Chapter XX: A Winter Trip to South Georgia (1)

Again we are alone with sky and sea. The future looks bright, we lie flat on the deck in the sun enjoying our siesta, a company of five, we two, Captain Esbensen, his wife and brother-in-law, all three Norwegians.

Like the quiet flow of a river the first days went by. Then, suddenly the engines stopped. There was much wondering and asking of questions. We had certainly noticed that they had begun to make some unusual noise, but did not think much of it. A closer investigation supplied no explanation; they were set going again, but the noise increased more and more. Again they were taken to pieces, but it was impossible to discover whence the mysterious sound could proceed. By a mere chance the fault was found. One of the cranks was loose on the shaft and we could not continue until such a serious fault had been put right. The engineers shook their heads and set to work without delay. Disabled, we lay adrift, but the weather kept fine. Far off a full-rigged vessel passed at a good speed--how we did envy her! Two bolts from opposite sides were driven through the crank and into the shaft, but this work which took a whole day proved futile. The engine worked silently some few minutes, then the bolts were driven out by the rotation and we had to stop again. A new dodge was tried; a bolt of steel being driven right through crank and shaft and clenched at both ends. The weather had changed and we knew that we had gone south. The north-west wind was blowing very fresh; there was a high sea running and we might get a gale at any moment. On deck the crew was busy rigging yards on the short masts and making sails out of old tarpaulins so that we might get some way on the boat. Those who had nothing to do fished for albatrosses with a hook baited with a piece of meat. The repairs took a day and a half, but the bolt, one inch in diameter, held for one night only and then was literally cut into three pieces. There was now only the slight hope left that we could make a still thicker bolt and also replace the axle-journal, filling in the semicircular notches in crank and shaft, with a new one. If this did not hold, we could do nothing more. We could not get enough sail on to steer against wind and sea. Where would currents and waves bear us? Certainly not to South Georgia--we were already making jokes about our visit to Cape Town or to Australia. But long before that the sea would probably smash up the ship and drown us all!

Eager expectation could be read in all faces when the engines were once more set going. We were already at April 10 and ought to have been at our destination. Every five minutes we went to listen but no strange tunes were heard.

The storm came. Long enough had it threatened us. It was Easter Eve; and we took turns in balancing a big tureen in which the eggs for the traditional toddy were beaten up. Why should we abandon a good custom merely because of being on board a sick ship in the South Atlantic? The night was very uncomfortable. Our berths were situated just above the screw, which was revolving more in the air than in the water, and it was only because I was used to things of that sort that I was able to sleep. In the morning our yard hung naked, for the wind had robbed us of four of our five small sails. More than ever was it necessary that the engine should hold, and we did not venture to go at more than half speed. It felt like being on slippery ice and our anxiety increased when the fog came and with it the fear of icebergs, which according to the captain’s experiences might turn up at any moment.

A MEETING IN SOUTH GEORGIA.]

Again the engines started to be noisy, the above-mentioned axle-journal threatened to creep out of position and had repeatedly to be driven in again. Should we reach our destination? Finally, on the 15th, the island came in sight. We had longed for it as if it were the Promised Land itself, and there it lay, the lonely isle, shining white, shimmering through the grey fogs! It proved impossible to reach Cumberland Bay the same day and we had to spend another pitch-dark night on an angry sea and with a wretched on-shore wind. The fear of drifting ashore made us work out from the coast, which soon disappeared in a blinding snow-storm. The easterly wind died, but we got a gale from the north-west instead, and in the morning made the pleasant discovery that we had driven past Cumberland Bay. We also understood by our course that we had passed across the dangerous Nansen-reef, where the _Fridtjof Nansen_ struck some years ago and went down like a stone, nine people losing their lives. A mere chance had saved us from sharing their fate. The wind was too stormy to permit of our beating up against it, and not until the next day did we see land again. The points grew familiar to me, and in bright sunshine we passed Mt. Duse and turned into the cove. It was seven years since--I remembered a virgin Pot Harbour with luxuriant tussock-grass and roaring sea-elephants. There is the point where we found the big pots and the old boat; a small observatory now stands there. Now the harbour lies quite open to the eyes. A strong smell of whale-oil mingles with the stink of the numerous carcasses on the shore where thousands of screaming gulls and cape-pigeons have an everlasting feast. Some buildings are seen on the shore at the foot of an abrupt mountain-wall; they are half hidden by boats, coal-heaps and oil-barrels; people are running to and fro, funnels smoke, a whistle gives a hoarse prolonged note----

* * * * *

South Georgia which is of about the size of the Swedish Island Gotland, extends between 54° and 55° S. lat. and 36° and 38° W. long. A look at a map of the world readily suggests the idea that the island is part of a sunken mountain-fold, running from the Andes over South Georgia, the South Sandwiches and Orkneys, to Graham Land. The geological survey to a certain degree confirms this opinion, but the great depths between the different links in this broken chain are difficult to explain.

South Georgia is a much folded steep mountain-ridge, running north-west to south-east and cut by deep inlets on both sides. Its height probably exceeds 6500 feet though only very few summits have been measured with exactitude. The impression of the island is wild, but grand: the mountains are very steep, the summits sometimes have a rather fantastic shape and everywhere eternal ice and snow stand out against the black slates. The interior is more or less covered by a mantle of ice, the flap of which hangs down into the valleys, often reaching the water in the innermost corner of an inlet. Their mouths are the oases in South Georgia, where the plant-world thrives and animals have found means of existence.

It cannot be expected that a land with the nature of South Georgia should have a mild climate. The variations in temperature are very slight; in the summer it is some centigrades above, in the winter some centigrades below zero--the average being a little lower than in the Falklands--and unsettled weather is the most prominent climatic feature here also, for the sunshine may be interrupted by a snow-storm, regardless of whether it is summer or winter. The strong south-westerly gales are terrible, nor are the local hurricanes less terrifying, rushing down the glaciers almost without a warning and threshing the water into a thick white smoke looking like fog at a distance. The annual fall of snow and rain is large. During the winter snow mostly falls, sometimes forming a continuous covering thick enough to hide even the tussock-grass. This is the same fine plant that we met with in the Falklands, but in South Georgia it everywhere puts its mark on the coastal region; on the shingles there is a nice and uniform covering, but on the steep slopes it grows patchwise and shows great gaps where it looks as if it had slid down and landed in disorder on the debris below. The tussock-grass must take the place of both trees and bushes in South Georgia. It ends rather suddenly inland and is replaced by a scanty meadow-or grass-tundra, where some insignificant flowers are also seen. The cryptogamic plants play a more prominent part and are of great interest, as many of them have only been found here. South Georgia is the Juan Fernandez of mosses.

