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

May 1834. weather — couktry — cordillera. 351 to the deception caused by high land on each side. Some of the views are certainly striking, and, from their locaUty, inte- resting ; I could not, however, have believed that the banks of any large fresh water river could be so destitute of wood, or verdure of any kind, or so little frequented by man, beast,* bird, or fish. May 1st. The weather was invariably fine during the earlier part of our journey ; but this day it began to change, and two or three gloomy clouded days were succeeded by a few hours only of small rain, and by some strong wind. This night • (1st) we slept at the foot of heights whose summits were covered with snow, but the temperature was many degrees warmer than that of the first nights, when it froze so sharply. There was no particular frost after the 21st of April. We had great difficulty with the boats on the 2d, the river being contracted in width, without any diminution of the body of water pouring down. On the 3d, we found a more open country, the lava-capped heights receding gradually on each side, leaving a vale of flat, and apparently good land, from five to fifteen miles in extent. The width of the river increased ; on its banks were swampy spaces, covered with herbage ; and low earthy cliffs, without either shingle or lava, in some places bounded the river. A little further, however, the usual arid and stony plains of Patagonia were again seen, extending from the banks of the river to ranges of hills, about fourteen hundred feet above its level, on which the horizontal lava-capping could be distinctly discerned. In tiie distant west the Cordillera of the Andes stretched along the horizon. During three days, we had advanced to- wards those far distant mountains, seeing them at times very distinctly ; yet this morning our distance seemed nearly as great as on the day we first saw their snow-covered summits. A long day''s work carried us beyond the flat and into the rising country, whose barren appearance I just now mentioned. * Excepting guanacoes.