62 Jownal of Travel and N'atural History 



CotHsponlicnce. 



THE STRAITS OF MAGELLAN. 



Thanks to the kindness of Captain Ricliards, Hydrographcr to the Ad- 

 miralty, and Dr Hooker of Kew, both of whom, with their well-known 

 zeal for the diffusion of science, have readily acceded to our request for 

 information regarding the Government Scientific Expeditions now in progress, 

 we are enabled to lay before the reader, extracts from the correspondence of 

 Captain Mayne, the Commanding Officer, and of Dr Cunningham, the Naturalist 

 of the Surveying Expedition, now employed on the survey of the Straits of 

 Magellan. 



The eastern part of the Straits has now been nearly completed, and by last 

 accounts. Captain Mayne, after passing the winter (our summer) at Monte 

 Video, had returned to the Straits to resume his work, and the western 

 entrance about Cape Pillar, will probably be the point to which his attention 

 will first be directed. 



The following are a few extracts from some of Captain Mayne's earlier letters 

 to Captain Richards, and one of Dr Cunningham's later letters to Dr Hooker : 



Captain Mayne, R. N. , to Captain Richards, HyJrograpker to the Admiralty. 



H.M. S. " Nassau," Sandy Point,* 

 Deconbcr 23, 1866. 

 " This place is greatly improved since we were here in the ' Plumper ;' the 

 present governor has only been here about two months, and was appointed, it 

 appears from what he says, on our account, as he speaks both English and 

 French, and has travelled a great deal in Europe. He seems very willing to 

 assist us, informing me the moment he came on board, that not only the orders 

 of his government, but also his own wish, made him desirous to help us. 

 Since that, he has promised to send out all his men to cut firewood for us 

 to-mon-ow, and has also engaged to get us 30 good poles for stations, as I see 

 we cannot get any wood eastward of Cape Negro. He has also promised us an 

 interpreter, to take back with us. He has here about looo hea(l of cattle, and 

 is endeavouring to rear stock of all kinds : he has some lOO or more wild geese, 

 from Elizabeth Island, 4 guanacoes, 2 ostriches (Rheas), and is getting his 

 garden into nice order. He is also building a pier. He will not sell the cattle, 

 but has told me I may have a bullock \\henever I please, if I will return it in 

 kind from the I'"alklanfl Islands or Monte Video. The officers are delighted 

 with the place, what with fish, abundance of wild fowl, deer, and an occasional 

 guanaco. Cunningham finds Scotland reproduced, he says, and has done 

 nothing but 'jiot' animals since we came in : between the dredge, towing net 

 and shore, he has been pretty well engaged, but he seems perfectly ready and 

 willing. Campl^ell assists ; he shot four parrots yesterday. Last, but I think 

 by no means least, I should add, that our friendly ' commandant' has promised 

 to build us a large beacon, on the high summit some few miles back from this, 

 and I think this will be of great use to us whene\er we triangulate this part. 



* S.indy Point is a pKice on the north coast of the Straits of MaRcUan, about 50 miles 

 farther north than Purt Famine, where, it appears, the Monte Videan Government have 

 estabhshed a post, with a governor. 



