442 Extracts from Darvoirts Letters 



prefixed to the extracts from Mr. Darwin's letters, we are 

 told, that the opinions therein expressed must be viewed as 

 the first thoughts which occur to a traveller respecting what 

 he sees, before he has had time to collate his notes with the 

 attention necessary for scientific accuracy. From these ex- 

 tracts we have made the following selection, adding a title to 

 each, to render them more distinct. — B. 



Fossil bones. — " Monte Video y Nov. 24. 1832. We arrived here on the 

 24th of October, after our first cruise on the coast of Patagonia, north of 



the Rio Negro I had hoped, for the credit of dame Nature, no such 



country as this last existed : in sad reality, we coasted along 240 miles of 

 sand hillocks. I never knew before what a horrid ugly object a sand 

 hillock is : the famed country of the Rio Plata, in my opinion, is not much 

 better ; an enormous brackish river, bounded by an interminable green plain, 



is enough to make any naturalist groan I have been very lucky 



with fossil bones ; I have fragments of at least six distinct animals. As 

 many of these are teeth, shattered and rolled as they have been, I trust 

 they will be recognised. I have paid all the attention lam capable of to their 

 geological site ; but, of course, it is too long a story for a letter. First, the 

 tarsi and meta-tarsi, very perfect, of a cavia; 2dly, the upper jaw and head 

 of some very large animal, with four square hollow molars, and the head 

 greatly produced in front. I at first thought it belonged either to the rae- 

 galonyx or megatherium. In confirmation of this, in the same formation 

 I found a large surface of the osseous polygonal plates, which * late obser- 

 vations ' (what are they ?) have shown to belong to the megatherium. 

 Immediately I saw them I thought they must belong to an enormous ar- 

 madillo, living species of which genus are so abundant here. 3dly, the lower 

 jaw of some large animal, which, from the molar teeth, I should think be- 

 longed to the Edentata ; 4thly, large molar teeth, which in some respects 

 would seem to belong to some enormous species of Rodentia j 5thly, also 

 some smaller teeth belonging to the same order, &c. They are mingled 

 with marine shells, which appear to me identical with existing species : 

 but, since they were deposited in their beds, several geological changes have 

 taken place in the country." 



Inhabitants of Tierra del Fnego. Inhabitants. Climate. Geology. — 

 " April 11. 1833. We are now running up from the Falkland Islands to 



the Rio Negro (or Colorado) It is now some months since we have 



been at a civilised port : nearly all this time has been spent in the most 

 southern part of Tierra del Fuego. It is a detestable place ; gales succeed 

 gales at such short intervals, that it is difficult to do any thing. We were 

 twenty-three days off Cape Horn, and could by no means get to the west- 

 ward. We at last ran into harbour, and in the boats got to the west of the 

 inland channels : with two boats we went about 300 miles ; and thus I had 

 an excellent opportunity of geologising, and seeing much of the savages. 

 The Fuegians are in a more miserable state of barbarism than I had ex- 

 pected ever to have seen a human being. In this inclement country they 

 are absolutely naked ; and their temporary houses are like those which chil- 

 dren make in summer with boughs of trees The climate, in some 



respects, is a curious mixture of severity and mildness : as far as regards 

 the animal kingdom, the former character prevails j I have, in consequence, 

 not added much to my collections. The geology of this part of Tierra del 

 Fuego was to me very interesting. The country is non-fossiliferous, and a 

 common-place succession of granitic rocks and slates. Attempting to make 

 out the relation of cleavage, strata, &c. was my chief amusement." 



Soil of Patagonia. Geology. Ancient Animals. — "The soil of Patagonia is 

 very dry, gravelly, and light. In East Tierra, it is gravelly, peaty, and damp. 