The flora of the sea is also very remarkable and indeed it was this that made me undertake a second expedition to the remote island. Most people are more attracted by animal life. The place of honour is held by the sea-elephant (_Macrorhinus leoninus_). It is the largest seal living, a plump, yellow-brown creature anything up to twenty feet long; only the old males reach this length, the females being much smaller and more slender. The name refers to the faculty of the male of blowing his nose into a short trunk when angry. This remarkable animal, of a distinctly ancient type, is confined to some islands in the south and has greatly decreased in number. It will probably prove necessary for the English authorities to forbid hunting him on South Georgia. I was told that American sealers do a good deal of poaching on the west side of the island. Other kinds of seals are also found, especially the sea-leopard (_Ogmorhinus leptonyx_); but the southern fur-seal (_Arctocephalus australis_) seems to be extinct here. Bird life is abundant. Most of the species are oceanic; cape-pigeons and petrels have their nests round the black peaks, and on small “tussock-islands” the largest bird of the oceans, the big albatross (_Diomedea exulans_) breeds. Two species of penguins have small rookeries, amongst them the king-penguin, hardly less magnificent than his imperial cousin of the Antarctic. But one is still more attracted by the small land-birds, the edible teal duck (_Querquedula Eatoni_) and the small titlark (_Anthus antarcticus_), remarkably enough endemic in the island, merrily hopping about round the streams.

In a short while we were moored alongside the quay. Larsen’s stout figure appeared; I had heard that after his visit to the South Sandwich Islands, he had been taken seriously ill. Now he looked himself again, and we slapped each other’s backs properly. In the dwelling-house another old acquaintance received me, the cook of the _Antarctic_, Axel Andersson, who stayed in his kitchen, day in and day out, during the long severe winter on Paulet Island in biting cold, half choked by the nauseous smoke from the blubber. A remarkable encounter indeed; three old comrades re-united after seven years on one of the places where they had camped together. The place had changed more than we; I hardly knew Pot Harbour with its shores spoilt and its air polluted. With great satisfaction we found the low land to be free of snow, and the first excursion gave good results. Judge of our surprise when the winter suddenly arrived! It snowed day and night, and did not stop until the ground was covered by snow, two feet deep, under which the plants remained out of reach. We comforted ourselves with the fervent hope that the snow would melt within a few days, and I started to work on the seaweeds, for here the snow could not hinder me. The results obtained gave me reason to be contented with the journey, in spite of the prophecy of mild weather never coming true, for it was not a passing snow-storm, but the long winter that had come in earnest. It is obvious that Quensel could hardly make any geological observations, but there was no help for it. Our good luck had at last abandoned us.

Larsen was kind enough to put a steamer, originally purchased to tow whales with, at our disposal for a trip round the fiords, but we put it off as long as we could hope to get suitable weather. Waiting, however, seemed hopeless and we set out. On April 24 the _Undine_ left Pot Harbour--seven years earlier, also in Cumberland Bay the Swedish Antarctic Expedition had celebrated the deed of the _Vega_. It was the first fine day since our arrival. The island lay there, radiant in all its Antarctic beauty, with every summit clear and sharp. We steered out to the sea and then followed the coast for some distance, making a visit to the so-called Strömnaes fiord. There were three whaling steamers belonging to a Tönsberg Company, laid up for the winter. Larsen’s company was all but alone on the island at that date, and the only one with a land station by means of which it is possible to make far more out of the whales than by floating boilers. They all come from Norway to spend the favourable season. According to Larsen there is already to be noticed a certain decrease in the number of whales, and by-and-by the Governor of the Falklands will have to regulate the whaling in some manner or the Colony will lose an important part of its income. Whalers have now reached the Antarctic Islands also and there are stations on the South Orkneys and also on Deception Island, the famous old crater.

We continued north along the coast, passed the entrances of several fiords and entered the Bay of Isles. The fine weather was gone again, an easterly gale and snow and fog came after us at a gallop, and we anchored at the very last moment before an impenetrable mist had hidden land and water from us. Had not Captain Angell been so familiar with all corners here, the night would have been rather unpleasant. The _Undine_, which is built on very elegant lines and makes good speed, was once Queen Victoria of England’s pleasure-yacht; in her declining years she still bears evidence of having seen better days. The large saloons and cabins with their real mahogany fittings tell us that we are not on board a common tug.

The bad weather continued, but we were able to spend the next day on shore. At night the wind increased, and in the morning we had terrible weather with a mixture of rain, snow, and hail. However, we resolved to set out and came out in the heavy sea round Cape Buller. Just before nightfall we ran into a shallow bay, called by the Norwegian whalers Rightwhale Cove. The wind grew more and more squally, a menacing bank of leaden clouds gathered in a westerly direction and the night was indeed anything but pleasant. We had two anchors out and the engines ready, but every now and then the captain went on deck to have a look at the situation, for the hurricane was so terrible and the strains on the chains so violent, that every moment we expected to see them break. In the morning the same conditions prevailed, and it was hardly possible to stand on deck. Through the white foam we heard the roaring of the sea-elephants in the tussock, but could not see them nor get the least glimpse of land, in spite of being so near. Now and then came a sharp and sudden snow-squall. It was a pity that we had not got an anemometer; the iron-rail round the bridge was bent by the pressure of the canvas, which perhaps gives an idea of the velocity of the wind. Down in the saloon we read or played cards and looked at the barographer, the index of which jumped a couple of millimetres at a time. In the evening the weather improved and we had a tolerably calm night. But alas! our time was up; we expected that the _Cachalote_ would be ready to leave and with sore hearts we had to abandon our schemes of visiting the west coast. Settled good weather could not be expected, so although another snowstorm came on we left the harbour, and made for the station. The fog was so dense that after half an hour we had lost every landmark and wondered how we should find our way back. Then, as if by magic, the fog lay behind us like a wall and we were out in the sunshine. We found ourselves outside Strömnaes Bay and were soon back in Pot Harbour.

