THE VEGETATION' OF THE JUAX FERNANDEZ ISLANDS 797 



many European plants. Anson's camp-site was easily recognized. A document, 

 discovered by Mrs. Graham in the Secretariat of the Capitania general in Santiago 

 and published by her as an Appendix, is of some interest. It includes a list, 

 compiled at the end of the i8th century, of useful plants of Chile, in which the 

 following trees, forming the forest of Masatierra, are mentioned (Latin names 

 supplied by Johow p. 15): Drimys Whitcri var. confertifolia { = D. co7iferiifolia), 

 Juania australis, Eugenia { = yothomyrcia) fernandeziana, Sophora tetraptera ( = 5. 

 fernandeziana), Berberis corymbosa, ZmithoxyloJi { = Fagara) mayu, Psychotria 

 ( = Coprosvia) pynfoiia, Robinsonia gayana and thiirifera, SaJitaluviferytaJidezianuni, 

 and Rhaphithamnus iongiflorns [ = Rh. veniistus), the majority not mentioned in 

 earlier reports. 



The first botanist to visit Masatierra was David DOUGLAS, accompanied by 

 Dr. SCOLLER, a geologist, in 1824. On their way round Cape Hoorn and north 

 along the coast of Chile Masafuera came in sight, "appearing like a dark bare 

 rock. We passed near enough to ascertain that it was far from being fertile, 

 though a little verdure might be descried in the valleys, with some stunted trees 

 on the hills, and a few goats browsing on the rocky clefts (1. c. 84). ' No landing 

 could be eftected, and they bore away for Masatierra, where they made a short 

 stay. All Douglas has to say about the vegetation is that the hills were clothed 

 with verdure to their summits. Only few genera are mentioned, but Douglas 

 used his time well and collected 70 species of vascular plants. 



Of fundamental importance was the research carried out by Carlos Bertero 

 in 1830. He was an indefatigable field worker and a keen observer, who trav- 

 elled all over the island, and he was the first visitor who paid attention to the 

 cryptogams. Had he not met with an untimely death — after a collecting trip to 

 Tahiti he left this island for Chile, but was never heard of- — he would have been 

 able to give the first real description of the vegetation belts. The little we know 

 about his excursions is contained in a letter published by Guillemin (1. c.) and 

 referred to in some detail by Hemsley I.e. p. 4 — 6 and by Johow 2. 21 — 23. 

 Bertero gives a good idea of the composition of the forest, pointing out the pro- 

 found difference between Masatierra and the opposite coast of the mainland, while 

 the resemblance with south Chile was obvious. The principal constituents of the 

 forest were Drimys, Fagara and Xothomyrcia. No living Santahim was found 

 but many pieces of wood more or less deeply buried in the soil. The native 

 palm was not uncommon, but of difficult access: "Un palmier habite les pentes 

 des montagnes les plus elevees ... on pourrait en tirer une grand partie s'il 

 etait facile de se le procurer." Many species, most of them discovered by Bert- 

 ero, are mentioned, and in cases remarks added on their mode of occurrence 

 and properties, but little is said about the character of the different parts of the 

 island; Bertero only wanted to give the reader an idea of his most notable dis- 

 coveries. 



During Bertero's sojourn on ^^lasatierra. Captain PHILIP PARKER KING, com- 

 manding H. M. S. Adventure, arrived in Cumberland Bay and spent a week at the 

 island. King tells that myrtletrees abounded but that no living sandalwood was 

 found, while plenty old wood was collected. The commonest herbaceous plant 



