264 NOTES OF A NATURALIST. 



frozen over. As we advanced progress became more 

 and more difficult. The heavy rain of the preceding 

 day had partially melted the ice. In some places it 

 was strong enough to bear the horses ; but it con- 

 stantly broke under their feet, and they became 

 restive, very naturally objecting to this mode of 

 travelling. After a while, to my surprise, we struck 

 upon a cart track. This, as I soon saw, led to two or 

 three houses inhabited by a few Swiss settlers, who 

 endeavoured to make a living by raising some vege- 

 tables for Punta Arenas. The soil appeared to be 

 rich : in this . climate few plants can mature fruit or 

 seed, but the more hardy European vegetables thrive 

 sufficiently. Our difficulties were by no means at an 

 end. The cart track was a mass of half-frozen mud, 

 with holes fully two feet deep, into which the horses 

 plunged, until at last it was not easy to persuade 

 them to move in any direction. I dismounted and 

 ascended a hillock some eighty feet above the plain, 

 but on all sides could see no issue from the maze of 

 shallow frozen pools. With some trouble we reached 

 one of the houses, but, in answer to our inquiries, were 

 told that they knew of no better way to Punta Arenas 

 than by the cart track. Apprehending the arrival of 

 the Pacific Company's steamer, and not wishing to 

 remain another fortnight in this remote region, I 

 resolved to return as best we could, and, as always 

 happens, experience enabled both horses and riders 

 to avoid the worst places, so that we got through 

 better than we had expected. 



Having made all ready for the possible arrival of 

 the steamer, whose stay is usually very short, I again 