During our absence the three small steamers had been out fishing and got several whales, two of them right whales (_Balaena australis_), but once more the cutting-up decks were empty and it looked as if we should leave South Georgia without having seen whale-fishing. The weather was still miserable and the _Cachalote_ had soon taken in her cargo. But then prospects lightened. On the last of April the steamers were out again and came back in the night with one right whale and some humpbacks, and at once we made up our minds to go with one of them as many whales were reported forty miles from the coast. Hurriedly we took our oilskins and climbed on board, and the next moment the _Karl_ started. She is a modern whaler, built of steel and specially constructed for the purpose; in comparison with her size (about 150 tons), the engines and winches may be described as very powerful. In the bows is the short, thick gun; it is loaded, and the point of the harpoon, where the shell is, protrudes from the mouth. From there a strong hawser goes down into the hull, where innumerable fathoms lie neatly coiled ready to run out.

From the mast-head single whales are seen blowing, but it is not worth while going after them, if one is sure that there is a school further out. Now we catch sight of one of the other steamers. With the glasses we see that her line is taut; evidently there is a fish on the hook, and soon we are amidst the school. Monsters dive up everywhere, swimming in long files, blowing and snorting, a little more of the fat shining back is seen, for an instant the “hump” is above water and then the beast disappears. They come and go all round, not the least disturbed by our presence; the water is thick with their food, small crustaceans and other marine organisms, and they are not inclined to leave their good feeding-grounds, for they do not understand that the “steel-whales” are armed to the teeth and are only waiting for a chance to spread death and destruction among them.

Now we open the ball. The small, bearded “gunner,” who is also captain of the ship, takes up his position behind the gun. Three big humpbacks come swimming obliquely towards us: “Stop ... hard port ... slow ahead!” With a steady hand he sights and fires the gun--shell and harpoon are buried in the shining back--a sudden jerk and the rope runs out at a tremendous speed! As he dives the whale sends a cloud of blood from his nostrils; then a dull report is heard, the shell has burst, and soon he rises to the surface dead. As the shot is fired the fuse of the shell takes fire and burns, casting the sparks backwards for four seconds; then a spark reaches the charge, which instantly explodes and kills the whale, if the shot is a good one. Naturally it is important that the shell does not explode too early. The animal is hauled in under the bows; a chain is fixed round the caudal fin and the beast is hauled up to the gunwhale. The rope of the harpoon is cut and so are the big wings of the fin, for they would check the ship’s speed too much. A mark is put at the edge of the fin indicating that only _one_ harpoon has been used; the harpooner sets his private mark, the chain is fixed properly, the tail lowered, and we are ready for another shot. Meanwhile we have been able to follow the movements of the other steamer on the battle-field, and this is not less interesting. They have got another whale, but did not manage him and he is swimming at quite a fair speed towing the vessel behind him. They disappear in the fog, and come out again after a while. The beast has still got strength left and, snorting blood, he joins two others and tries to keep up with them, but at last tires, is hauled within range and a second harpoon finishes him on the spot.

We set to work again and got another whale before dark. With a nice fish on each bow we turn back. Both are humpback whales (_Megaptera_); we have seen both blue and fin-whales, but were not equipped with ropes strong enough to hold them. They are not generally killed by one harpoon, but often run out the line to the end and set off at a tremendous speed, mad with rage. It sometimes happens that one must cut the line after a wild chase of several hours.

The day’s catch is worth about £160, but had we got out sooner the sum would have been double. There are days when all the steamers come in with four whales each; that means money, and the harpooner has reason to be satisfied, too, as for every full-grown humpback he gets ten crowns extra; if it is a right whale he puts one hundred crowns in his pocket. But a good right whale is worth five or six hundred pounds. This species is nearly related to the big Balaena of the north. Its great value lies in the baleens which are from six to eight feet long.

Night has come and we must try to find the station. The snow-fog is very thick, the moonlight cannot penetrate it. We have two whales to tow and progress is slow. Sometimes we lie down on a sofa, trying to sleep, but soon curiosity drives us out again to look at the weather. It is still snowing, and pitch dark--better to sleep, if we can, in spite of the heavy rolling.

I wake up as the engines stop and go out on deck to look. We are close on the shore, a mountain wall rises over our heads and all round there are masses of kelp. The captain does not know where we are, but after a while he realises that we have come too far south. We back out again and change our course, old landmarks appear, well-known snow-patches, and soon we are back in Pot Harbour which is asleep in the silent winter-night. It is 3.30 A.M. when we plunge into the snowdrifts to reach the house. Who knows if we should have gone to bed earlier had we been in Upsala. Yesterday it was May 1.[1] And a rather original one too!

[Footnote 1: At the Swedish universities May 1 is a day of great feasting and rejoicing.]

The whales are moored round buoys and jetties. Most of them belly-up, showing the long, peculiar furrows. Some are so filled with gases that they look like balloons ready to burst. Now comes the slicing and stripping. Tail first they are winched up on to the cutting-up stage, where some men provided with long-handled knives, are ready to receive them. First the curious crustaceans--which live in their houses on the whale, profiting from his rich hunting-ground--must be plucked off; they are fine large colonies of Balanids, leading a very easy and comfortable life. Slice after slice of blubber is cut off, the fat round the intestines and the tongue are also taken, as well as the gigantic cheek-bones. The meat is edible if not very delicious. The blubber is sent to a machine which cuts it into thin slices, and then it is carried into the big tanks, where it is boiled down to oil for twenty-four hours. The cheekbones are sawn up and put into a closed tank, where steam under high pressure is sent in; the water is drawn off and the oil collected. The baleens are treated in a special house. They are well washed in a small stream, are scraped and brushed, dried, polished and packed into bags.

On May 4 the _Cachalote_ was ready--as ready as she could get. The engineers had done all they could, but any day the new bolt might give, and Larsen dared not send the steamer alone to Buenos Aires, but let the _Undine_ accompany her. It was a long journey as we had bad weather at first. It was very pleasant to stand on the bridge looking at the _Undine_, for she rolled so heavily that we sometimes could see the keel. Quensel had not felt very comfortable in the stern of the _Cachalote_ and preferred to go by the other steamer, where he got a berth amidship, but nothing could make us leave our old vessel with her excellent kitchen. The table of the _Undine_ was very simple. One day we killed a fat goose and by means of signal-flags the passengers of the _Undine_ were invited to come on board and have dinner with us. In order to annoy them we also signalled the word “goose.” Come they could not, for it was impossible to put a boat off. They answered us very impolitely!

