18 CHONOS ARCHIPELAGO. 



mal. On the higher parts, brushwood takes the 

 place of larger trees, with here and there a red 

 cedar or an alerce pine. I was also pleased to see, 

 at an elevation of a little less than 1000 feet, our 

 old friend the southern beech. They were, how- 

 ever, poor stunted trees ; and I should think that 

 this must be nearly their northern limit. We ulti- 

 mately gave up the attempt in despair. 



December IQtk. — The yawl and whale-boat, with 

 Mr. Sulivan, proceeded on their survey, but I re- 

 mained on board the Beagle, which the next day 

 left San Pedro for the southward. On the 13th 

 we ran into an oj»ening in the southern part of 

 Guayatecas, or the Chonos Archipelago; and it was 

 fortunate we did so, for on the following day a 

 storm, worthy of Tierra del Fuego, raged with 

 great fury. White massive clouds were piled up 

 against a dark-blue sky, and across them black 

 ragged sheets of vapour were rapidly driven. The 

 successive mountain ranges appeared like dim shad- 

 ows, and the setting sun cast on the woodland a 

 yellow gleam, much like that produced by the flame 

 of spirits of wine. The water was white with the 

 flying spray, and the wind lulled and roared again 

 through the rigging : it was an ominous, sublime 

 scene. During a few minutes there was a bright 

 rainbow, and it was curious to observe the effect of 

 the spray, which, being carried along the surface 

 of the water, changed the ordinary semicircle into 

 a circle, a band of prismatic colours being contin- 

 ued, from both feet of the common ai'ch across the 

 bay, close to the vessel's side, thus forming a dis- 

 torted but very nearly entire ring. 



We stayed here three days. The weather con- 

 tinued bad, but this did not much signify, for the 

 surf;&,ce of the land in all these islands is all but im- 

 passable. The coast is so very rugged, that to at- 



