunate In getnng sueh
bright patches Of sunlight and no dry an air
while doubling Cape Froward in March, yea, on the very
doy OF the equinox We turned the point and began our
northward course, homeward bound" Yet our iaoes
were turned southwark toward Gabriel Channel where
many Of us for the first time saw glacier ana even
AgassE who Of all living men knows glaciers BEST hao
never seen such glacier this 1t seemed 10 present
on the precpitous edges of the channe wall
hue Zee miles and miles in length, and TO extend It's
suowcovered surface back rising country until
lost in cloud far 10 make it appear that the
whole peninsula from auckland TO Hurt Mountain was
covered with one great sheet OF ice
MOUNTAIN AND sEA-ooAsT SCENERY.
pince that time glaciers and fields have become
very familiar TO u.s. Twas greatly surprised at the num-
her of glaciers on the mountains ali around us; easy
distinguished at this of the year from nero snow
fields by the translucent greensh blue color OF heH
lower exremities. As the ship approached cape FRO
n1f~ clya a6aC Mt hn ram
and picturesque outlines Of the mountains, but soon
after turning the Cape found that every part OF the
horizon line was remarkable and picturesque, ana con-
stanty changing, by the motion OF the SNIP
and the variable sunlight and shadow,
mist and rain, and I ceased sketehing from
mere weariness. How I describe In words
the delicious and oDg-dung surprise which we all felt
at the varied beauty OF the scenery COmeal noun
tains rounded domes, Jagged peaks long erras' men
unbroken ridges isolated mountains, With valleys around
them almost level islands, bays, broad sounds bare
and smooth rocks peaks Of the toughest most fantastic
spliutered character hills covered with verdure, and
magnificent forests at their base hills bare as sea-
beach ; mountains white with snow five thousand
Summers old :" these wred by us in rapid succession
until the eyes acled with excess of delight We entered
Port Gallant aud anchored early in the afternoon or
course all went ashore. One of our party found glacial
scratches on quartz vein in the side Of the hill; others
basgod some birds. others gathered Shells rambed
into peculiar spot in the woods which is alluded 10 Dy
between a larger brook and marshy brooklet This
plateau is covered with scattered trees and bOrdered
with thicker forests. But its peculiar feature is the
hummocks, which the whole so thckly that
there is barely for man 70 crowd be-
tween Them and they frequently connected by ridges
over which one must climb. The whole plateau seems
wet and spring. covered with moses and hepatic9
The hummocks are four and five feet high, and as many
In diameter and seemed to have been formed about tho
sumps and branches Of fallen and deeayed trees. The
materials Of the hummocks various shrubs and vines
among them bearberTies and very snowy pink Hover
,omewhat allied to lilies and somewhat to sOomons
seal Botanists call 1t boxleaved phesia. 1t grows
about like hucoberry bushes where 1t has no chance
10 chmb but when it can find a tree TO
jean on it runs up eight 10 feet. The
glossy dark green leaves Of tins plant and its large pink
flowers "a bell q inches long, conrasted yet harmonized
wonderfully with luxurant Crange-eolored hchen "a
sucta which spread its broad leaves among the vines
and over the trunks Of the trees in marvellous way
Some kinds Of nchen have seen but little of, in the
Straits the two genera sticta and Nephroma, are
luxuaut beyond anything ever saw outside OF west
VISIT OF FUEGIASs
On the other side OF harbor little island, other
members Of party found magnificent thickets OF
Fuschia in fun bloom, and by rare good luck, found
there also o perfectly sound Fuegian skull. Ihave
taken quite fancy TO these Fuegians from tho few
specimens which have seen. Soon after we left Port
Famine canoe came from the beach (where we saw an
Three men and two women, each with baby
1t the breast, all seven being very i'm
perfectly clothed, were in the boat They had
raised bandanna handkerchief as flag and when we
drew near held mp guanaco skim and shOuted
"stop boat stop boat" We anxious TO get round
Cape Froward and into harbor while the weather was
good, and we did not TO stop and trade. The
Fueaans entreated aud motoned pointed TO their
bOati stop boat Fire hre Their faces were intelli-
gent expressive much superior thought to either the
Patagonians the Western Indians that have seen.
On the morning Of tine 2st yesterday we started ont
Of Port Famine 10 TO Glacier Bay and Playa Parda
Cove. The weather like that OF the 2oth hut the
eoutrasts vioent-brighter sun and heavier
lines SO no Instructive, that although we were
on a small steamer fighting her way through furious
ereasine, amateur photographers got out their
and tried TO catch the scenes BY dint OF hay-
lug over and watching little for light and less
hurricane they managed TO get about 80 plates through
failures those taken with large while the
little one was being repaired, after having been blown
snder the combined influence of steam and WIND was
neessant and tful that only the shortest focus and
kriefest exposure were available.
A SHORT BORA BAY.
When we got fairly into Crooked Reach, the sgae
tame fierce that could scarcely make head against
IT. We attempted get under the right bank for q lit
lie sheer. until far enough up TO pass into
Swallow Bay, but finding the gale too much for us we
turned about and ran back four or I'VE miles, and
put into Bora Bay, where we now lie This was soon
after Toward evening, when the wild
waves were little less savage some Of Us went
thai had not seen, among them DUrvillea-
part ak or eight inches broad and an inchandahaf
IN thickness the young ends run out like stout whip
va nue. and stew Il with potatoes and think il delicious
One Of us found five bushes of Desfontainea the ee
giant foliage and flowers Of which make II worthy
panlon Of the Fuesa and Phiesia The Like the
holly, the flower scarlet tube Two inches long