STRAITS OF MAGELLAN. 239 



mountain and salt water, which can be explained only 

 by the irregular action of elevatory forces not follow- 

 ing a definite line of direction. Several of the narrow 

 sounds that penetrate the coast are spread out inland 

 into large salt-water lakes, and all the shores along 

 which we coasted between Smyth's Channel and 

 Sandy Point belong to peninsulas projecting between 

 fifty and one hundred miles from the continuous 

 mainland of Patagonia. The outline is strangely 

 varied. Bold snow-covered peaks alternate with lower 

 rocky shores, and are divided by channels of dark 

 blue water penetrating to an unknown distance into 

 the interior. From amidst the higher summits flowed 

 several large ice-streams, appearing, even from a 

 distance, to be traversed by broad crevasses. I did 

 not see any of these glaciers actually reach the sea, 

 but one, w^hose lower end was masked by a projecting 

 forest-clad headland, must have approached very near 

 to the beach. 



I have called the scene unique, and, in truth, I 

 believe that nothing like it is to be found elsewhere 

 in the world. The distant picture showing against 

 the sky under the low rays of the winter sun is pro- 

 bably to be matched by some that arctic navigators 

 bear in their memory ; but here, below the zone of 

 snow and ice, we had the striking contrast of shores 

 covered by dense forest and clothed with luxuriant 

 vegetation. Not much snow can have fallen, as up 

 to a height of about twelve hundred feet above the 

 sea, as far as the forest prevails, none met the eye. 

 On the Norwegian coast, where one might be tempted 

 to look for winter scenes somewhat of the same 



