S 2 Cordova's V oyage of Discovery 



coloured ]ike carmine, which adds infinitely to the beautj of 

 this animal. 



The penguins never fly ; but so rapid is their course over the 

 surface of the water, making use of their wings in place of oars, 

 that they leave behind them a track in the water like a ship's 

 "Wake ; so that it is very difficult to take them : however, when 

 on the shore, they very seldom escape. M. TAbbe Perneti, 

 in his very judicious History of the Falkland Islands, has treated 

 at sufficient length of all these birds. 



In all the strait we met with no poisonous animal nor trou- 

 blesome insect ; in which observation we agree with all other 

 Voyagers to this part of the globe. It is true chat, within the 

 ^voods, are found a few mosquitos, but they neither bite nor in- 

 commode with their buzzing noise ; nor do they ever come out 

 of the shade of the trees, no doubt, on account of the severity of 

 the open air. There are also some butterflies and field -spi- 

 ders: a number of beetles are also seen, but a little diflerent 

 from those to be found in Spain. 



We have but little to say respecting the fish, which, contrary 

 to our expectations, is by no means abundant in this strait ; and 

 only in the neighbourhood of the rivers are any found, which 

 however, we must say, are of an excelletit flavour. Neither 

 ivith the net nor the rod did we catch more than four kinds: 

 one called mullet, of all sizes, but the largest not exceeding six 

 or eight pounds. In the Falkland Islands this fish is called ba^ 

 calao; for, when it is cured, it is not inferior to that brought 

 from Newfoundland. The next sort is the espcrciiro, which is 

 not so common. The third is very small, of a reddish gelati- 

 nous quality, whose tribe we do not know. And, lastly, the 

 fourth is the pejx Tcy (king- fish), some of which weighed 

 about half a pound ; well deserving the name they bear, if not 

 on account of their size, at least from their delicious flavour, for, 

 ivhen fried, they are most exquisite. 



We also saw some whales, porpoises, and sea-wolves or sea- 

 lions ; but it is needless here to say any thing concerning these 

 cetaceous animals, already so well known, and which are pre- 

 cisely of the same kinds with those which frequent the seas and 

 ^joasts of Spanish America. 



But, to make up for the scarcity of fish, the shores of the 

 strait abound with most excellent shell-fish. The megillones 

 mussels, lempits, spouts, sea-snails or whelks, and sea hedge- 

 bog, constitute the chief nourishment of the Indians; but not 

 of the Patagonians, who draw no part of their food from the 

 sea; and were also the constant feast of our ship's company 

 in the strait, The piiisseis, in particular, whose size is often 



