EXPLORING THE SANTA CRUZ. 227 



CHAPTER IX. 



Santa Cruz— Expedition up the Kiver— Indians— Immense Streams 

 of Basaltic Lava— Fragments not transported by the Kiver — Ex- 

 cavation of the Valley— Condor, habits of— Cordillera— Erratic 

 Boulders of great size — Indian Relics — Return to the Ship — 

 Falkland Islands— Wild Horses, Cattle, Rabbits— Wolf-like Fox 

 — Fire made of Bones — Manner of hunting wild Cattle — Geolo- 

 gy — Streams of Stones— Scenes of Violence — Penguin— Geese 

 — Eggs of Doris— Compound Animals. 



SANTA CRUZ, PATAGONIA, AND THE FALKLAND 



ISLANDS. 



April loth, 1834. — The Beagle ahcliored within 

 the mouth of the Santa Cruz. This river is situ- 

 ated about sixty miles south of Port St. Julian. 

 During the last voyage Captain Stokes proceeded 

 thirty miles up it, but then, from the want of pro- 

 visions, was obliged to return. Excepting what 

 was discovered at that time, scarcely anything was 

 known about this large river. Captain Fitz Roy 

 now determined to follow its course as far as time 

 would allow. On the 18th three whale-boats start- 

 ed, carrying three weeks' provisions ; and the par- 

 ty 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 in- 

 fluence. 



The river here assumed a size and appearance 

 which, even at the highest point we ultimately 

 reached, was scarcely diminished. It was gener- 

 ally from three to four hundred yards broad, and 

 in the middle about seventeen feet deep. The 

 rapidity of the cuiTont, which in its whole course 

 runs at the rate of from four to six knots an hour, 



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