l835 WILD POTATO. *# 



young, tumbled Into the wafer as the boat passed. They did not 

 remain long under water, but rising, followed us with outstretched 

 necks, expressing great wonder and curiosity. 



January *jth. Having run up the coast, we anchored near the 

 northern end of the Chonos Archipelago, in Low's Harbour, where 

 we remained a week. The islands were here, as in Chiloe, compose d 

 of a stratified, soft, littoral deposit ; and the vegetation in consequence 

 was beautifully luxuriant. The woods came down to the sea-beach, 

 just in the manner of an evergreen shrubbery over a gravel walk. We 

 also enjoyed from the anchorage a splendid view of four great snowy 

 cones of the Cordillera, including " el famoso Corcovado : " the range 

 itself had in this latitude so little height, that few parts of it appeared 

 above the tops of the neighbouring islets. We found here a party 

 of five men from Caylen, "el fin del Cristiandad," who had most 

 adventurously crossed in their miserable boat-canoe, for the purpose 

 of fishing, the open space of sea which separates Chonos from Chiloe. 

 These islands will, in all probability, in a short time become peopled 

 like those adjoining the coast of Chiloe. 



The wild potato grows on these islands in great abundance, on 

 the sandy, shelly soil near the sea-beach. The tallest plant was four 

 feet in height. The tubers were generally small, but I found one, 

 of an oval shape, two inches in diameter; they resembled in every 

 respect, and had the same smell as English potatoes ; but when boiled 

 they shrunk much, and were watery and insipid, without any bitter 

 taste. They are undoubtedly here indigenous : they grow as far 

 south, according to Mr. Low, as lat. 50, and are called Aquinas by 

 the wild Indians of that part: the Chilotan Indians have a different 

 name for them. Professor Henslow, who has examined the dried 

 specimens which I brought home, says that they are the same with 

 those described by Mr. Sabine * from Valparaiso, but that they form 

 a variety which by some botanists has been considered as specifically 

 distinct. It is remarkable that the same plant should be found on 

 the sterile mountains of Central Chile, where a drop of rain does not 

 fall for more than six months, and within the damp forests of these 

 southern islands. 



In the central parts of the Chonos Archipelago (lat. 45), the forest 

 has very much the same character with that along the whole west 

 coast, for 600 miles southward to Cape Horn. The arborescent grass 

 of Chiloe is not found here ; while the beech of Tierra del Fuego 

 grows to a good size, and forms a considerable proportion of the 

 wood ; not, however, in the same exclusive manner as it does farther 

 southward. Cryptogamic plants here find a most congenial climate. 

 In the Strait of Magellan, as I have before remarked, the country 



* Horticultural Transact., vol. v., p. 249. Mr. Caldcleugh sent home two 

 tubers, which, being well manured, even the first season produced numerous 

 potatoes and an abundance of leaves. See Humboldt's interesting discussion 

 on this p'ant, which it appears was unknown in Mexico, in " Polit. Essay on 

 New Spain," book iv,, chap, ix, 



