THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 309 



through it, and we therefore continued on our westerly 

 course, without having accomplished the desired object. In 

 the course of the forenoon we encountered three canoes 

 occupied with Fuegians, who, as usual, came alongside in the 

 most noisy manner, shouting, grinning, laughing, and waving 

 skins over their heads. The greater number were possessed 

 of the customary short seal-skin cloaks, but one woman was 

 totally naked. Several had ornamented their faces with 

 coloured red or white lines, extending along the bridge of 

 the nose, and one man had coloured his lank hair brick- 

 red with some pigment, which did not add to the charms of 

 his appearance. Being anxious to pass on, we did not waste 

 time in parleying with these people, and they did not attempt 

 to follow us as we moved on. The day was fine, the charac- 

 ter of the region considered, so that we were able to appre- 

 ciate the magnificent scenery on either side of us as we 

 passed along, and we reached Fortescue Bay at six p.m., too 

 late to make it worth while to go on shore. Next morning 

 we again moved onwards. Much rain fell during the day, 

 but occasional bright gleams displayed various fine glaciers, 

 and snowy mountain summits. We entered Playa Parda 

 Cove about five p.m., and as there was still about an hour's 

 daylight, two of the officers and I, having encased ourselves 

 in mackintoshes and sea-boots, left the ship in the pouring 

 rain, landing at the head of the harbour, and scrambling 

 over the steep banks, close to where two fine cataracts came 

 rushing tumultuously down the mountain-side. Our re- 

 searches were rewarded with a considerable number of 

 plants, some of which were well known to us, while others 

 had apparently not been previously recorded from the 

 Strait. The principal were a low tree with quinate green 

 leaves, which I subsequently found in many localities 



