304 
CH0N0S ARCHIPELAGO 
CHAP. 
were again amused by the impetuous manner in which the 
heap of seals, old and young, tumbled into the water as the 
boat passed. They did not remain long under water, but 
rising, followed us with outstretched necks, expressing great 
wonder and curiosity. 
ytk .—Having run up the coast, we anchored near the 
northern end of the Chonos Archipelago, in Low’s Harbour, 
where we remained a week. The islands were here, as in 
Chiloe, composed of a stratified, soft, littoral deposit ; and the 
vegetation in consequence was beautifully luxuriant. The 
woods came down to the sea-beach, just in the manner of an 
evergreen shrubbery over a gravel walk. We also enjoyed from 
the anchorage a splendid view of four great snowy cones of the 
Cordillera, including “el famoso Corcovado the range itself 
had in this latitude so little height, that few parts of it 
appeared above the tops of the neighbouring islets. We found 
here a party of five men from Caylen, “ el fin del Cristiandad,” 
who had most adventurously crossed in their miserable boat- 
canoe, for the purpose of fishing, the open space of sea which 
separates Chonos from Chiloe. These islands will, in all 
probability, in a short time become peopled like those adjoining 
the coast of Chiloe. 
The wild potato grows on these islands in great abundance, 
on the sandy, shelly soil near the sea-beach. The tallest plant 
was four feet in height. The tubers were generally small, but 
I found one, of an oval shape, two inches in diameter : they 
resembled in every respect, and had the same smell as English 
potatoes ; but when boiled they shrunk much, and were watery 
and insipid, without any bitter taste. They are undoubtedly 
here indigenous : they grow as far south, according to Mr. Low, 
as lat. 50°, and are called Aquinas by the wild Indians of that 
part: the Chilotan Indians have a different name for them. 
Professor Henslow, who has examined the dried specimens 
which I brought home, says that they are the same with those 
described by Mr. Sabine 1 from Valparaiso, but that they form a 
1 Horticultural Transact, vol. v. p. 249. Mr. Caldcleugh sent home two tubers, 
which, being well manured, even the first season produced numerous potatoes and an 
abundance of leaves. See Humboldt’s interesting discussion on this plant, which 
it appears was unknown in Mexico,—in Polit. Essay on New Spain , book iv. 
chap. ix. 
