THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 327 



previously, was tolerably abundant, and attracted our attention 

 from the peculiar character of its pinnate leaves, the joints of 

 the petiole of w^hich were winged in a rhomboid manner. 

 This was the Weinmannia trichosperma, one of the Cunonice, 

 and common at Chiloe, where we afterwards saw it. Like 

 other plants already mentioned, it does not appear to have 

 been previously recorded south of the Chonos Archipelago. 

 I also picked up the branch of another tree that was new to 

 me, but of which I did not succeed in finding the owner on this 

 occasion — namely, the Lomatia ferruginea, one of the Prote- 

 acece, common also at Chiloe, but also not previously recorded 

 to the south of the Gulf of Peilas. The following season I 

 traced it throughout nearly the entire extent of the Channels, 

 though I did not observe it in the Strait of Magellan. In 

 comparatively open spaces in the woods, Lomaria loryana was 

 growing in the utmost luxuriance, presenting a striking 

 resemblance to a dwarf palm or cycad ; and many other Cryp- 

 togamia were met with, including, among others, a Hymeno- 

 pliyllum, with a long narrow deeply-cut hairy frond, which I 

 had not seen before. Mytili (M. Chilensis) of large size 

 abounded on the rocks, and were pronounced to be excellent 

 by those who partook of them ; and a few specimens of a small 

 crab, the Tricliodactylus granarius, afterwards found in great 

 abundance at Chiloe, were also captured. 



The 22d was another glorious day. We left our anchorage 

 in the morning, and pursued our way through the Messier 

 Channel, the perfectly calm surface of the water of which pre- 

 sented a lake-like appearance ; while the mountains on either 

 side rose sheer out of it, clothed with trees from the edge to a 

 height of upwards of a thousand feet, with numerous cataracts 

 rushing foaming down their sides, some appearing as threads 

 of silver, while others were concealed from view by the thick- 



