Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

278 FOSSILS — GAUCHOs — SEAMEN. March, like those of far higher elevations in Tierra del Fuego, and the fragments — some very large — have rolled down the near- est ravines, so that they look like the beds of dried-up tor- rents. The sand-stone, which is abundant, offers beautifully perfect impressions of shells, many of which were brought to England. In these fossils the minutest portions of delicate shells are preserved, as in a plaster of Paris cast, though the stone is now very hard. There are fine stalactites in some large caverns, but they are known only to a few sealers. The large muscles produce pearls of considerable size, though inferior quality, perhaps ; Mr. Brisbane had a small bottle full. In one of the cottages I saw a heap of good whalebone, and was informed that some hundred pounds worth had been picked up on the coasts, and sold to whalers for a tenth part of its Euro- pean value, in exchange for clothes, spirits, ammunition, and biscuit. On West Falkland there are beautiful pebbles, and on the heights fine crystals have been found. Although the climate is so much colder than that of Buenos Ayres, the gauchos sleep in the open air, when in the inte- rior, under their saddles, just as they do in the latitude of 35°. While idling at the settlement they gamble, quarrel, and fight with long knives, giving each other severe wounds. With their loose ponchos, slouched hats, long hair, dark com- plexions, and Indian eyes, they are characters fitter for the pencil of an artist than for the quiet hearth of an industrious settler. Besides these gauchos, we saw five Indians (p. 267), who had been taken by the Buenos Ayrean troops, or their allies, and allowed to leave prison on condition of going with Mr. Vernet to the Falklands. Including the crews of some thirty whale-ships, hovering about or at anchor among the islands ; the men of several American vessels, all armed with rifles ; the English sealers with their clubs, if not also provided with rifles ; these cut-throat looking gauchos ; the discontented, downcast Indian prisoners, and the crews of several French whalers — who could not or would not see why they had not as good a right to the islands as Englishmen there was no lack of the elements of discord ; and it was with a