X 



PREFACE. 



It may be a subject of regret, that no paper on the Botany 

 of Tierra del Fuego is appended to the first volume. Captain 

 King took great pains in forming and preserving a botanical 

 collection, aided by a person embarked solely for that purpose. 

 He placed this collection in the British Museum, and was led 

 to expect that a first-rate botanist would have examined and 

 described it ; but he has been disappointed. 



In conclusion, I beg to remind the reader, that the work is 

 unavoidably of a rambling and very mixed character ; that 

 some parts may be wholly uninteresting to most readers, 

 though, perhaps, not devoid of interest to all ; and that its 

 publication arises solely from a sense of duty. 



ROBERT riTZ-ROY. 



London, March 1839. 



