The Giant Sea- Weed. 81 



of roots, and living concealed on the wild and arid 

 plains, are sufficiently wretched. The Australian, in 

 the simplicity of the arts of life, comes nearest the 

 Fuegian ; he can, however, boast of his boomerang, 

 his spear, and throwing-stick, his method of climbing 

 trees, of tracking animals, and of hunting. Although 

 the Australian may be superior in acquirements, it by 

 no means follows that he is likewise superior in men- 

 tal 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." 



Darwin found the zoology of this region more or 

 less disappointing, though the ocean and rocky 

 shores gave protection to numbers of interesting 

 animals, which he added to his collection. He ob- 

 served that the giant sea-weed, Macrocystis pyrifera, 

 flourished off shore in the midst of a terrific sea, and 

 he at once recognised in it an important factor in the 

 preservation of animal life. He found it growing in 

 water three hundred and sixty feet deep, reaching to 

 the surface, and proved that it formed a natural 

 breakwater, and gave shelter in its leaves and branches 

 to innumerable animals, from delicate shells and 

 crustaceans up to fishes. Indeed he considered that 

 the actual existence of the natives depended upon 

 it, as he says : " Amidst the leaves of this plant 

 numerous species of fish live, which nowhere else 

 could find food or shelter; with their destruction the 

 many cormorants and other fishing-birds, the otters, 

 seals, and porpoises, would soon perish also ; and 

 lastly, the Fuegian savage, the miserable lord of this 



