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

354 LAKE VIEDMA OK CAPAR FLOODS, May In Viedma's Diary I find that he heard from the Indians at Port San Juhan (in 1782) that the river Santa Cruz flowed from a large lake near the Cordillera of the Andes, and that there was abundance of wood on its banks. In consequence of this information, he went, in November, with a party of Spaniards and Indians on horseback, to explore this lake. In his way, Viedma crossed the river Chico, which flows into the estuary of the Santa Cruz, just above Weddell Blufi: The Chico, though small at times and then fordable, was subject, the Indians said, to great floods in the spring, when the melt- ing snows of the Cordillera over-filled a lake, far in the north- west, whence this river ran. Afterwards, Viedma crossed the river Chaha, which they told him rose in another lake near the Cordillera, was likewise subject to floods, and emptied itself into the Santa Cruz : when he passed, it was only up to the horses'' knees (after searching many leagues, however, for a ford), but at his return it was deeper. This Chalia can be no other than the stream which flows through Basalt Glen, a mere brook when we saw it in the dryest season of the year. Viedma reached the lake,* and found every thing correspond to the description ; for it was deep and large, surrounded by snow- covered mountains, on which were many forests. Some persons have doubted whether there is ever much drainage to be carried off* from the eastern side of the Andes, between the parallels of forty and fifty ; but if they will take the trouble to read Viedma's Diary, and some other notices to be found in the work of Don Pedro de Angehs, I think they will be convinced that there is always a considerable drain- age, and that at times there are heavy floods to be carried oW.f • Called Capar, or Viedma. MS. Chart. t As one proof of this assertion, I may quote a passage from Viedma: — " Reconocido pues todo" (all that there was to see in the neighbour- hood of the lake whence the Santa Cruz flowed), " nos expusd el Indio Patricio nos debiamos apartar luego de aquf, porque eon los vientos faer- tes, y el sol, solia derretirse tanta nieve que era imposible vadear los arro- yos para regresar, y tendriamos que pasar el verano en aquel pasage hasta que las beladas empezasen.'' — (Uiario de Viedma, p 57.)