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

CHAPTER XXIII. Set out in boats — Find Guanacoes — Murray Narrow — Birch Fungus Tide — Channel — Glaciers — View — Mountains — Unbroken chain Passages — Steam-vessels — Jemmy Button — Puma — Nest — Accident — Natives — Murray's Journal — Cape Graham — Cape Kinnaird — Spa- niard Harbour — Valentyn Ba^' — Cape Good Success — Natives — Len- nox Island — Strait Le Maire — Good Success Bay — Accident — Tide Race — San Vicente — San Diego — Tides — Soundings — North-east Coast — San Sebastian — Reflections — Port Desire — Monte Video- Santa Catalina — Rio de Janeiro. " 4th. Mr. Stokes and I each began another trip in the boats, taking chronometers, and the necessary instruments. He steered to the northward, to get to the mainland ; I kept outside to the south-westward, to make the most direct course towards the communication between Nassau Bay and the newly discovered passage or channel. I was surprised to find that the eastern shore of Nassau Bay resembled much of the coast of Patagonia (being a stratum of earth without rock), and differed entirely from the general character of the coasts and islands of Tierra del Fuego. At sunset we landed, and hauled up our boat on a shingle beach which extended several miles, and upon walking only a few yards inland I saw the prints of large cloven hoofs, almost the size of those of a cow. This discovery gave an answer to the question about the guanaco skins and bones found among the Fuegians, but made me less sanguine of finding a passage northward through the interior of the country. Much brushwood was found near this place ; and a profusion of rich grass covered an extensive plain. " 5th. We launched the boat, and continued our course along-shore, finding rather shoal water (three to six fathoms within about half a mile), with a very thick bed of kelp, through which it was difficult to force the boat. We had not advanced far, when, passing round a low point of land, we saw