PORT DESIRE. 21 



was of a good quality. These ruins when last seen by myself in May, 

 1899, compared very well with the description given of them by Darwin, 

 who had visited them sixty years earlier. Growing about were a few 

 dwarf cherry, plum and quince trees, or bushes, suggesting that those who 

 founded the settlement had faith in the hospitable nature of the surround- 

 ing country, and had not anticipated its early, if not almost immediate 

 abandonment. From the nature of the ruins it is evident that, of the 

 structure contemplated, only the foundations were completed. The 

 harbor in front of the ruins is rather picturesque, more especially at low 

 tide, when in its upper stretches it is dotted over by numerous small 

 rocky islets, for the most part entirely submerged at high tide. The maxi- 

 mum difference between high and low tide in this port is twenty-eight 

 feet. On the north shore of the port a series of rugged cliffs of red por- 

 phyry rise, in most places, directly from the water. On the south there is 

 a low, level plain with some very picturesque chimney rocks, standing like 

 so many giant obelisks on the surface, at a distance of perhaps a mile from 

 the shore. The upper bay at all times, and especially at low tide, liter- 

 ally swarms with animal life. The recently submerged islands are ex- 

 ceedingly favorable feeding grounds for the numerous and varied water 

 fowl that frequent this coast. Myriads of these birds may be seen every- 

 where, and at times they fairly cover the surface of the smaller islands. 

 Engaged in a continuous struggle to procure, and defend when found, 

 each choice morsel left stranded by the receding waters, and accompany- 

 ing their frantic efforts with a series of distracting shrieks and screams, 

 they present an extremely animated picture as they swarm in the waters 

 and over and upon the islands. 



We spent most of the day at Port Desire. Since we had been told 

 that we were to replenish our supply of fresh meat here, those who had 

 volunteered us this information, at the same time expatiating on the 

 splendid opportunity we should have for witnessing the wonderful dex- 

 terity of the Argentine gaucho with the lasso, we were not a little curious 

 to see with what neatness and despatch these lauded gauchos could do 

 their work. This curiosity was no doubt enhanced by a certain famil- 

 iarity with the expeditious manner in which such matters are usually 

 attended to by the experienced cowboys of our western plains. What 

 was our surprise at seeing a small bunch of cattle driven from the plain 

 down near the beach, two of which were selected and, after many vain 



