THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 361 



in getting my drying-paper sufficiently free from moisture 

 to be fit for use. 



The morning of the I7th was fair and bright ; a great 

 relief. We got under way, and proceeded along the east 

 coast of Chiloe as far as Tenoun Point, anchoring there be- 

 tween four and five p.m. Eain came on in the evening, and 

 next morning the aspect of the weather was so doubtful that 

 we remained at anchor, as our stock of coal was so much 

 reduced that we could not afford to steam against the wind, 

 should it arise. A few of us took advantage of this circum- 

 stance to spend a short time on shore, landing soon after 

 breakfast. There is a small village of Tenoun, with a church 

 like a Chinese pagoda, officiated in by a couple of padres, 

 whom we met. They were both young and rather pleasant- 

 looking, attired in low straw hats and a long gray woollen 

 garb, provided with a cowl, and reaching to the ankles. 

 Here, as at other places in Chili, Myrtacew prevailed largely, 

 and a species of Loasa was plentiful among the herbaceous 

 plants, but out of bloom at this time. Ruhus geoides was also 

 very common, and in pools of fresh water I found a Riccia 

 and a Lemim. In the afternoon, the weather appearing more 

 settled, we weighed and proceeded northwards, the unpleasant 

 discovery being shortly after made that we had not enough 

 coal with which to reach Ancud. We therefore proceeded as 

 far as Huite, close to Oscuro Cove, and there anchored in a 

 curious little harbour, bounded on one side by a long very nar- 

 row curved sand- spit, to lay in wood for steaming purposes. 

 Heavy rain, as usual, came on in the evening, and the 19th 

 was a day of thick mist and drizzling rain, with occasional 

 brief fair intervals. Early in the morning one of the officers 

 was despatched in the steam-cutter with our letter-bag to 

 Ancud, to endeavour to catch the mail, and soon after a wood- 



