PUERTO BUENO. 233 



place for a considerable distance, and we were led to 

 expect that we should probably find there some 

 Fuegians, as the place is known to be one of their 

 favourite haunts. 



We dropped anchor about half-past two, in a rather 

 wide cove, or small bay, opening into the mainland 

 a few miles south of Chatham Island. The shores 

 are comparatively low, and enclosed by a dense forest 

 of evergreen beech, which in most parts descends to 

 the water's edge. The place owes its good repute 

 among mariners to the excellent holding-ground ; but 

 it did not appear to me as well sheltered as the other 

 natural harbours that we visited, and as the bottom 

 shelves very gradually, we lay fully a mile off the 

 shore. Fortunately the weather had improved some- 

 what ; a moderate breeze from the north brought 

 slight drizzling rain, but gave no further trouble. A 

 boat was soon ready alongside, and we pulled for the 

 shore, with three of the ship's officers armed with 

 fowling-pieces, intended partly to impress the natives 

 with due respect, but mainly designed for the water- 

 birds that abound along the shores of the inlet. We 

 were correctly steered for the right spot, as, on 

 scrambling ashore and crossing the belt of spongy 

 ground between the water and the edge of the forest, 

 we found evident tokens that the Fuegian encamp- 

 ment had not been long deserted. The broken 

 remains of a rude canoe and fragments of basket- 

 work were all that we could find, and we judged that 

 a small party, perhaps no more than ten or a dozen, 

 had left the place a few weeks before our arrival. 

 These wretched Fuegians are said to go farther south, 



