STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 297 



of tracking animals, and of hunting. Although the 

 Australian may be superior in acquirements, it by- 

 no means follows that he is likewise sujoerior in 

 mental capacity : indeed, from what I saw of the 

 Fuegians when on board, and from what I have 

 read of the Australians, I should think the case 

 was exactly the reverse. 



CHAPTER XI. 



Strait of Magellan — Port Famine — Ascent of Mount Tarn — For 

 ests — Edible Fungus — Zoology— Great Sea-weed — Leave Tier- 

 ra del Fuego— Climate — Fruit-trees and Productions of the 

 southern Coasts — Height of Snow-line on the Cordillera — De- 

 scent of Glaciers to the Sea — Icebergs formed — Transportal of 

 Boulders — Climate and Productions of the Antarctic Islands — 

 Preservation of frozen Carcasses — Recapitulation. 



STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. CLIMATE OF THE SOUTH- 

 ERN COASTS. 



In the end of May, 1834, we entered for the 

 second time the eastern mouth of the Strait of Ma- 

 gellan. The country on both sides of this part of 

 tlie Strait consists of nearly level plains, like those 

 of Patagonia. Cape Negro, a little within the 

 second naiTOws, may be considered as the point 

 where the land begins to assume the marked fea- 

 tures of Tierra del Fuego. On the east coast, 

 south of the Strait, broken park-like scenery in a 

 like manner connects these two countries, which 

 are opposed to each other in almost every feature. 

 It is truly surprising to find in a space of twenty 

 miles such a change in the landscape. If we take 

 a rather greater distance, as between Port Famine 

 and Gregory Bay, that is, about sixty miles, the 

 difference is still more wonderful. At the former 

 place, we have rounded mountains concealed by 

 impeiTious forests, which are drenched with the 



