254 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



establishment sent up a cup of hot coffee, and a 

 brazier with charcoal, which was grievously wanted 

 to dry my plant-paper. The sky was still clear, and 

 the sun, rising blood-red over the flat shores of Tierra 

 del Fuego on the opposite side of the Straits, was 

 a striking spectacle. I had arranged overnight to 

 take with me a boy having some knowledge of the 

 neighbourhood, and was just starting for a walk when 

 I met the governor, who at this early hour was on his 

 way to call upon me. After a short conversation with 

 this courteous gentleman, and accepting an invitation 

 to dine at his house, I pursued my course in the direc- 

 tion of the now disused coal mine. For about half 

 a mile I followed the tramway which was erected 

 some years ago to carry the coal to the port. It runs 

 along the low ground between the hills and the shore, 

 and then enters a little flat-bottomed valley between 

 the hills. Heavy rain had recently fallen, and the 

 flat had been flooded, but the surface was now frozen 

 over. Before long we found the tramway imprac- 

 ticable ; it had been allowed to fall to decay, and, 

 being supported on trestles, the gaps were incon- 

 veniently frequent. I then attempted to continue my 

 walk over the flat, and found the ice in some places 

 strong enough to bear my weight, but it frequently 

 gave way, and I soon got tired of splashing through 

 the surface into the ice-cold water, and resolved to 

 betake myself to the adjoining hills. The weather 

 showed itself as changeable on this day as it usually 

 is in this singular climate. For about half an hour 

 the sky was clear and the sun so warm that I could 

 nqt bear an overcoat. Then a breeze sprung up from 



