take a round of angles with the theodolite. A fox (Canis fulvipes), of
a kind said to be peculiar to the island, and very rare in it, and
which is a new species, was sitting on the rocks. He was so intently
absorbed in watching the work of the officers, that I was able, by
quietly walking up behind, to knock him on the head with my geological
hammer. This fox, more curious or more scientific, but less wise, than
the generality of his brethren, is now mounted in the museum of the
Zoological Society.
We stayed three days in this harbour, on one of which Captain Fitz
Roy, with a party, attempted to ascend to the summit of San Pedro. The
woods here had rather a different appearance from those on the northern
part of the island. The rock, also, being micaceous slate, there was no
beach, but the steep sides dipped directly beneath the water. The
general aspect in consequence was more like that of Tierra del Fuego
than of Chiloe. In vain we tried to gain the summit: the forest was so
impenetrable, that no one who has not beheld it can imagine so
entangled a mass of dying and dead trunks. I am sure that often, for
more than ten minutes together, our feet never touched the ground, and
we were frequently ten or fifteen feet above it, so that the seamen as
a joke called out the soundings. At other times we crept one after
another on our hands and knees, under the rotten trunks. In the lower
part of the mountain, noble trees of the Winter's Bark, and a laurel
like the sassafras with fragrant leaves, and others, the names of which
I do not know, were matted together by a trailing bamboo or cane. Here
we were more like fishes struggling in a net than any other animal. On
the higher parts, brushwood takes the place of larger trees, with here
and there a red cedar or an alerce pine. I was also pleased to see, at
an elevation of a little less than 1000 feet, our old friend the
southern beech. They were, however, poor stunted trees, and I should
think that this must be nearly their northern limit. We ultimately
gave up the attempt in despair.
December 10th.--The yawl and whale-boat, with Mr. Sulivan, proceeded on
their survey, but I remained on board the Beagle, which the next day
left San Pedro for the southward. On the 13th we ran into an opening in
the southern part of Guayatecas, or the Chonos Archipelago; and it was
fortunate we did so, for on the following day a storm, worthy of Tierra
del Fuego, raged with great fury. White massive clouds were piled up
against a dark blue sky, and across them black ragged sheets of vapour
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