FORMATION OF PEAT. 25 



Heie, within the Chonos Archipelago, the nature 

 of the climate more closely approaches that of Ti- 

 erra del Fuego than that of northern Chiloe ; for 

 every patch of level ground is covered by two spe- 

 cies of plants (Astelia pumila and Donatia magel- 

 lanica), which by their joint decay compose a thick 

 bed of elastic peat. 



In Tierra del Fuego, above the region of wood- 

 land, the former of these eminently sociable plants 

 is the chief agent in the production of peat. Fresh 

 leaves are always succeeding one to the other round 

 the central tap-root ; the lower ones soon decay, 

 and in tracing a root downwards in the peat, the 

 leaves, yet holding their place, can be (observed 

 passing through every stage of decomposition, till 

 the whole becomes blended in one confused mass. 

 The Astelia is assisted by a few other plants — here 

 and there a small creeping Myrtus (M. nummula- 

 ria), with a woody stem like our cranberry, and with 

 a sweet berry — an Empetrum (E. rubrum), like 

 our heath — a rush (Juncus grandiflorus), are near- 

 ly the only ones that grow on the swampy surface. 

 These plants, though possessing a very close gener- 

 al resemblance to the English species of the same 

 genera, are different. In the more level parts of 

 the country, the surface of the peat is broken up 

 into little pools of water, which stand at different 

 heights, and appear as if artificially excavated. 

 Small streams of water, flowing under ground, com- 

 plete the disorganization of the vegetable matter, 

 and consolidate the whole. 



The climate of the southern part of America ap- 

 pears particularly favourable to the production of 

 peat. In the Falkland Islands almost every kind 

 of plant, even the coarse grass which covers the 

 whole surface of the land, becomes converted into 

 this substance : scarcely any situation checks its 



II.-C ^ ^ 



