250 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



medical officer of the settlement, which I now pro- 

 ceeded to deliver. Being somewhat unwell, he had 

 not joined the marine entertainment, and I was at 

 once cordially received. Not many minutes were 

 needed to discover in my host a fellow-countryman, 

 one of a family in the county of Sligo, with which I 

 had some former acquaintance. Possessing in large 

 measure the national virtue of hospitality, Dr. Fenton 

 might have perhaps been satisfied with even a slighter 

 claim ; but, as it was, I from that time continued 

 during my stay to receive from him the utmost kind- 

 ness and attention. The first short conversation 

 made me much better acquainted with the history of 

 the settlement than I was before my arrival. 



In 1843 the Chilian Government decided on 

 establishing a penal settlement in the Straits of 

 Magellan, and selected for its position Port Famine, 

 which had been frequently visited by early navigators. 

 After a few years' experience that place was abandoned, 

 and the settlement was transferred to Sandy Point. 

 This was partly preferred on account of a deposit of 

 lignite of inferior quality, which lies little more than 

 a mile from the shore. A considerable number of 

 convicts were maintained at the station, and as there 

 was little risk of escape they were allowed consider- 

 able liberty. At length, in 1877, the injudicious 

 severity of the governor of that day provoked a 

 revolt among the convicts. They speedily overcame 

 the keepers, and the officials and peaceable inhabitants 

 had no resource left but to fly to the forest. The 

 convicts proceeded to set fire to the houses. Dr. 

 Fenton lost his house, furniture, and books, and, in 



