tlie Potato Disease, d:c. 189 



eucl of tlie Chonos Archipelago, in Low's Harbour, where 

 we remained a week. The islands were here, as in Chiloe, 

 composed of a stratified, soft, littoral deposit ; and the 

 vegetation was, in consequence, beautifully luxuriant. The 

 woods came down to the sea-beach just in the manner of an 

 evergreen shrubbery over a gravel walk. We also enjoyed 

 from the anchorage a splendid view of four great snowy 

 cones of the Cordillera, including '<?/ yawioso Gorcovado! 

 The range itself had in this latitude so little height, that 

 few parts of it appeared above the tops of the neighbouring 

 islets. We found liere a party of j&ve men from Caylen, ' el 

 Jin de Christ icmdad,' wlio had most adventurously crossed in 

 their miserable boat-canoe for the purpose of fishing the 

 open space of sea which separates Chonos from Chiloe. 

 These islands will, in all probability, in a short time become 

 peopled like those adjoining the coast of Chiloe. 



" The wild potato grows on these islands in great 

 abundance, on the sandy shelly soil near the sea-beach. 

 The tallest plant was four feet in height. The tubers were 

 generally small, but I found one of an oval shape two 

 inches in diameter. They resembled in every respect, and 

 had the same smell as, English potatoes; but when boiled 

 'they shrunk much, and were watery and insipid, without 

 any bitter taste. They are undoubtedly here indigenous ; 

 they grow as far south, according to Mr. Low, as lat. 50°, 

 and are called Aquinas by the wild Indians of that part. 

 The Chilotan Indians have a different name for them. 

 Professor Henslow, who has examined the dried specimens 

 which I brought home, says that they are the same with 

 those described by Mr. Sabine ; * but that they form a 



* Horticultural Transactions, vol. 5, page 249 Mr. Caldcleugh sent 



home two tubers, which, being well manured, even the first season produced 

 numerous potatoes, and an abundance of leaves. See Humboldt's interesting 

 discussion on this plant, which, it appears, was unknown in Mexico,'^in 

 Polit. Essay on New Spain, book 4, chap. 9. 



p2 



