328 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



ness of the vegetation, till they poured their waters into the 

 Channel. Shortly before noon a canoe was observed pulling 

 off to us, and, as she drew near, we stopped to let her come 

 alongside. Her occupants consisted of a woman, partially 

 clothed, who steered ; a man who had his head and part of his 

 body whitened with some pigment, and whose attire consisted 

 of an apron of goose-skin, and an old waistcoat which did not 

 meet in front ; two youths, who sat near the bows and paddled, 

 one entirely destitute of clothing, and the other with a piece of 

 cloth about a foot and a half square on his shoulders ; a girl, 

 apparently ill, wrapped up in seal-skins ; a little child, and 

 two dogs with erect ears and stiff wiry hair. They approached 

 us with the usual noisy demonstrations, and were presented 

 with some biscuit and tobacco, after which we moved 

 on, while they paddled off to the wooded shore. We passed 

 out of the Messier Channel into the Gulf of Pefias between 

 five and six p.m., and the retrospect was very striking ; the 

 high rugged hills on either side of the entrance of the Channel, 

 many of them of the most wild and fantastic forms, appearing 

 like the portals of a gateway, and becoming flooded with a 

 rich deep purple tint as the sun went down. On this day the 

 unpleasant discovery was made that, owing to our supply of 

 coal being much less than was supposed, we would be obliged 

 to make the voyage to San Carlos, Chiloe, under sail alone. 

 The screw was accordingly got up as soon as we were clear 

 of the land, and soon after the wind headed us, and, as we 

 encountered an extremely heavy swell towards the entrance 

 of the gulf, and the vessel was very light owing to the small 

 amount of coal, she pitched in a most unpleasant manner, 

 prostrating, without loss of time, all those of our number 

 who were liable to sea-sickness, as well as many who in 

 general experienced a complete immunity from that malady. 



