New-York tribune., 1872-05-09
PATAGONIAN RESEARCHES
THE uassIER IN MAGEILANs STRAITS.

ryTTNCr yOICANOEs-A MINE OF TRUE COAL |
TyRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF ThB TRiBuNhi
U. 8. c. S. STR. +. r. HAssLER, AT SEA- |
March Ave left Montevdeo on the evening OF fop
a. and have enjoyed fortnight OF gcperahy "no
weather and of great Successes We have peen !"
waters not having seen a sail on the ocean, not hu"n
being on the shores during the whole time sin0o
the south side Of the La Plata. We have s'opPcu i ~
hour every day that the weather allowed anu uioue
usually in about 30 fathOms OF watef' unu ", . -. 80
or or ,oss sood rcsnlt The nearest approach 10 an
absolutely nfeless ocear bed found yesterday In 81
tahoms and the richest dredging OF 'ne "noio was ''
afternoon about 60 miles north OF 'he entrance
70 the straits in IS fathoms stopping on our course
onv ahou, an hour let down the dredge but tnree
times and brought up four species OF crustaceaps,
several Kinds of worm species of Gasteropods, and
IA kinds OF Eohnoderms, including magninoeht
Euryae expanding nearly Is inches and more than %
specmens of very beautiful 0phuran of fine red purple
color II wonderful TO the richness OF this spot
in starfshes and small crabs Last Saturday morning
the dredging was peculiarly interesting to thoso OF us
who know nothing zoology from the beauty OF the spec
mems brought up, including them ALSO large Er3ale'
with its marvelously subdvided arms making OF the
whole creature large fantastic basket and large
Helaster with 81 equal and undivided arlns' looAips
like q ma gnifcent sunf0wer.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM sELKIRK's EXPERIENCE
Tomorrow we hoping at day break 10 toneh lor
NON ent at the shore, about eight miles TINS de OF Tue
Straits to enter and be at Sandy Point on ihurs
since leaving Monevideo has been visit to Port An
tonic. On Monday morning. March 4. we entered the
great Bay San Mas and Travelled along Its northern
shores all day. anchorng of night what is marked
on the charts Cliff End When we were near enough
to see the shore, 1t evident that the cds
we're composed (as is stated IN the pooRsl
Of horizontal strata, for about 200 feet high, ana
above that piles of sand and gravel 1t was EVIDENT
too from the very forms of these sandhis that they
were largely Of the character OF dunes, sanddrs orI
ing under the influence OF westerly winds toward the
Atlantic 1t was difficult to see any vegetation upon
Them but the passage Of several RuRnaeos tine rata
sonian camel, llsmal along the bank showed that
there must vegetation in the neighborhood. AT
early dawn, Tuesday, March O. two boatloaus OF us
went ashore whale boats attached TO the Hasser
are institution" 1t is scarcely possible to imagine
boat carrying the waves load of IT mon and 800
weight of fossils and fish, more beautifully than these
boats. We each had our Work predetermined One was
examine the geological strata, another look Tor fosss
another shoot birds, fourth collect plants, &c, &c,
while sailors who rowed ahorei cast the seine for
fish, About a. m. the ship hoisted her signal for US TO
return aud presently fred to hasten u.s. The tide
had fallen with great rapdty, and We had to drag the
boats long way to the water. Then came the loading
The officers Of the ship made an armchair ior fro1'
Agassiz and the more elderly landsmen, ana carried
them 10 the boat the sailors carried the others through
the suI and ugged the fossils and the living plants &C.,
out. All ready, but one OF the party was missing
The cannon Of the ship again imperatyely ordered us to
TO lear lest Inc missing OF
ence had been captured by Patagonians Though
we had NO signs OF their recent or
former presencel had fallen and hurt HIM
self. But to JOY he appeared at the head
Of the cliffs, and with difficulty down. 1t appeared
that he had had faint turn and had fired his gun to
call help but being in valley among the sandhis,
the of his gun had been reflected upward and had
not reached us on the beach, although it was heard on
board the ship By 10 o'clock we were all on board with
specimens OF so species Of plants, great many fossils
few Understanding sweet-toned mockng-bird-and
great mauy fishes, the Pee Rey OF Chile AHe'1neuyS
enough for all hands, crew included, to feast for
several meals-a delicious fish, and probably as worthy
of its name king-sh the in the mother country
of SPAIN from which it s named. While the cook was
preparing them for breakfast, the ship got under
way for Port Antonio, at the head Of the gulf.
HAVEN OF sANDBANKs
1t will understood that this is rather port poten-
than port actual since it has seldom or never been
visited ships. except when professedy on an explor-
ing surveying expedition The anchorage good and
the harbor well andlOcked but The tide rises and falls
about 25 feet that IL is to be careful as to
what part Of the harbOr is selected We dropped anchor
about 4i5 o'clock took hasty dinner and rushed on
shore again. The vegetation scanty at Cliff
End. No bushes grew than 81 feet in hight; most
OF them prcky, and they generally dry and
brittle, in the tenderes parts. missed here
beautiful Amsryllis, which had seen at Cliff End
in the morning, and bunch-grass. The
place Of the latter made up by European OATS
England. The four most striking plants TO me were a
dwarf thorny locust; bush with shining black berries
large marrOwfat peas bush smelling like thyme
and bush looking like juniper, but bearing yellow,
composite flowers like Xeranthenum speak Of these
from cursory observation. We fresh tracks of
wolf. and fox, and ostrich; older tracks of
guanaco; and Of ourparty brought in part Of the
skeleton of an ostrich Wednesday morning we all
out early; some to take photographs, some TO col
lect botanical specimens, some cunning,
fishing. observing the magnetic needle
geology pretty much out Of the Ques-
ton, for everything was completely covered,
buried in loose drifting sand. When the signal was
hosted at o'clock for a return, all hasened in, and
made reports of the desolate sandy baens in all
directions Some of the party had sailed TO the western
shore Of the harbOr found barren the eastern
few ducks, some insects, few fish, VIPER abundance
of pover and of two species Of snipe constituted the
geological and gastronOmc spoils of the day, while the
botanical specimens embraced few lchens and grasses
an enothera, cactuses and rich collection Of age
We down to dinner with happy hearts, and steamed
out into the magnificent bay. About O'Clock the north
east began to display its usual brilliant pyroechnics
by 10 O'Clock they drew and brighter than usual
aud had heavy shower. intermingled with
abundance Of hard hailstones many Of which were as
large English walnuts. and even larger There
was, however wind The next night. March
g. shower with abundant lightning
accompanied for two three hours by
westerly gale which annoyed good DEAL but In the
morning fair weather again. The cliffs the
north side Of San Maras Bay somewhat like those Of
the end Of Marhss Vineyard and the sands above
them and around Port Antonio reminded me OF Nam
tucket as first saw 1t % years ago. human mprovi
dence reduced Nantucket from yielding 80 bushels Of
sheed corn 10 the acre. down inability yield 80
bushels on the whole island why human foresight
bring these barren up yielding crops of cereals
and other plants for human usei Human foresight