304 



TIERRA DEL FUEGO. 



June, 1834. 



length, though the stem is not much thicker than a man's 

 thumb. I have mentioned, that on some of the shoals upon 

 which it grows, we did not strike ground with a line of 

 twenty-four fathoms. The depth of water, therefore, must 

 have been greater. And as this weed does not grow in a 

 perpendicular direction, but makes a very acute angle with 

 the bottom, and much of it afterwards spreads many fathoms 

 on the surface of the sea, I am well warranted to say that 

 some of it grows to the length of sixty fathoms and up- 

 wards.'^ Certainly at the Falkland Islands, and about Tierra 

 del Fuego, extensive beds frequently spring up from ten and 

 fifteen fathom water. I do not suppose the stem of any 

 other plant attains so great a length as 360 feet, as stated by 

 Captain Cook. Its geographical range is very considerable ; 

 it is found from the extreme southern islets near Cape 

 Horn, as far north, on the eastern coast (according to in- 

 formation given me by Mr. Stokes), as lat. 43°, — and on the 

 western it was tolerably abundant, but far from luxuriant, at 

 Chiloe, in lat. 42°. It may possibly extend a little further 

 northward, but is soon succeeded by a different species. We 

 thus have a range of fifteen degrees in latitude ; and as Cook, 

 who must have been well acquainted with the species, found 

 it at Kerguelen Land, no less than 140° in longitude. 



The number of living creatures of all orders, whose exist- 

 ence intimately depends on the kelp, is wonderful. A great 

 volume might be written, describing the inhabitants of one of 

 these beds of sea-weed. Almost every leaf, excepting those 

 that float on the surface, is so thickly incrusted with coral- 

 lines, as to be of a white colour. We find exquisitely- deli- 

 cate structures, some inhabited by simple hydra-like polypi, 

 others by more organized kinds, and beautiful compound 

 Ascidiee."^ On the flat surfaces of the leaves various patelli- 

 form shells, Trochi, uncovered molluscs, and some bivalves 

 are attached. Innumerable Crustacea frequent every part of 



* I have reason to believe that many of these animals are exclusively 

 confined to this station. 



