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nels which border the western shore of Patagonia. It is widely 

 spread in antarctic waters, and extends northward along the coasts 

 of Chili and Peru at least as far as Ancon. It may be described 

 as consisting of a long, round, leathery stem, bearing alternate, 

 simple, flat fronds, the petioles of which (if I may so term them) 

 dilate into hollow pear-shaped floats. 



• ^ We sighted Cape Virgin at one o'cloek on the afternoon of 

 November 20th. We stood in for the entrance of the strait, and 

 before sunset were snugly at anchor behind Point Dungeness. 



On the ledges of this point many cormorants, gulls, petrels 

 and other sea-birds were perched ; at its base a heavy surf was 

 breaking, and with a glass we could see aline of penguins drawn 

 up as though in battle array, stationed to defend the entrance to 

 the strait. 



The following morning we proceeded up to Gregory Bay, 

 where we were detained for several days by a strong wind from 

 the westward. At this place the scenery is neither picturesque 

 nor in any way striking. From the water's edge a broad plain 

 extends back for several miles to a line of flat- topped hills, which 

 form the escarpment of the great Patagonian plateau. Not far 

 from the shore a number of fresh-water ponds, or lakes, occur, 

 which are frequented by numerous water- fowl. Not a tree was 

 visible. With the glass we could make out a few bushes and 

 some dark green patches of vegetation, which here and there in- 

 terrupted a monotonous expanse of brown grass. A number 



■ 



of sheep were feeding on the plain, and to the left of our anchor- 

 age there was a dwelling-house surrounded by several sheds, evi- 

 dently erected for their protection in winter. 



We soon formed a party for visiting the shore, some of the 

 officers taking their shot-guns, others carrying rifles, and I with 

 my botany case. As we approached the shore the hills in the 

 background appeared to recede from us. Along the beach pretty 

 gray plovers and noisy black and white oyster-catchers were run- 

 ning, and when we landed a number of song-sparrow? and a red- 

 .breasted meadow-lark started up from the grass, singing as they 

 flew. Spread over the plain were thousands of silky-fleeced 

 sheep with long thick tails, each ewe with one or two newly 

 born lambs, It was a bright springlike day, with only one or 



