The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-13

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account FOR the superpositon of the gravel and
arglaceous sediment over the fossiliferous strata.
the gravel is found to dip beneath the clis-a phe-
nomenon evidently not expicabe by his theory
ana ,Srng wegn's sna 70 o., AT n End
directly upon the lower stratum. In whatever
manner II came there, there it undoubtedly was
making desert Of miles In extent, filing the air
VITA dust, which dried our mouths and parched
our throats and reducing vegetation to few
shrubs, not more than two or three feet in height
silica that the greenest and freshest of them
would snap and break under our feet like autumnal
twigs We could well believe the accounts We had
read OF the "gran seco' or 'grcat drought which
prevailed between Inc years Of 1927 and $780, when
80 little rain fell that even the thstles refused to
grow; Whcn tne deer cfawled into mems court
yards to drink from their wells; when wild cattle
fERisHED by THOUSANDS,
drowned in tho rivers into which they had rushed
TO sake their thirst, and when even the birds were
unable to fly away when pursued.
The only flowers found at this place were an
amaryllis lily and one OF tn ecompositee. Large
quantities OF fossils obtained and conveyed to
| the vessel and among the fishes drawn in by the
seine were numbers OF an extremely rare species.
! At half-past ten A. NJ every one had returned to
@ ship tine s o pnT a We ssn got Inar
1 where we arrived between four and five In the
afternoon, finding the channel OF entrance after
ern shore. This port Is not as might be supposed,
town or settlement, but simply a harbor or bay,
seven or eight in another alrordng good anchorage
for vessels Of any size, but offering no facilities
for procuring fresh water or provisions It
Visited even by the natives and Il first sight is
about as cheeress, monotonOus uninvitlng place
rs could well be imagined The utter absence OF
vegetation except as the mcrest scrub, the long,
low lines OF hills the tortuous snaky course OF the
salt water creeks, the general prevalence OF grays
AMI neutral tints all give it n sombre and desolate
appearance But to rs the inhabitants Of the bay,
| could support life the barren plains were the
principal objects of interest, ana were sufcient 10
compensate for the absence or mere fstneuc
as the future OF the halbor, which Is really
d fne one, should be prominent in our thoughts. 1t
Is distant only about thirty miles from the RIO
Negro, which, it has been suggested, VIII be per-
haps the iuture medium OF communication between
Chile aud the now barren coast OF Patagonia. Fuel
is plentiful, wells might be dug, dry docks might be
built, and the twenty or thirty feet tides which
at some future time wash the wharves OF popuous
and nourishng city, the terminus OF a new Pacific
about az far removed FROM civilized human inter-
course as any point between Cape Horn and Hud-
sons Kay.
Soon after we anchored nearly every one went
shore, the seine was hauled, and few geological
and botanical specimens secured in the short in
terval remaining between twilight and darkness.
Innumerable shells were found oa the beach
pectena, buccna, terebeatnn, tnrittelle and
many others, forHlng deposit whose thickness
was estimated to be about lifteen feet Representa-
ves OF al the species Of these shells collected
d few llshes including large skate, were caught In
the seine, venomous serpent killed near the beach,
Few peculiar cactuseS gathered, and we then re-
turned 10 the vessel. The next day the scientific
different duties; some geologizlng and botanizlng,
others lishlng or cunning, others photographng.
the bay ON an exploring expedition. The distance
was between seven and eight miles, but soon
accomplished by one Of our whale boats under sail.
country and IN collecting such specimens as it
afforded.
The character OF this region was found to be like
that already visited, dreary, sterile plain, inter-
sected here and there with shallow salt water
creeks and only diversified by few rolling hills,
never many feet in height, the horizon being
bounded on every side by similar elevations. The
oo as DOZEN o. S snsae
were observed In walk OF twelve or fifteen miles,
The fauna was equally limited. We saw tracks OF
guanaco, called by Darwin 'the characteristic quad
ruped of the Patagonan plains, but did not catch
sight of the creature ITSELF We did see two o.
fCara I'otgonicaJ, animals belonging to family Of
the rodents. They look not unlike our hares, but
nave Only three toes behind and are more than
SIX pounds. They run with an awkward, Kangaroo
like movement, but with much swiftness; Large
numbers OF plover and snipe were found in the
marshes, about the creeks, and enough were OBJ
tanned to be preserved In alcohol and to supply the
mess for couple OF meals.
| Thousands OF crabs swarming along the course OF
| the creeks, q few small owls which we frightened
out OF their nests in the sand, numbers OF black
beetles, belonging to wingless species, and few
lizards and cicadp the only other varieties Of
animal life that fell under our notice.
At five O'Clock, all exploring parties having re-
turned to The ship, we got under way and stood out
of the harbor in southwark direction, intending
the forD, to make geological observations but were
overtaken by darkness and compelled to stand out
particularly beautiful, but during the evening
heavy dark clouds rose from the northward, and ut
for about fifteen minutes, the stones nearly equal
ing in size ordinary English walnuts No damage
was done, and on the next day March u the
weather was such as to permit OF dredging being
made with much success. Night, however brought
with 1t heavy gale which compelled us to head up
to the wind, and raised such n sea that un-
able to resume until the following after
noon. On March we passed patches of floating
rently navigating in that manner with much salts
faction. In the afternoon boat was lowered and
large amount of macrocystes obtained for the sake
OF the echini and Ciustacea, whO III anticipated,
were found to inhabit 1t. or two dredges taken
during the next few days-one over Q dark, hard,
nftydve fathoms of water, and not far north of the
straits, brought up wonderful variety of speci.
MEMS including fifty members or the class of cchni
alone, and embracing thirteen different species sew
! erai OF them never previously seen.
AT about hve O'Clock ON the morning OF March 10
Cape Virgns-the northern point Of the entrance to
! the Stlait-was sighted II Is about one hundred
! and sixty feet HIGH and in approaching from the
/ eastward is the first land usually seen. We stood
\ in, rounded the Cape inside of Nassau Rock on
which Her Maiestys ship Nassau struck several
/ years Since and at last in the region which
1 had been most prominent in all our thoughts and
conversations for many days The name OF the navi-
/ gator who discovered this passage from ocean to
ocean has been spelled In variety OF ways. by the
Spaniards Magaanes, by the Portuguese lhis coun-
trymen) Magalhaens by his successors in the in
French and English Magellan; the latter, though
probably the most Incorrect, being the most usual
FORM After stopping once to dredge, we ran along
passing q low, shingle fiat called Dungeness Point
from It's resemblance to one in the English Channel
and Observing sn immense sea-lion summing himself
on the beach, AS we proceeded we passed Mount
DIVERS, sloping, pointed hill 2i0 feet in height
and Cape Possession, bold, cliffy headand, and at
3:a5 anchored in Possession Bay, harbor
about fifteen miles In diameter, formed by de-
preston in the northern shore To the southwark
ana westward could family see part OF the coast
N Tprr n
Mount Aylnond, set down in the books as an eleva-
ton OF coo feet distant from the shore about eight
miles. We Subsequently had reason to believe That
both these statements were Incorrect the distance
being much greater and the height much less.
Owing to q fresh breeze and rough sea no one
went ashore on that dew but early the next morn
ing several parties landed on the beach, Que OF
which started directly inland In the direction OF
Mount Aymond. We found the country TO differ
ia many respects from that surrounding Port san
Antonio consisting OF wide grassy plains without
much underDrush, separated from each other by
rangNs OF MlIs. the cennrai elevation increasing