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

1S23. ItlCH SOIL CATTLE. 307 miles further ; but in a direct line he was then not more than twelve miles from the entrance. Along the banks on each side, as he had advanced, both he and those with him, were much struck by the richness of the alluvial land (caused doubt- less by the river overflowing its low banks), and by the quan- tities of drift-timber, which actually looked like the stores in immense timber-yards. Among the drift-wood there were many large and sound trees left several hundred yards from the banks, therefore the periodical floods must be great. At Mr. Wickham's westernmost point "the river, and the country round had a beautiful appearance, as seen from a rising ground on the south side — an excellent position for a settlement." From this elevation the stream was traced to the westward, running with a very serpentine course, through level meadow land, covered with rich herbage. Several herds of wild cattle were seen, and their traces were observed every where in such numbers as to indicate a great abundance of animals. Mr. Wickham returned on the 26th to the entrance, and found that a store of fish had been salted by the cook, while Mr. Stokes and others were going about, surveying the neigh- bourhood. These fish were a kind of bass, nearly as good as salmon. I have no doubt that this is a river whose existence has been many years known by Spaniards, but of which the situa- tion was intentionally concealed, on account of the lucrative trade some individuals hoped to carry on by means of hides and tallow obtained from the herds of wild cattle. The Spa- niards used to anchor their vessels in Port San Jose, and thence ride in large parties to the Chupat ; there they sur- rounded numbers of cattle, and drove them across the peninsula between San Jose and New Bay, where they slaughtered them at leisure. Numbers were probably killed nearer the river but all that could be driven, had doubtless the privilege of conveying their own hides to the neighbourhood of their hun- ters' ships. There was still living at the River Negro (in 1833) an old man, who was one of the few individuals that escaped x2