296 CHILOE. [CHAP. xiv. 



had some difficulty in reaching the point, owing to the intolerably 

 bad paths ; for everywhere in the shade the ground soon becomes 

 a perfect quagmire. The point itself is a bold rocky hill. It is 

 covered by a plant allied, I believe, to Bromelia, and called by 

 the inhabitants Chepones. In scrambling through the beds, our 

 hands were very much scratched. I was amused by observing 

 the precaution our Indian guide took, in turning up his trowsers, 

 thinking that they were more delicate than his own hard skin. 

 This plant bears a fruit, in shape like an artichoke, in which a 

 number of seed-vessels are packed : these contain a pleasant sweet 

 pulp, here much esteemed. I saw at Low's Harbour the Chilo- 

 tans making chichi, or cider, with this fruit : so true is it, as 

 Humboldt remarks, that almost everywhere man finds means of 

 preparing some kind of beverage from the vegetable kingdom. 

 The savages, however, of Tierra del Fuego, and I believe of 

 Australia, have not advanced thus far in the arts. 



The coast to the north of Punta Huantamo is exceedingly 

 rugged and broken, and is fronted by many breakers, on which 

 the sea is eternally roaring. Mr. King and myself were anxious 

 to return, if it had been possible, on foot along this coast ; but 

 even the Indians said it was quite impracticable. We were told 

 that men have crossed by striking directly through the woods 

 from Cucao to S. Carlos, but never by the coast. On these 

 expeditions, the Indians carry with them only roasted corn, and 

 of this they eat sparingly twice a day. 



26th. Re-embarking in the periagua, we returned across the 

 lake, and then mounted our horses. The whole of Chiloe took 

 advantage of this week of unusually fine weather, to clear the 

 ground by burning. In every direction volumes of smoke were 

 curling upwards. Although the inhabitants were so assiduous 

 in setting fire to every part of the wood, yet I did not see a single 

 fire which they had succeeded in making extensive. We dined 

 with our friend the commandant, and did not reach Castro till 

 after dark. The next morning we started very early. After 

 having ridden for some time, we obtained from the brow of a 

 steep hill an extensive view (and it is a rare thing on this road) 

 of the great forest. Over the horizon of trees, the volcano oi 

 Corcovado, and the great flat-topped one to the north, stood out 

 in proud pre-eminence : scarcely another peak in the long range 



