474 NATUKAL HISTORY OF 



the close of the afternoon, and reached our camp at about 

 six P.M., learning on our arrival that Dr. Campbell had had 

 the good fortune to shoot a guanaco at a considerable distance 

 from the tents. This, as he had no companion with him, he 

 had been obliged to leave on the plains, to be carried in after- 

 wards, having most ingeniously contrived to eviscerate it with 

 his penknife, in the course of which process he had discovered 

 a young embryo, about half the size of a mouse, which he had 

 brought in for my behoof. After a hearty dinner, which we 

 felt was well earned by our hard day's work, and a long and 

 pleasant talk, we retired to rest, intending to return to the 

 ship next morning about eight A.M. 



On the 10th several of us rose at five for the purpose of 

 taldng a walk over the plains before breakfast, and three of 

 the men were despatched to carry in the carcass of the 

 guanaco, which was a very large one, to our camp. On our 

 return to the tents to breakfast, we learned that we could 

 not start as originally intended, as the tide, having been 

 driven back by a strong breeze that was blowing, had not 

 come high enough up to float the cutter, which, packed with 

 our gear, was too heavy to launch. We therefore very 

 contentedly abandoned ourselves to another day's experience 

 on shore, and after breakfast dispersed in various directions. 

 Captain Mayne, Dr. Campbell, and I, taking a long walk to 

 the mouth of the river, in the course of which a handsome 

 plover (Oreophilus ruficollis) was shot, and I obtained a single 

 plant (a lingering specimen of a species of Valerian) that was 

 new to me. 



On the 11th we rose at seven A.M., and two hours later 

 embarked and proceeded down the river, reaching the vessel 

 shortly before noon. On our arrival we got under way for 

 the Strait, a south-west gale soon after rising. Between six 



