22 SPOTTING ADVENTURES 



tute of vegetation, are on either side, but west- 

 ward of Port Famine it alters completely ; 

 rugged, snow-clad mountains tower up on all 

 sides, so that it is difficult to make out the 

 channel without reference to the chart. 



Port Famine is not by any means the sort of 

 place one would expect from such a name ; we 

 had some capital sport amongst the wild fowl 

 and snipe, which are to be found in great 

 numbers a mile or so to the westward of the 

 anchorage. We killed some very beautiful 

 geese, of a different sort to any we had seen at 

 the Falkland Islands. I also bagged a wood- 

 cock, the only one seen; although, from the 

 nature of the ground, I have no doubt they 

 breed there. 



Whilst having our luncheon on the banks 

 of the river we were rudely disturbed by 

 a 1501b. shell whistling over our heads, and 

 bursting in the mud on the opposite side. This 

 was followed by another, upon which we de- 

 camped. On board the ship they were practising 

 at a mark with great guns, and we had mean- 



