134 



HUMMING-BIRDS. 



April 1828. 



would not take bait, we were confined for refreshments princi- 

 pally to shell-fish. 



No traces of quadrupeds, excepting an Indian dog, were 

 noticed. Here Wallis's people saw a large cloven-footed animal, 

 which they described to be as " big as a jack-ass."" It was 

 probably a deer, one or two of which had occasionally appeared 

 at Port Famine, (e) 



It has been mentioned that we found many humming-birds 

 at Port San Antonio, which we attributed to the sheltered 

 situation of the place, and the luxuriant growth of fuchsias and 

 other plants, upon the sweets of whose flowers they feed. Here, 

 however, one of the same species was seen sporting about in a 

 most exposed place and during the falling of a snow shower, a 

 proof of the hardy character of this little bird, which, if it does 

 migrate upon the approach of winter to a warmer clime, lin- 

 gers, at least, as long as it possibly can. This was the middle 

 of April, the winter had, in fact, already commenced, and all 

 the mountains around us were clothed with snow, while the 

 ground was also coated with the same dazzling covering. Mr. 

 Graves intended to ascend the Mountain de la Cruz ; but a 

 heavy fall of snow prevented the attempt, and we lost the oppor- 

 tunity of obtaining a round of angles from that elevation, which 

 would have materially assisted our operations. We should also 

 have obtained a bird^s-eye view of the Barbara Channel and 

 the Sounds on the opposite side of the Strait, whose extent and 

 nature we did not know ; for Cordova''s notice of San Simon^s 

 Bay, and a deep inlet which exists to the westward of it, is 

 very unsatisfactory. 



There were no signs of a recent visit from the Fuegians, 

 though at the entrance of the cove we found three or four 

 wigwams in good repair ; whence it seems probable, that the 

 place is one of their frequent haunts. When the Beagle came 

 here last year, some station staves were left standing ; but, 

 before her return, every one had been removed; and when 

 Captain Stokes went down the Barbara Channel, to the relief 



(e) Or the animal called by Molina ' Huemul.' — R. F. 



