240 SANTA CRUZ, PATAGONIA. 



above the river, and its character was much altered. 

 The well-rounded pebbles of porphyry were min- 

 gled with many immense angular fragments of 

 basalt and of primary rocks. The first of these er- 

 ratic boulders which I noticed were sixty-seven 

 miles distant from the nearest mountain ; another 

 which I measured was five yards square, and pro- 

 jected five feet above the gravel. Its edges wei'e 

 so angular, and its size so great, that I at first mis- 

 took it for a rock in situ, and took out my compass 

 to observe the direction of its cleavage. The plain 

 here was not quite so level as that nearer the coast, 

 but yet it betrayed no signs of any great violence. 

 Under these circumstances it is, I believe, quite 

 impossible to explain the transportal of these gi- 

 gantic masses of rock, so many miles from their 

 parent-source, on any theory except by that of 

 floating icebergs. 



During the two last days we met with signs of 

 horses, and with several small articles which had 

 belonged to the Indians — such as parts of a mantle 

 and a bunch of ostrich feathers — but they appear- 

 ed to have been lying long on the ground. Be- 

 tween the place where the Indians had so lately 

 crossed the river and this neighbourhood, though 

 so maihy miles apai't, the country appears to be 

 quite unfrequented. At first, considering the abun- 

 dance of the guanacos, I was surprised at this ; but 

 it is explained by the stony nature of the plains, 

 which would soon disable an unshod horse from 

 taking part in the chase. Nevertheless, in two 

 places in this very central region I found small 

 heaps of stones, which I do not think could have 

 been accidentally thrown together. They were 

 placed on points projecting over the edge of the 

 highest lava cliff, and they resembled, but on a 

 small scale, those near Port Desire. 



