1884.) 119 



mded for an hour in the twilight, but was unable to penetrate into the dense and 



aturated forest which surrounds the harbour, or to do anything except to pick up a 



;w shells on the beach. Next day (28th), we crossed the stormy Gulf of Peiias, 



Qd entered the Messier Channel, where we were at once in smooth water, the 



eather being fine for these regions, and the scenery on either hand most magnificent. 



^e anchored for the night in Island Harbour, a singularly beautiful land-locked 



asin, barely large enough to allow the ship to swing. As there was an hour's day- 



ght left, I landed and had a pleasant scramble among the dense woods, but 



btained only a large cricket, and a pretty green Pentatomid bug, under bark. Q-ray 



[arbour was reached at 1.45 p.m. on the 29th, and I spent the rest of the afternoon 



1 shore. The beauty of this very picturesque harbour is sadly marred by the fact 



lat all the trees on the south side of the harbour for several miles have been 



jstroyed by fire (I think on the occasion of the visit of the " Challenger," in 



inuary, 1876), and nothing remains but a melancholy array of bleached, bare stumps, 



ith a few green bushes springing up between them. Such a quantity of dead 



mber gave promise of at least a fair number of beetles, but two or three hours of 



lerably hard work, produced only a small Aiomaria, a Lampyris larva, and two 



lecimens of a fine, flat, wiry-legged, pitchy-black beetle, I think related to Cucnjus, 



J. A bug of the genus Xylocoris was abundant under loose bark, but was usually 



imature. Passing through the " English Narrows," a lovely piece of scenery, but 



•cidedly ticklish as regards navigation, at noon the next day (30th), we reached 



ort G-rappler in the evening, in time for a run ashore before dark. Here I got 



. )thing beyond a few ferns (which were still in great profusion and beauty, although 



e winter was far advanced), but one of my messmates brought me a prize in the 



ape of a fine Geometer, 1\ inches in expanse, with the usual lines handsomely 



:arked in whitish on a rich sepia-brown ground : unfortunately, it was a little 



imaged in capture. After dark, we were visited by a canoe containing lOFuegians 



' all ages and both sexes, who remained alongside the ship for several hours. It is 



ifficult to imagine a more striking picture of savagery than they presented, as they 



i; huddled round a small fire in the bottom of the canoe, nearly all of them being 



<tirely naked, although the thermometer was down to 40°, with sleet and rain. 



Jit one of them was as much as five feet in height, their skins being of a rather 



lilt tawny-brown colour, and with shocks of coarse, ragged black hair falling over 



t?ir flat, broad, beardless faces. They knew the English and Spanish names for a 



U commoner objects, and clamoured loudly for " tabaca " and " galleta " (ship's 



I cuit) , with which they were liberally supplied, as well as with old clothes, sailor's 



lives, twine, lucifer matches (of which they fully understood the use), and other 



aides : and they departed late at night, evidently well pleased with their reception. 



Next day (31st) we made a good run to Molyneux Sound, where we anchored 



a3 p.m., and I went ashore for an hour ; but no insects turned up except a minute 



'■i^ea. On June Ist we started at daylight, and ran through the Guia Narrows, 



0- of the grandest scenes in the Channel, at noon. Here the passage is contracted 



t'less than a mile in width, the eastern shore being a series of colossal bluffs, rising 



s er to a height of 2500 feet above the water, without a break, covered with snow 



nre than half-way down, and most luxuriantly wooded in the lower portions ; the 



■^itern side, though not so high, is equally bold and precipitous, and even more 



" -red. Our halting-place for the night was Puerto Bueno, a lovely little inlet 