After some days the engines began to give trouble and we tried to get a hawser on board the _Undine_, but failed owing to the heavy sea. She was to tow us when repairing. The next afternoon we repeated the experiment with better success. On May 14 land was seen, and the day after we were moored in the Boca, one of Buenos Aires suburbs, and I dare say all of us felt pleased that the somewhat adventurous passage had come to a happy conclusion.

In Buenos Aires we had to wait some time before there was a Swedish steamer. Halle came back from his journey; he had not been troubled by snow or storm, and was pleased with everything. On May 23 we went on board the _Crown Princess Victoria_, belonging to the Johnson Line. We had a delightful run and shall always remember the captain, Mr. Camp, the officers and crew, with feelings of deep gratitude. It was agreeable to get a good rest under a tropical sun after so much hard work. But better than anything we had experienced in our various travels, was the perfume of the young birch trees from the Scandinavian skerries, which came in sight on June 21. On that same day we arrived in Christiania, and by different routes the members of the expedition hastened to their homes in Sweden.

INDEX

Acevedo, Captain P., 297

Acigami, Lake, 300;
boat excursion on, 301;
high summits west of, 301

Aconcagua, Mount, 132;
river journey along, 129

Adalbert Channel, passing through, 87

Adam, Mount, ascent of, 21

Admiralty Inlet, nature of, 38

Albatross Channel, passing through, 87

Albatrosses, fishing of, 315

Alerce, 108

Allardyce, W. L., ix. 3, 31

Allen, A. L., x.

Allen Gardiner Bay, visit to, 303

_Alm_, steamer, 90

_Alstrœmeria_, 210

Ancud, aspect of, 106;
cathedral, 108;
harbour, 106;
plaza, 108;
schools, 107

Andersson, A., 320

Andersson, J. G., vii. 40, 303, 306, 307, 308

Andersson, K., 300

Andrew Sound, visit to, 87

Anita Channel, narrow passage in, 82

Antarctic Expedition, 40

_Anthus antarcticus_, 320

Antiguos River, adventurous descent to, 216

Arauco district, geological survey in, 126

Arauz Bay, seeking refuge in, 74

_Arctocephalus australis_, 320

Argentino, Lake, boat excursion on, 272;
icebergs, 277;
storms, 275, 276

_Aristotelia magui_, 137

Armadillo, 209

Arrayán, 195

Asado, 43, 169

Aspero, Mount, ascent of, 235

_Auchenia huanaco_, 42

Aysen Valley, 193;
excursion to the Pacific, 194;
roads, 193, 194

Azara, Lake, boat excursion on, 234

_Azara lanceolata_, 195

Azopardo River, camping at, 39;
canvas boat on, 57

Azopardo Valley, 41

Baguales Mountains, South Patagonia, crossing of, 267

Baguales Range, Aysen Valley, crossing of, 194

Bahia del Padre, visit to, 143

Baker Company, 86

Baker Inlet, visit to, 86

Baker, River, crossing of, 239;
sources, 225

_Balæna australis_, 324

Balanids on whales, 327

Baleens, treatment of, 328

Bamboo, 115, 196

Bariloche, visit to, 162;
departure from, 165

Barrow Cove, visit to, 298

Bay of Isles, visit to, 322

Beagle Channel, ancient shore-lines in, 305;
glaciers, 299;
nature of east part, 305;
of west part, 299, 311

Belgrano, Lake, camping on, 229;
boat excursion, 233;
nature of, 233;
shallow part, 237

Benney, Messrs., x. 21

_Berberís buxifolia_, 56;
_Darwinii_, 115

Berthon boats, excursions with, 41, 45, 247

Bertrand, R., x.

Betbeder Valley, survey of, 40, 51

Billing, J., 127

Bismarck Glacier, remarkable nature of, 273

Blanco, Mount, 236 (west of Lake Belgrano); 287 (west of Payne)

_Blechnum magellanicum_, 84

Boklund, Mr., 133

Bolus, Mr., x. 25

Bordes, J., 75, 77, 79, 87

Brand, Mr., 190

Brecknock Passage, 298

Bridges, Th., 302

Bridges, W., 40, 306

Brockow, C., 33

Brookes, Mr., 205

Brunel, A., 263

Bueno, Point, 89;
Indians in, 84

Buenos Aires, Lake, visit to, 206;
Mount, ascent of, 266

Buller, Cape, 322

Burbury, T., 268, 271, 278

Cabeza del Mar, nature of, 295

_Cachalote_, steamer, 313;
damage to, 314

“Calafate,” 56

Calbuco, volcano, 158

Cameron, A., 271

Camp, V., 329

_Campsidium chilense_, 99

“Canelo,” 56

Cangrejo River, camping at, 260

_Canis Azaræ_, 279;
_falklandicus_, 13

Caracoles, railway station, 130

Carbón River, valley of, 243

_Casma_, steamer, 134

Castillo farm, visit to, 268

Castro, appearance and history of, 117

Cattle, Mr., 265

Centinela, Mount, 221;
valley of, 267

_Cereus_, 128

Chacao Channel, 106

Chaigneau, F., 33

Chalía River, sources of, 199

Challenger Expedition, 30

“Charqui” (dried meat), 111

Chasm Reach, echo in, 87

“Chaura,” 56

“Chicha,” 110

Chilcas River, camping at, 213

Chile, central valley of, 128;
longitudinal railway, 133;
national feast, 132

Chilean money, fluctuation of, 296

_Chiliotrichum diffusum_, 245

Chiloé, bullock-carts, 115;
Catholic church, 107;
culture of potatoes, 114;
excursions on horseback, 111;
flamingos, 113;
forests, 115;
history, 104;
life in, 110;
nature, 109;
oysters, 112;
roads, 108, 111, 115;
valuable timber, 108;
whaling, 112

Chilotes, character of, 109

_Chloëphaga_, 28, 44

Chubut River, crossing of, 175

_Chusquea colihue_, 115;
_quila_, 115

“Ciruelillo,” 196

Cisnes Valley, excursion into, 188

Ciudad de los Césares, 151

Clarke, Mr., 180

Cobb, F. E., ix.

