194 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



water, and there awaited the return of the others, enjoying 

 the wonderful beauty of the surrounding scene. It was hard 

 to decide whether the calm blue water of the Strait, with the 

 opposite Fuegian coast stretching along the horizon, or the 

 Gregory Eange, diversified with exquisite lights and shadows, 

 afforded the finer prospect. As the sun went down, the water 

 towards the horizon assumed a delicate pale-green hue, while 

 the sky above it was flushed with pale rose colour, and the 

 Gregory Eange became steeped in a rich dark purple. The 

 advancing winter, however, distinctly proclaimed itself, for 

 after the sun disappeared the air became decidedly frigid. 

 Some teal, a Bnho Magellanictis, and a fox, were shot by the 

 sportsmen of the party on this occasion. 



Next morning (9th) I was to have accompanied one of the 

 surveying officers on an excursion to the Fuegian coast, but 

 I was balked in my intention, as the weather had completely 

 changed, and it was blowing too hard to quit the ship. 

 The 10th, however, was fine, and we left the vessel in the 

 forenoon for San Isidro Point at the eastern entrance of the 

 Fuegian side of the second Narrows, while she moved over 

 to Philip Bay to take soundings. We arrived at our destina- 

 tion about noon, and found that the structure of the coast at 

 the point at which we landed was rather remarkable, the 

 beach forming a high shelving bank of shingle, with a flat 

 top about three feet broad, while between it and the turf 

 intervened a deep hollow of considerable extent, which at 

 high-water was filled by percolation through the bank, so as to 

 form a temporary salt-water lake, and at low tide almost dried 

 out. Soon after going on shore we walked along the coast of 

 the Narrows for some miles, as my companion wished to 

 erect beacons at various spots ; and while thus engaged we 

 observed two vessels passing southwards, and contemplated 



