JAN. 1769 ANIMALS OF TERRA DEL FUEGO 57 
Quadrupeds I saw none in the island, unless the seals 
and sea-lions, which were often swimming about in the bay, 
might be called such; but Dr. Solander and I, when we 
were on the top of the highest hill reached by us, observed 
the footsteps of a large beast imprinted on the surface of a 
bog, but could not with any probability guess of what kind 
it might be. 
Land birds were very few, I saw none larger than an 
English blackbird, except hawks and a vulture; but water- 
fowl are much more plentiful. In the first bay we were in 
I might have shot any quantity of ducks or geese, but 
would not spare the time from gathering plants; in the 
other we shot some, but the Indians in the neighbourhood 
had made them shy, as well as much less plentiful; at least 
so we found. 
Fish we saw few, nor could we with our hooks take any 
fit to eat: shell-fish, however, are in the greatest abundance, 
limpets, mussels, clams, etc., but none of them delicate, yet 
such as they were we did not despise them. 
Insects are very scarce, and not one species hurtful or 
troublesome: during the whole of our stay we saw neither 
gnat nor mosquito, a circumstance which few, if any, 
uncleared countries can boast of. 
Of plants there are many species, and those truly the 
most extraordinary I can imagine; in stature and appear- 
ance they agree a good deal with the European ones, only 
in general are less specious, white flowers being much more | 
common among them than any other colour; but, to speak . 
of them botanically, probably no botanist has ever enjoyed ~ 
more pleasure in the contemplation of his favourite pursuit | 
than did Dr. Solander and I among these plants. We have 
not yet examined many of them, but what we have, have 
proved in general so entirely different from any before 
described, that we are never tired of wondering at the 
infinite variety of creation, and admiring the infinite care 
with which Providence has multiplied her productions, 
suiting them no doubt to the various climates for which 
they were designed. Trees are not numerous: a birch, 
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