Cochamó Company, 184

Cochayuyo, 110

_Colihue_, 115, 196

Compañía, Argentina de Pesca, 313;
comercial y Ganadera Chile-Argentina, 156, 172;
industrial del Rio Aysen, 193

Concepcion, visit to, 126

Condor, 50, 244

_Condor_, steamer, 298

Consuelo Harbour, visit to, 288

Contreras, Mount, 268

“Copihue,” 84, 254

_Corcolén_, 195

Corcovado Gulf, volcanoes, 113, 122;
Mount Corcovado, landing at, 123

Corintos River, crossing of, 181

Coronel, visit to, 126

Corral, visit to, 125

Cox, G., 153

Coyaike bajo, visit to, 193

_Crown Princess Victoria_, steamer, returning on, 329

_Ctenomys magellanicus_, 189

Cuarenta Dias Harbour, visit to, 79

Cumberland Bay, 317

Curtis, Mr., 129

Cutter Cove, visit to, 63

Cypress, 84

Dafonte, Mr., 310

Darwin, Ch., 30, 75, 105, 120, 144, 152, 299, 308

Darwin Glacier, 300;
Harbour, 28

_Dasypus minutus_, 209

Dawson Island, visit to mission station, 35

Day, R., 183

Deseado, Lake, excursion to, 37;
River, nature of, 212

Diaz Palacios, Lake, 62

_Diomedea chlororhyncha_, 16;
_exulans_, 320

Donoso, Mount, ascent of, 281

Douglas Bay, visit to mission station, 302

Dreyfus, Mr., 112

_Drimys Winteri_, 43

_Duc d’Aumale_, sailing vessel, 15

Dun, Mr., 193

_Durvillea_, 9, 110

Dusén, P., 156

Eberhard, H., 288, 291

Edwards, Port, 311

Ekdahl, G., 127

_Embothrium coccineum_, 196

_Empetrum rubrum_, 51

English-Argentine Land Company, 176

English Harbour, landing in, 142

English Narrows, 85

_Escallonia_, 250

Escarpada Island, old Indian camp on, 66

Esguel Mountains, 180

Espersen, Mr., 205

_Eudyptes chrysocome_, 16;
remarkable track of, 17

Evangelistas Islands, landing on, 80;
nature of, 81

Excelsior Sound, Indian portage in, 101

Fagnano, Lake, appearance of, 42;
arrival at, 43;
boat trip on, 54;
camp at, 47;
depth of, 57;
history of exploration, 34;
return from, 58;
road past, 306

Falkland Islands, albatross rookery, 16;
alpine plants, 21;
bishop, 4;
boggy ground, 29;
climate, 5, 21, 23;
climate during Ice Age, 17;
fossil forest, 18;
foxes, 13;
history, 22, 30;
lack of trees, 6, 17;
marine life, 8, 9;
mountainous district, 21;
nature, 6, 10;
origin of stone-runs, 18;
outlying islands, 13, 14;
penguin rookery, 16;
position, 2;
riding in, 19, 24, 27, 30;
sheepfarming, 20;
shepherds, 20;
tidal currents, 11, 12, 22;
tussock grass, 7, 16;
wild cattle, 12

Falkland Island Company, 4

Fallos Channel, 87

_Felis concolor_, 203

Felix Lighthouse, 90

Felton, A., x. 15

Fenix River, 207;
vegetation at, 210;
water-divide of, 212

Ferrier, W., 280, 285, 286

Fitzroy’s excursion in Patagonia, 152

Fitzroy Channel, 65

_Fitzroya Patagonica_, 108

Flach, C., 185

Foley, Ch., x. 28

Fonck, C., 153

Fontaine River, survey of valley, 44

Fósiles River, floating soil at sources, 244;
geological discoveries at, 245;
mountain pass, 245

Fortuna, Port, 298

Fox Bay, visit to, 25

Frank, S., 246

Fria, Laguna, 160

Frias Valley, excursion into, 188

Frio, Lago, 274

Froward, Cape, 63, 311

_Fuchsia magellanica_, 65

Fuhr, K., 263

_Furcifer chilensis_, 189

Furlong, Ch., 307

Gable Island, fossils on, 306

Gajardo Channel, survey in, 69, 70

Gajardo, T., 62

Galapagos Islands, 144

Gallant, Port, Indians in, 77

Gardiner, H., 152

Gesa Inlet, discovery of, 289

Gio River, camping at, 221

Girling, W. C., ix. 2

Glacier Sound, 299

_Glossopteris_, 27, 312

_Glossotherium_, 290

Gomez, Port, visits to, 38, 61

Granfelt, G., 126

Grappler, Port, Indians in, 84, 85

de Grey, Lake and River, 286

Guanaco, 42, 52, 208;
curiosity of, 220;
large herds, 179, 191;
tracks, 41, 45, 219

Guia Narrows, Indians in, 84

_Gunnera peltata_, 139

Guyon, Mr., 66

Gyldén, O., 1

Halle, J. G., viii.

Harberton Harbour, visit to, 306, 310

Harding, W., ix. 4, 27

“Harina tostada,” 111

Hatcher Expedition, 155, 242

Hauthal, R., 155, 273

Herrera, Mr., 304

Hielo, River, 286;
sources of, 287

Hill Cove, settlement in, 19

Hogberg, C., 240, 247

Holdich, Sir J., 155

Hooker, Sir J. D., 30

Hope Bay, camping in, 38, 59

Hoste Island, 303

Howard, Port, 24

Huafo Island, excursion to, 118;
forests on, 119;
gales, 118, 120;
wild dogs, 119

Huapiguilan Islands, 118, 120

Huemul, first encounter, 189;
hunting, 218, 226;
tameness, 220, 283

_Huemul_, steamer, 33, 60, 62, 65;
aground, 72;
damaged, 73

Huilliches, 105

Hülphers, H., 286

Hush Indians, 307

_Hymenophyllum_, 66, 139

Icy Reach, drifting ice in, 85

Inca Lake, 130

Indians of Patagonian Channels, appearance, 92;
food, 95;
future, 103;
garments, 94;
habits, 93, 94;
industry, 94, 97;
language, 102;
polygamy, 97;
portages, 101;
travels, 99, 100;
weapons, 96

