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PART II. 



SECTION I. 



Description of the Strait of Magalianes. — Division of the Country 

 into high and low. — Temperature: Qualities of the Soil.—Pro- 

 ductions of ihe SCiait: Herba, Plants^ Flowers^ Shrubs, and 

 Trees. — Description of the Quadrupeds^ Birds, Fishes, and 

 Insects, 



The op'nion of the greatest pa?"t of natura^'sts is not impro- 

 bable, that this Strait has been formeo by the earthquakes and 

 effects of the volcapos of this part of the globe. M. Buffon, in 

 bis Epoques de la Na>Mre^'' thinks that the high mountainoas 

 part of the country is very ancient, and that the plains are 

 comparatively mod era ; assigning as a reason for tb's opinion, 

 that the sea, agitated by the winds, constant and violent Ironi 

 the west, gradually consuming the west coast of the conti- 

 nent of South America, has gained on the land, o i that side, as 

 far as its power was able to prevail ; fi om which he infers, that 

 the land now seen on that west side must be very ancient ; and 

 also that, o-i the contra^'y, the sea loses ground, or falls off, oa 

 the easte*;n coast, leaving uncovered and visible such low lands 

 as are now seen near Cape de las Virgines: so that the low 

 land extending north from Point de Micra to the ridge of hi'Is 

 reaching behind Cape de las Virgines to Cape Possession, is all 

 very modern ; and that, in former times, the sea extended over 

 that low land up to the above ridge, which was then a high 

 steep shore. 



We will, however, now leave these conjectures, and begin 

 to treat of such objects as have been observed ; and the first 

 thing to be noticed is, that the country in the vicinity of the 

 Strait of Magellan must be considered under two different points 

 of view, separating the low or plain part from the mountainous; 

 since there is a total difference, not only in their natural quali- 

 ties and productions, but also in their inhabitants. 



The plains, or low country, occupy all that part of the 

 continent on the north side of tlie strait from Cape de las Vir- 

 gines westward to Cape Negro, but it is not easy to ascertain its 

 extent towards north and east; only we may be certain it 

 reaches a great way in that direction, and that it joins with the 



