Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

294 • CLIMATE. by the W. to S.W. ; but notwithstanding the great quantity of rain that falls, the evaporation is great, and it cannot there- fore be called unhealthy ; indeed, from experience, it is con- sidered quite otherwise. Agiieros, to whose excellent account of Childe I have so often referred, dilates much upon this subject, and from having resided there a considerable time, may be taken as the best authority. Those who now reside upon the island speak very much against it, and all whom I met, previous to my visit, condemned it, as being " the worst in the world." Perhaps we, who had lately been experiencing a much more disagreeable climate, went to Childe with the expectation of finding it exceed in severity that to which we had been accus- tomed in the Strait of Magalhaens, but we found ourselves agreeably mistaken. Our visit certainly was in the better season, and we had, perhaps, no right to form a decided opinion upon the other part of the year. I shall, therefore, first quote Agiieros, and then describe what we found the weather from September to December; yet as these months were considered by the inha- bitants to be finer than is usual at that season, we can only form a vague idea of the spring and summer. For the autumn and winter I must depend upon the accounts of others. After explaining the contra-position of the seasons, to what is experienced north of the equator, with regard to the months of the year; Agiieros says, "Childe has also its four seasons, but does not enjoy the benefit of those changes, as do other parts of Chile ; for there is neither that abundance of fruit, nor are its fields adorned with so many and such beautiful flowers, and useful medicinal plants. The summer is the best time ; for in the month of January, from ten oVlock in the morning till three in the afternoon, the heat is excessive. Between these hours, however, a sea-breeze, which is called ' Vira-zon,' re- freshes the air. In the winter the temperature is very cold ; but the frosts are by no means so severe as in Europe. I have never seen ice, even in the small streams, nor does snow lie any length of time on the ground. " In the winter months, as well as in other parts of the year, there are falls of rain, and heavy gales from N.N.W., and west.