Indian canoe, construction of, 91, 99

Indian interpreter, 77

Inocentes Channel, 85

Jeinemeni Valley, difficult passage, 217

Jerome Channel, nature of, 63;
nightly passage, 73

Johow, F., 139

Jones, Mr., 162

Joya, Lake, 235

Juan Fernandez Islands, arrival at, 135;
first appearance, 135;
history of discovery, 146;
lobsters, 147;
magui, 137;
palm trees, 138;
remarkable flora, 137;
sandal tree, 141;
situation, 134

_Juania australis_, 138

Juncal, railway station, 129

Kachaik, Mount, aspect of, 258

_Karl_, steamer, hunting whales on, 324

Kelpgeese, 44

Kentish Islands, 88

King, Cape, 82

Koslowsky Valley, 201

Krüger, P., 155

Laccolites in the Andes, 236, 282

Lacteo River, 237

Lafonia, district, nature of, 27

_Lafonia_, schooner, 10, 13, 25, 27

Landgren, T., 122

Lapataia, visit to, 300

Larson, C. A., 313, 320, 321

_Larus Scoresbyi_, 28

Las Cuevas, railway station, 131

Laurel, 108, 195

_Laurelia serrata_, 195

Lebu, 126

Lehmann-Nietsche, R., 307

Lelej, English farm, 176, 178

Leña dura, 286

León, F., 152

Leona River, 261;
bare landscape near, 262

_Lessonia_, 19, 22

_Libocedrus chilensis_, 162;
_tetragona_, 84, 108, 121

Lista, R., 154

Lista Valley, aspect of, 241

Llanguihue Province, colonisation in, 157

Los Amigos, stay at, 65

Los Andes, visit to, 128, 132

Lota, famous pack in, 126

Löwenborg, A., 33, 129

Löwenborg Lake, 53

Luche, 110

Luma, 108

Lundberg, Mr. (Koslowsky Valley), 205

Lundberg, Mr. (Lapataia), 300

_Macrocystis_, 10, 79

_Macrorhinus leoninus_, 319

Maldonado, R., 116

Mañiú, 84, 195

Mañiuales River, excursion to, 195

Margueirat, F., 297

Maria, Mount, ascent of, 24

_Marsippospermum grandiflorum_, 94

Martial Mountains, aspect of, 305

Masafuera Island, ascent of, 144;
flora, 144, 146;
future, 148;
penal settlement, 147;
topography, 144, 146;
wild goats, 144

Masatierra Island, topography of, 136, 138

Mascardi, Father, mission journeys of, 152

Mascarello River, 42;
camping at, 46

Mata Blanca, 245

Maté, 49

Mathews, Mr., x. 24

Mayer, Mr., 39

Mayer River, 242

Mayo River, boggy ground along, 199

Maytén, farm, 175

_Maytenus magellanica_, 286

_Megaptera_, 326

Merino, J. E., 117

Meseta Chalia, difficult crossing of, 199

Meseta Guenguel, pass across, 206

Meseta del Viento, crossing, 259

Messier Channel, 85

_Meteoro_, steamer, 76

Miguens, A., 181

Miller, Mr., x.

Mogole, Lake, 236

Montt, J., 75, 127

Moreno, F. P., 153, 212

Morro Chico, stopping at, 292

Moyano, Mr., 153

_Mulinum spinosum_, 167

Müller, F., 49, 54

Murray Narrows, 302

Musters, G., 153

Mylodon Cave, visit to, 289, 291

_Myrcengenia apiculata_, 195

_Myrtus luma_, 108

Nahuelhuapi, Lake, 161

Navarin Island, 302

Ñire, 41

Ñirehuao Valley, excursions in, 191

Ñires River, camping at, 241

Nordenskiöld, E., 290

Nordenskjöld, O., 40, 289

Ñorquinco, last telegraph office, 172

_Nothofagus antarctica_, 41, 65, 89;
_betuloides_, 43;
_pumilio_, 51, 64

Obstruction Sound, Indian road to, 101

_Ogmorhinus leptonyx_, 319

Olivia, Mount, 305

Ona Indians, 306

Orange Bay, visit to, 308

_Oravia_, steamer, 1, 2

_Oronsa_, steamer, 31

Osborne, Mr., 13

Osorno volcano, 157

Otway Station, visit to, 293

Otway Water, nature of, 64

Pacheco Island, 82

Packe, V., x.

Packsaddle Bay, visit to, 304

Pagels, A., 34, 62, 150, 162

_Palinurus frontalis_, 147

Pampa Chica, stay at, 184

Pascua River, 249

Patagonia, alpine flora, 220;
boundary dispute, 154;
camping in, 169, 170;
cedars, 162;
dryness of, 187;
equipment for voyage in, 163;
forests in, 182, 195, 234;
foxes, tameness of, 279;
fur trade, 208;
history of discoveries, 151, 154;
horses, 163;
hospitality, 184;
journey planned, 150;
lamb-marking, 192;
life of peons, 177;
ostriches, 179;
rapid changes of temperature, 211;
salt-lagoons, 18;
solifluction, 200;
swamps, 198;
table-mountains, 188;
thefts of horses, 174;
water-birds, 187, 213;
vegetation of pampas, 107, 182, 203

Patagonian Channels, animal life in, 83;
forests, 84;
glaciers, 299;
latitudinal changes of vegetation, 84;
meeting Indians in, 82, 84, 85;
nature, 83;
scenery, 78;
traffic, 84;
weather, 79, 83;
western passage, 85

Patagonian skerries, nature of, 79

Payne, Mount, ascent of, 282;
aspect of, 280;
geology, 282, 284

Pearce, J., 8

Peel Inlet, survey in, 88;
possibility of crossing inland ice to, 287

Pembroke lighthouse, 7, 8

Penas Gulf, visit to, 85

Peninsula, Lake, 236

Perez-Rosales Pass, crossing of, 160

_Pernettya mucronata_, 56

Peulla, arrival in, 159;
forests round, 161

Pico River, visit to German settlement, 188

Pillar cactus, 128

Pitt Channel, bad anchorage in, 87

_Philesia buxifolia_, 84, 254

Philippi, F., 141

Philippi, R. A., 153

Philomel, Port, 11

_Poa flabellata_, 16

_Podocarpus nubigena_, 84

Poncho, 107, 129, 164

Popper, J., 309

Port Egmont, old settlement in, 22

Port Louis, 30

Port Stanley, life in, 3

_Porvenir_, steamer, 296

Posadas, Lake, visit to, 222, 224

Pot Harbour, changes in, 317

Potrancas, rivulet, 242

Preston, Mr., 176

Primero de Mayo, 297

_Princess Ingeborg_, leave Sweden on, 1

Principio, Mount, camping at, 222

Pudeto River, voyage up, 113

Pudú, 115

Puerto Blest, 160;
snowstorm in, 161

Puerto Montt, departure from, 156

Puerto Varas, 157

Pueyrredon, Lake, visit to, 222

Puma, 203

Punta Arenas, 32, 199, 312

Quebrada de las Casas, 144

Queen Adelaide group, 82

Quellon, visit to, 122

Quemado, Mount, camping at, 177

Quensel, P. D., viii.

