THE COAST OF PATAGONIA. 249 



mits, rising ever higher, are finally lost in immense fields of snow and 

 ice, they present along their shores a greater variety of physiographic 

 and geologic features than may be observed elsewhere in an equally 

 limited area. 



Of the three systems of lakes described above, those of glacial origin 

 are, perhaps, economically the least important of all. Yet, lying among 

 the drumlins and terminal moraines of the ancient glaciers, where are 

 now to be found the best pasture lands of the Patagonian plains region, 

 they will become of ever-increasing importance as these lands are more 

 and more occupied for pastoral purposes. 



The salt from the residual lakes will always supply the local demand 

 for that useful article and permit also of the annual exportation of con- 

 siderable quantities. 



The Coast of Patagonia. % 



An examination of the accompanying map will illustrate to the reader 

 the very striking contrast that exists between the east and west coasts of 

 Patagonia. On the east there extends from the Le Maire Strait, at the 

 southeastern extremity of Tierra del Fuego, to and beyond the northern 

 limits of the region under discussion, an almost continuous coast line, 

 with but few, and, for the most part, unimportant indentations and no 

 good harbors. Such ports as there are along this coast occur at the 

 mouths of rivers, and commencing to the north they are Port Desire, San 

 Julian, Santa Cruz, Coy Inlet and Gallegos, all at the mouths of river 

 valleys of the same name. South of Gallegos there is the eastern entrance 

 to the Straits of Magellan and San Sebastian Bay, on the east coast of 

 Tierra del Fuego. Turning to the western side of this extremity of the 

 continent, the coast line is seen to be broken up into one of the most com- 

 plicated systems of deep fiords, inlets and inland waterways to be found 

 anywhere on the earth's surface. The physiographical differences pre- 

 sented by these two coast lines but express the present stage in the geo- 

 graphical development which this part of South America is undergoing. 

 The west coast shows a semi-submerged mountain system, while, on the 

 east, we have represented the conditions attending the gradual emergence 

 of a comparatively level plain. The extremely high tides that prevail on 

 the east coast, and more especially at Gallegos and Coy Inlet, are due to 

 the combined influence of the great bight between Port Desire and Staaten 

 Island, which extends through six degrees of longitude, and the shoaling 



