134 HUMMING-BIRDS. April 1828. 
would not take bait, we were confined for refreshments princi- 
pally to shell-fish. 
No traces of quadrupeds, excepting an Indian dog, were 
noticed. Here Wallis’s people saw a large cloven-footed animal, 
which they described to be as “ big as a jack-ass.” It was 
probably a deer, one or two of which had occasionally appeared 
at Port Famine.(e) 
It has been mentioned that we found many humming-birds 
at Port San Antonio, which we attributed to the sheltered 
situation of the place, and the luxuriant growth of fuchsias and 
other plants, upon the sweets of whose flowers they feed. Here, 
however, one of the same species was seen sporting about in a 
most exposed place and during the falling of a snow shower, a 
proof of the hardy character of this little bird, which, if it does 
migrate upon the approach of winter to a warmer clime, lin- 
gers, at least, as long as it possibly can. This was the middle 
of April, the winter had, in fact, already commenced, and all 
the mountains around us were clothed with snow, while the 
ground was also coated with the same dazzling covering. Mr. 
Graves intended to ascend the Mountain de la Cruz; but a 
heavy fall of snow prevented the attempt, and we lost the oppor- 
tunity of obtaining a round of angles from that elevation, which 
would have materially assisted our operations. We should also 
have obtained a bird’s-eye view of the Barbara Channel and 
the Sounds on the opposite side of the Strait, whose extent and 
nature we did not know ; for Cordova’s notice of San Simon’s 
Bay, and a deep inlet which exists to the westward of it, is 
very unsatisfactory. 
There were no signs of a recent visit from the Fuegians, 
though at the entrance of the cove we found three or four 
wigwams in good repair; whence it seems probable, that the 
place is one of their frequent haunts. When the Beagle came 
here last year, some station staves were left standing; but, 
before her return, every one had been removed; and when 
Captain Stokes went down the Barbara Channel, to the relief 
(e) Or the animal called by Molina ‘ Huemul.’—R. F. 