_Querquedula Eatoni_, 320

Quila, 115

Quillango, 208

Ramirez, Chilean settlement, 83

Reeves, Mr., 259, 262

Reid, A., ix. 2

Resi Inlet, discovery of, 289

_Rhea_, 179

_Rhodostachys bicolor_, 115

Rio Grande, excursion to, 75

Robinson Crusoe, 135

Robinson’s Grotto, 143

Roble, 56, 64

Robles River, crossing of, 239

Roca, Lake, boat excursion on, 301

Rogberg, C., 1, 312

Rojas, B., 33, 62, 296

Rojas River, discovery of, 53

Romanche Bay, visit to, 299

Rosario, Lake, dangerous swamps near, 182

Roth, C., 159

Roth, S., 155

Roy Cove, settlement in, 15

Samuel Cove, visit to, 118

San Carlos, excursion to settlements, 29

San Clementi, Mount, 206

San Lorenzo, Mount, 236

San Martin, Lake, boat excursion on, 249;
glaciers, 253, 255;
icebergs, 249, 255;
terrible squalls, 250, 252

San Pedro Island, 117;
primeval forest, 120

San Valentin, Mount, 206

Santa Cruz River, crossing of, 264

_Santalum fernandezianum_, description of last specimen, 142

Santiago, Swedish colony in, 127

H.M.S. _Sappho_, arrival of, 31

Sarmiento Channel, 84

Sarmiento, Lake, remarkable nature of, 284

Sarmiento, Mount, 298

Saunders Island, visit to, 22

Saunders, Mr., 293

_Saxegothea conspicua_, 195

Schönmeyr, A., 127

Schönmeyr glacier, 255

Sea-elephant, 319, 323

Sea-leopard, 319

Selkirk, A., 139;
commemoration tablet to, 140

Senguerr River, crossing of, 191

Sheep-dip, 247, 268

Shehuen, valley of, 259

Sixteenth October Valley, 180;
rain-forests in, 182;
Welsh Colony, 181

Skottsberg, C., viii.

Skottsberg, Lake, visit to, 283

Skunk, 260

Skyring Water, coal mines, 73;
colonists, 66;
fossils, 73;
gales, 65;
glaciers, 67, 68;
history of discovery, 62;
hydrography, 72;
nature of, 67;
travels of Indians, 66, 68

Slogget Bay, gold-digging in, 309;
fossils in, 308;
marine flora, 310

Smyth Channel, 84

Sociedad Esplotadora de Tierra del Fuego, 268, 271

_Solanum tuberosum_, 114

South Georgia, arrival in, 317;
climate, 318;
hunting whales, 325;
hurricanes, 323;
nature of, 318;
vegetation, 319;
voyage to, 314;
whaling industry, 313, 321

South Patagonia, gold-digging in, 64;
history of colonies, 269, 289

Steffen, H., 155

Stewart, Mr., 193

_Stipa_, 261

Svea, Mount, visit to, 51

_Tachyeres cinereus_, 47

Talkahuano, naval port, 126

Tar, Lake, swamps round, 258

Tecka River, 184

Tehuelches, 199, 237

Témpanos Narrows, strong tidal currents, 69

Témpanos, Port, discovery of, 89

Tepú, _Tepualia stipularis_, 96, 121

Thesleff, A., 155

_Thessalia_, steamer, 312

Tierra del Fuego, alpine flora, 50;
arrival at, 38;
bird life, 44, 47, 55;
boundary dispute, 311;
camp life, 48;
equinoctial gales, 57;
forests, 55;
gold prospecting, 309;
mission station, 35;
mountain scenery, 45, 49;
peat bogs, 42, 45;
tertiary fossils, 75;
weather, 43, 52, 55

Todos los Santos, Lake, 158

_Toro_, steamer, 117, 124

Transandino railway, 128;
great tunnel, 130;
wild life among labourers, 130

_Trichomanes_, 139

Tronador, Mount, excursion to, 160;
glaciers with vegetation on, 160

Tropilla, 163

Troya Channel, 86

Tuco-tuco, 189

Tuco-tuco, rivulet, 241

Turbis River, 292

Ulloa, F., 104

Ultima Esperanza, visit to, 288;
boat excursion from, 289;
great caverns near, 291, 292

_Ulva_, 110

Underwood’s farm, stay in, 180

_Undine_, steamer, 321

Upsala glacier, survey near, 277

Usborne, Mount, ascent of, 29

Ushuaia, visit to, 304, 311

Uspallata Pass, crossing of, 130;
statue of Christ in, 131

Vacas Mountains, 241

Valdivia, visit to, 126

Valdivia, P., 104

_Valdivia_, steamer, 116

Valdivieso Mountains, 40;
discovery of pass across, 53

Valenzuela, F., 296

Valparaiso, visit to, 127

Ventisqueros Inlet, survey in, 68

_Verbena_, 210

Verde, Mount, 40

_Veronica elliptica_, 13

_Vestfold_, steamer, 124, 127

Viedma, Lake, visit to, 261

Viel Channel, first encounter with channel Indians, 82

Warrah River, excursion in valley of, 23, 24

Westpoint Island, nature of, 15

Whales, blue, 326;
fin, 326;
humpback, 326;
right, 324;
whale-oil, 327

Whaleboat Sound, 298

Whaling steamers, 324

Wickham Heights, 29

Winter’s Bark, 43, 56, 66

Wollaston Islands, vegetation of, 304

Woodsworth Bay, beautiful waterfall in, 90

Worsley Sound, 289

Yahgan Indians, disappearance of, 101;
encounter with, 302, 303;
mussel-banks of, 301

_Yegua Madrina_, 163

Yelcho River, excursion in valley of, 123

Yerba, 49

Zapallar, visit to, 132

Zapato, Mount, 287

Zeballos River, camping at, 219;
mountain scenery east of, 220

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SHOWING THE ROUTE OF Dᴿ SKOTTSBERG’S EXPEDITION

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Telegrams: 41 and 43 Maddox Street,
“Scholarly, London.” Bond Street, London, W.
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No. 1833 Mayfair. _September, 1911._

Mr. Edward Arnold’s
LIST OF NEW BOOKS,
Autumn, 1911.

