JAN. 1769 ANIMALS OF TERRA DEL FUEGO 57 



Quadrupeds I saw none in the island, unless the seals 

 and sea-lions, which were often swimming about in the bay, 

 might be called such ; but Dr. Solander and I, when we 

 were on the top of the highest hill reached by us, observed 

 the footsteps of a large beast imprinted on the surface of a 

 bog, but could not with any probability guess of what kind 

 it might be. 



Land birds were very few, I saw none larger than an 

 English blackbird, except hawks and a vulture ; but water- 

 fowl are much more plentiful. In the first bay we were in 

 I might have shot any quantity of ducks or geese, but 

 would not spare the time from gathering plants ; in the 

 other we shot some, but the Indians in the neighbourhood 

 had made them shy, as well as much less plentiful ; at least 

 so we found. 



Fish we saw few, nor could we with our hooks take any 

 fit to eat : shell-fish, however, are in the greatest abundance, 

 limpets, mussels, clams, etc., but none of them delicate, yet 

 such as they were we did not despise them. 



Insects are very scarce, and not one species hurtful or 

 troublesome : during the whole of our stay we saw neither 

 gnat nor mosquito, a circumstance which few, if any, 

 uncleared countries can boast of. 



Of plants there are many species, and those truly the 

 most extraordinary I can imagine ; in stature and appear- 

 ance they agree a good deal with the European ones, only 

 in general are less specious, white flowers being much more 

 common among them than any other colour ; but, to speak 

 of them botanically, probably no botanist has ever enjoyed 

 more pleasure in the contemplation of his favourite pursuit 

 than did Dr. Solander and I among these plants. We have 

 not yet examined many of them, but what we have, have 

 proved in general so entirely different from any before 

 described, that we are never tired of wondering at the 

 infinite variety of creation, and admiring the infinite care 

 with which Providence has multiplied her productions, 

 suiting them no doubt to the various climates for which 

 they were designed. Trees are not numerous : a birch, 



