58 RIO TO TERRA DEL FUEGO CHAP, in 



(Betula antarctica)} a beech (Fagus antarctica), and winter's 

 bark (Winterana aromatica)? are all worth mentioning, the 

 two first for timber, the other for its excellent aromatic 

 bark, so much valued by physicians. Of other plants we 

 could not ascertain the virtues, not being able to converse 

 with the Indians, who may have experienced them; but 

 the scurvy grass, Oardamine antiscorbutica, and wild celery, 

 Apium antarcticum, may easily be known to contain anti- 

 scorbutic properties, capable of being of great service to 

 ships which may in future touch here. Of these two, there- 

 fore, I shall give a short description. Scurvy grass is found 

 plentifully in damp places near springs, in general every- 

 where near the beach, especially at the watering-place in 

 the Bay of G-ood Success. When young and in its greatest 

 perfection it lies flat on the ground, having many bright 

 green leaves standing in pairs opposite each other, with an 

 odd one, in general the fifth, at the end. When older it 

 shoots up in stalks sometimes two feet high, at the top of 

 which are small white blossoms, which are succeeded by 

 long pods. The whole plant much resembles what is called 

 Lady's-smock in England, only that the flowers are much 

 smaller. Wild celery greatly resembles the celery in our 

 gardens, only that the leaves are of a deeper green ; the 

 flowers, as in ours, stand in small tufts at the top of the 

 branches, and are white. It grows plentifully near the 

 beach, generally on soil which is just above the spring tides, 

 and is not easily mistaken, as the taste resembles celery or 

 parsley, or rather is between both. These herbs we used 

 plentifully while we stayed here, putting them in our soup, 

 etc., and derived the benefit from them which seamen in 

 general find from a vegetable diet after having been long 

 deprived of it. 



The inhabitants we saw here seemed to be one small 

 tribe of Indians, consisting of not more than fifty of all 



1 Both the beech and birch are species of beech (Fagus) : one, F. betidoides, 

 Mirb. (the birch of Banks), is an evergreen ; the other, F. antarctica, Forst, is 

 deciduous-leaved. 



2 Drimys Winteri, Forst. 



