274 CHILOE. [CHAP. xm. 



tile soil, resulting from the decomposition of the volcanic rocks, 

 supports a rank vegetation, yet the climate is not favourable to 

 any production which requires much sunshine to ripen it. There 

 is very little pasture for the larger quadrupeds ; and in conse- 

 quence, the staple articles of food are pigs, potatoes, and fish. 

 The people all dress in strong woollen garments, which each 

 family makes for itself, and dyes with indigo of a dark blue co- 

 lour. The arts, however, are in the rudest state ; as may be 

 seen in their strange fashion of ploughing 1 , their method of spin- 

 ning, grinding corn, and in the construction of their boats. The 

 forests are so impenetrable, that the land is nowhere cultivated 

 except near the coast and on the adjoining islets. Even where 

 paths exist, they are scarcely passable from the soft and swampy 

 state of the soil. The inhabitants, like those of Tierra del Fue- 

 go, move about chiefly on the beach or in boats. Although 

 with plenty to eat, the people are very poor : there is no demand 

 for labour, and consequently the lower orders cannot scrape to- 

 gether money sufficient to purchase even the smallest luxuries. 

 There is also a great deficiency of a circulating medium. I have 

 seen a man bringing on his back a bag of charcoal, with which 

 to buy some trifle, and another carrying a plank -to exchange 

 for a bottle of wine. Hence every tradesman must also be 

 a merchant, and again sell the goods which he takes in ex- 

 change. 



November 24tlt. The yawl and whale-boat were sent under 

 the command of Mr. (now Captain) Sulivan, to survey the east- 

 ern or inland coast of Chiloe; and with orders to meet the 

 Beagle at the southern extremity of the island ; to which point 

 she would proceed by the outside, so as thus to circumnavigate 

 the whole. I accompanied this expedition, but instead of going 

 in the boats the first day, I hired horses to take me to Chacao, 

 at the northern extremity of the island. The road followed the 

 coast ; every now and then crossing promontories covered by fine 

 forests. In these shaded paths it is absolutely necessary that the 

 whole road should be made of logs of wood, which are squared 

 and placed by the side of each other. From the rays of the sun 

 never penetrating the evergreen foliage, the grouna is so damp 

 and soft, that except by this means neither man nor horse would 

 be able to pass along. I arrived at the village of Chacao, 



