1 88 S. CRUZ, PATAGONIA chap. 



was obliged to return. Excepting what was discovered at that 

 time, scarcely anything was known about this large river. Cap- 

 tain Fitz Roy now determined to follow its course as far as time 

 would allow. On the i 8th three whale-boats started, carrying 

 three weeks' provisions ; and the party consisted of twenty-five 

 souls — a force which would have been sufficient to have defied 

 a host of Indians. With a strong flood -tide and a fine day we 

 made a good run, soon drank some of the fresh water, and were 

 at night nearly above the tidal influence. 



The river here assumed a size and appearance which, even 

 at the highest point we ultimately reached, was scarcely dimin- 

 ished. It was generally from three to four hundred yards broad, 

 and in the middle about seventeen feet deep. The rapidity of 

 the current, which in its whole course runs at the rate of from 

 four to six knots an hour, is perhaps its most remarkable feature. 

 The water is of a fine blue colour, but with a slight milky tinge, 

 and not so transparent as at first sight would have been expected. 

 It flows over a bed of pebbles, like those which compose the 

 beach and the surrounding plains. It runs in a winding course 

 through a valley, which extends in a direct line westward. This 

 valley varies from five to ten miles in breadth ; it is bounded by 

 step-formed terraces, which rise in most parts, one above the 

 other, to the height of five hundred feet, and have on the oppo- 

 site sides a remarkable correspondence. 



April igth. — Against so strong a current it was, of course, 

 quite impossible to row or sail : consequently the three boats 

 were fastened together head and stern, two hands left in each, 

 and the rest came on shore to track. As the general arrange- 

 ments made by Captain Fitz Roy were very' good for facilitating 

 the work of all, and as all had a share in it, I will describe the 

 system. The party, including e\-ery one, was divided into two 

 spells, each of which hauled at the tracking line alternately for 

 an hour and a half The officers of each boat lived with, ate the 

 same food, and slept in the same tent with their crew, so that 

 each boat was quite independent of the others. After sunset the 

 first level spot where any bushes were growing was chosen for 

 our night's lodging. Each of the crew took it in turns to be 

 cook. Immediately the boat was hauled up, the cook made his 

 fire ; two others pitched the tent ; the coxswain handed the 

 things out of the boat ; the rest carried them up to the tents 



