THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 287 



extent of undulating country, after which I crossed a wide 

 plain, disturbing a skunk, which scuttled off with its feathery 

 tail over its back. After this I descended into a small valley ; 

 then crossed another plain, and then reached some more hilly 

 country. Suddenly coming to a gap between two knolls, I 

 saw, to my relief, a distant blue hill-top which I knew to be 

 situated on the south side of the river, and thus ascertained 

 my true position, and realised that my troubles were nearly 

 over. Soon I saw the river itself, and began to descend 

 towards it, presently hearing a shout at some distance, and 

 seeing a figure run rapidly down a neighbouring hill. I 

 presently recognised one of the officers, who shortly joined 

 me, with a brandy-flask in one hand and a revolver in the 

 other. A little more than half-an-hour sufficed us to reach 

 the tents, where I met the remainder of the party, who 

 had gone through much fatigue and anxiety during the 

 previous night and that morning in the search for their 

 missing companion, having formed diverse conjectures as to 

 my fate, some imagining that I had fallen over the cliffs, and 

 others, that I had fallen a prey to a puma which had been 

 seen the day before. Thus ended safely what might have 

 been a very serious adventure, and which taught me a lesson 

 in caution — namely, the inadvisability of carrying on solitary 

 botanical explorations in unknown regions without a compass. 

 After breakfast, as there seemed to be no particular end 

 to be gained by remaining on shore for a longer period, we 

 returned to the ship, getting on board about nine a.m. In our 

 absence some large fish, resembling ling in general appear- 

 ance, had been taken ; and attached to the gills of one was 

 found a very curious crustacean which had been preserved for 

 me by one of the officers. This remarkable creature belonged 

 to the genius B'pliyrion, of Cuvier, founded on a parasite taken 



