210 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



forks in the most approved manner. Both of them had seve- 

 ral times visited Buenos Ajrres, which probably accounted for 

 these amenities. On their departure they shook hands with 

 us, and Cacimiero, who had considerably exceeded in the way 

 of liquor, warmly pressed one of the officers to take a wife from 

 his camp, being also extremely desirous that a black quarter- 

 master should come on shore with him, embracing him in the 

 most affectionate manner, so as to furnish rather an amusing 

 commentary on Fitzroy's statement (probably derived, like the 

 greater part of his information regarding the Fuegians and 

 Patagonians, from a Mr. Low, captain of a sealing vessel), 

 that " Patagonians have a great antipathy to negroes." 



On the evening of this day on which we had had such an 

 interesting experience of savage life, it came on to blow very 

 hard, and there was a good deal of wind throughout the fol- 

 lowing day. We remained at our anchorage until the 29th, 

 when we shifted to Gregory Bay. The 30th was a day of 

 most perfect beauty, perhaps the finest of the season, being 

 splendidly clear, bright, and calm ; one of those seasons at 

 which one feels the vital powers at their highest pitch. In 

 the afternoon Captain Mayne and I landed, and walked for 

 some miles inland along the plain stretching between Gregory 

 Range and the high ground of the second Narrows, as we 

 were anxious to ascertain whether some Patagonians, who had 

 been observed from the ship in the morning, were still in the 

 neighbourhood. We saw a number of upland geese, as well 

 as some specimens of the Ctenomys at the entrance of their 

 burrows, apparently enjoying the warmth of the sunshine. 

 Some of the officers, who were also on shore, shot some duck 

 of a crested species which we had not previously observed, 

 and also three flamingoes, one of which was handed over to 

 me. This was a young specimen of the Phcenicopteriis igni- 



