Fuego. 
24 
FUEGO, or Tierra pet Fueco, “ the land of fire,” 
was so denominated by Magellan, because he perceived 
many fires during the night, supposed to have been vol- 
canoes in the mountains, but probably nothing more than 
the numerous fires kindled by the natives on account of 
the cold. It is a large island, or rather group of islands, 
bounded on the north by the straits of Magellan, and 
on all other sides by the sea; situated between 524° 
and 56° South Latitude, and between 65° 10’ and 75° 
30’ West Longitude from Greenwich. It is divided by 
narrow straits Into eleven or more islands of consider- 
able size, and extends about 300 miles from east to 
west, and from 100 to 200 in breadth. . From Charlotte 
promontory, which is the north-east extremity, the 
coast extends west north-west, to a large promontory, 
that forms the mouth of the first narrow passage in the 
strait; and then, in a south south-west direction, form- 
inga circular basin, which terminates at the promontory 
of Sweep-stakes on the south side of the second narrow 
channel. The inhabitants on this part of the coast be- 
haved with great humanity to the crew of the Spanish 
ship Conception, which was wrecked on their shores in 
1765; assisting them in saving part of their cargo, and 
in erecting sheds to shelter them from the weather ; 
and discovered so little of the cruelty common to most 
savages, that the Spaniards of South America projected 
a missionary establishment among them. The coast 
next inclines southward, forming an arch of a great 
circle, cut by Cape Monmouth, and the inlet of St Se- 
bastian, on to Savage bay, from which a mountainous 
country stretches south-west, exhibiting the appearance 
of several narrow straits. Beyond these is Swallow 
harbour, a well sheltered bay, where there is good land- 
ing-and a sufficient supply of wood and water ; but the 
surrounding mountains have a dreary aspect, and seem 
to be deserted by every thing that has life. The coast 
continues now m a north-west direction, forming many 
bays and inflexions, inclosed by barren. rocks’ with- 
out any appearance of soil, having their summits co- 
vered with snow, and their deep vallies filled with im- 
mense masses of ice. To this part of the country Sir 
John Narborough gave the name of “ the land of De- 
solation ;” and nothing more dreadful, says Bougain- 
ville, can be imagined. 1t is still high and steep, and 
terminates in Cape Pillar, the north-west extremity, 
where the Pacific Ocean opens to the view. This cape 
is a great mass of rocks, which rise into two huge cliffs 
resembling towers ; and round it are’several small islands 
or rocks named the Twelve Apostles, reaching several 
miles into the sea. Two leagues ‘south of Cape Pillar 
is Cape Desire, from which the coast takes a south-east 
direction, and is broken into various inlets, or rather 
composed of a number of islands, beyond which ap- 
barren and ‘rocky mountains, spotted with tufts 
of wood and patclies of snow. From Cape Gloucester, 
which is about 23 leagues from Cape Desire, the coast 
turns south-south-east for ten 1 es, to Black Cape, a 
steep and high rock, shaped like a sugar loaf; a little 
towards the east from Mi is the great bay of St Bar- 
bara, supposed to communicate with the Straits of Ma- 
gellan. Beyond this bay, the country is entirely com- 
posed of rocky mountains without the least appearance 
of vegetation, terminating in dreadful precipices, and 
raising their craggy summits to an immense height. 
About 23 leagues from Barbara Bay, appears Cape 
York Minster, a lofty promontory, terminating in two 
high towers, with a conical hill between them. To the 
east of this opens Christmas Sound, in the bottom of 
which is a deep and secure harbour, named Devil’s Ba« 
FUEGO. 
son, so completely 
be entirely excluded from the rays of the sun. To the 
south-east of Christmas Sound is a group of rocks, call- 
ed the Isles of Ildefonso, nearly east from which is 
Nassau Bay, whose west point is the most southerly 
extremity of Tierra del Fuego, and is sometimes deno- 
minated False Cape Horn, In front of Nassau Bay 
lie the Hermit Islands, the south point of which is the 
True Cape Horn, known at a distance by a round hill 
over it, and situated in 55° 58’ South Latitude, and in 
67° 46’ West Longitude. “The coast stretching north- 
east from Nassau Bay is little known for the space of 
80 leagues, to Valentine’s Bay, which forms the south- 
west entrance of the Strait of Le Maire. About the 
middle of this strait, on the Tierra del-Fuego side, is 
the Bay of Good Success ; and on the south-east extre- 
mity are two low promontories, called Cape Diego and 
Cape Vincent, where the strait opens to the east. 
From these capes to Charlotte Promontory, the eastern 
coast of Tierra del Fuego is more level, woody, and 
verdant, than any other part. The soil here in the 
vallies is rich and deep ; and a stream of a reddish hue, 
ome good water, runs at the bottom of almost every 
The interior parts of Tierra del Fuego have never been , 
explored, but appeared to consist of continued mountains oa poet 
of immense height and irregular surface. About one- 
fourth of their ascent is frequently covered with trees 
of a considerable size. . Towards the middle, nothing 
but withered shrubs appear: next succeed ‘patches of 
snow and fragments of rock ; while the summits, com- 
posed of huge crags piled upon each other, and tower- 
ing above the clouds, are devoted to everlasting ste- 
tility. Many of them are nothing but immeasurable 
masses of rock, naked from the base to the summit, 
without a single shrub or one blade of grass to be seen’ 
upon them ; and the intermediate vallies, equally des 
titute of verdure, are filled with beds of ‘snow, or 
masses of ice. ‘The climate is intensely cold and stor- 
my ; and, even in the midst of summer, the ground is 
frequently covered with snow. | Its severity is fatally 
exemplified by an accident mentioned in Captain Cook’s 
first:voyage, a part of whose crew having attended Sir 
Joseph Banks and Dr Solander on shore, and havin 
been obliged to pass the night in the rt pe air, thoug! 
it was upon the most temperate part of the coast, and 
about the season of midsummer, two of them expired 
of cold; and Dr Solander himself, a native of Sweden, 
was saved with great difficulty. Even in this barren 
imate is found a great variety of plants a 
soil and drear 
unknown in The trees chiefly noticed were, 
beech, birch, winter-bark or’ spice sited, and the holly- 
leaved barberry:) The plains are covered with a kind 
of spongy moss; and nettles, wild celery, and scurvy- 
grass, are generally found close to the beech. Cran- 
berries, red and white, are produced in great abun- 
dance. Fish may be procured with great facility on - 
every part of the coast, and particularly on the Straits 
of Magellan. Whales, seals, and sea-lions,’are seen’ in’ 
gree numbers along the shores, particularly ‘in the 
traits of Le Maire. There are great quantities of shell 
fish, limpets, clams, and especially mussels, some of 
which are five or six inches in length. Few insects 
have been observed in the country, and none that were 
either hurtful or troublesome. OF land-birds there are 
few varieties; and none have been seen la than an 
English blackbird, except a few hawks and vultures. 
But there is plenty of water-fowl, sea-pies, shags, and 
the kind of gull generally called Port Egmont hen ; 
3 3 
encompassed by lofty rocks as to Fuege 
Climate. 
