EXPLORING THE SANTA CRUZ. 229 



During tliis day we tracked but a short distance, 

 for there were many islets, covered by thorny bush- 

 es, and the channels between them were shallow. 



Ajiril 20th. — We passed the islands and set to 

 work. Our regular day's march, although it was 

 hard enough, carried us on an average only ten 

 miles in a straight line, and perhaps fifteen or twen- 

 ty altogether. Beyond the place where we slept 

 last night the country is completely terra incognita, 

 for it was there that Captain Stokes turned back. 

 We saw in the distance a great smoke, and found 

 the skeleton of a horse, so wc knew that Indians 

 Avere in the neighbourhood. On the next morning 

 (:^lst) tracks of a party of horse, and marks left by 

 the trailing of the chuzos, or long spears, were ob- 

 served on the ground. It was generally thought 

 that the Indians had reconnoitred us dui'ing the 

 night. Shortly afterwards we came to a spot where, 

 from the fresh footsteps of men, children, and hor- 

 ses, it was evident that the party had crossed the 

 I'iver. 



April 22d. — The country remained the same, 

 and was extremely uninteresting. The complete 

 similarity of the productions throughout Patagonia 

 is one of its most striking characters. The level 

 plains of arid shingle support the same stunted and 

 dwarf plants ; and in the valleys the same thorn- 

 bearing bushes grow. Everywhere we see the 

 same birds and insects. Even the very banks of 

 the river, and of the clear streamlets which entered 

 it, were scarcely enlivened by a brighter tint of 

 green. The curse of sterility is on the land, and 

 the water flowing over a bed of pebbles partakes 

 of the same curse. Hence the number of water- 

 fowl is very scanty, for there is nothing to support 

 life in the stream of this baiTen river. 



Patagonia, poor as she is in some respects, can, 