MEMOIRS AND LETTERS OF THE
RIGHT HON. SIR ROBERT MORIER,
G.C.B.,
FROM 1826-1876.

Edited by His Daughter, Mrs. ROSSLYN WEMYSS

_In Two Volumes. With Portraits. Demy 8vo._ =32s. net.=

These two volumes of the Memoirs and Letters of a very eminent diplomatist are of intense value, not only from a literary, but also from an historical point of view, containing as they do a most graphic and lucid description of the various events that went to make up the history of Germany from 1853 to 1876. The matters that led to the War of Schleswig-Holstein are dealt with in a vivid and interesting fashion, and with a clarity which will enable the reader to understand many points that have hitherto seemed obscure. The story of the struggle for supremacy in Germany, and for German Unity, and of the Franco-German War, is set forth impartially and without prejudice by one who witnessed critical events from the inside.

Subjects of the most vital interest--as, for instance, the war scare of 1875, the spread of European Liberalism, etc.--are dealt with by Sir Robert Morier in his correspondence in a style which must appeal to anyone at all interested in the European history of the past century. The distinguished diplomatist’s views upon the Foreign Office, the Emperor William I., and Bismarck, are given in a series of letters to various correspondents all over the world, among whom we may mention Jowett, Sir Louis Mallet, Lady Derby, and the Emperor Frederick. The friends and acquaintances of Sir Robert Morier’s youth--Froude, Tennyson, and other eminent contemporaries--are portrayed with a skilful pen.

NUTS AND CHESTNUTS.

By the Hon. L. A. TOLLEMACHE,
AUTHOR OF “OLD AND ODD MEMORIES.”

_One Volume. Crown 8vo._ =2s. 6d. net.=

A MEMOIR OF
EDWARD CHARLES WICKHAM,
DEAN OF LINCOLN, AND FORMERLY HEAD-MASTER
OF WELLINGTON COLLEGE.

By Canon LONSDALE RAGG,
RECTOR OF TICKENCOTE.
AUTHOR OF “DANTE AND HIS ITALY,” “THE BOOK OF BOOKS,” ETC.

_With Illustrations. One Volume._ =7s. 6d. net.=

The interest of a life is not necessarily proportioned to its share of dramatic incident and adventure. Edward Charles Wickham was essentially a scholar and a student rather than a man of action: his life was almost exclusively academic--at Winchester, at New College, at Wellington College, and finally in the Deanery at Lincoln. But it was far from being in any sense a stagnant one. Wherever he went he bore with him the inspiration of a born reformer, combined with an enlightened reverence for the past like that which made his illustrious father-in-law, Mr. W. E. Gladstone, a thorough-going Conservative in certain departments. In accordance with what would certainly have been the Dean’s own wish, the Memoir has been kept within strictly modest limits, and a sparing use has been made of letters; but the record is enriched by reminiscences contributed by not a few of Wickham’s former associates, colleagues, and pupils. Mr. A. O. Prickard supplies an appreciation of Wickham’s contribution to Scholarship, and Dr. Lock an appreciation of his University Preaching. Dr. Wickham’s singular gifts as a preacher are too well known to call for mention. Specimens of a few of his most notable sermons are given in an Appendix.

HANDLEY CROSS;
OR,
MR. JORROCKS’S HUNT.

Illustrated by CECIL ALDIN.

_In Two Volumes, with 24 Coloured Plates and about 100 Black-and-White Illustrations in the Text. The Ordinary Edition will be Royal 8vo., handsomely bound._ =21s. net.=

_Also a limited Edition de Luxe of 250 copies only for the British Empire, each Copy Numbered and Signed by the Artist._ =£3 3s. net.=

This is a complete edition of Surtees’ glorious work, illustrated by the one artist of the day who is pre-eminently fitted to do justice to it. The tale of the immortal Jorrocks and his Hunt is to-day the most popular classic work on fox-hunting, and Mr. Cecil Aldin is unquestionably the most popular sporting artist. He has entered heart and soul into the spirit of the work, and the excellence of his pictures proves that they were inspired by enthusiasm for his subject. The period is one that Mr. Aldin has made peculiarly his own, and while preserving the traditional representation of the characters, he has been able to give full play to his powers of depicting old-fashioned country scenes both indoors and in the open, especially, of course, those in the hunting-field. His strikingly original style brings out the full flavour of the famous book.

THE HORSE:

Its Origin and Development, combined with Stable Practice.

By Colonel R. F. MEYSEY-THOMPSON,

AUTHOR OF “A HUNTING CATECHISM,” “REMINISCENCES OF CAMP, COURSE, AND CHASE,” ETC.

_With Illustrations. One Volume. Demy 8vo._ =15s. net.=

This work covers a large field of remarkable interest to all lovers of the horse. It is full of valuable matter, combined with sound advice. The volume commences with the horse in its earliest shape, and traces briefly its development down to the present time. Each breed has a special chapter devoted to it which has been submitted to the best known authorities in each department; and, amongst others, it may be mentioned that Lady Anne Blunt has kindly criticized the chapter upon Arabian Horses, while Mr. Hermon Biddell has done the same for Suffolk Punches, Mr. Walter Winans that on American Trotting Horses, and Mr. Alfred Withers has overlooked the account of Carriage Horses; in this way it is hoped the work may be regarded as authoritative on these subjects. The latter half of the book deals with Stable Practice, Simple Ailments and how to treat them, Breeding, Riding, Driving, Race-Riding, and Training Horses for the race-course and for hunting. Colonel Meysey-Thompson has had a lifetime’s experience in all these subjects, and is admirably qualified to deal with them.

THE PACIFICATION OF BURMA.

By Sir CHARLES CROSTHWAITE, K.C.S.I.,

CHIEF COMMISSIONER OF BURMA, 1887-1890; MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF INDIA, ETC.

_With Maps and Illustrations. One Volume. Demy 8vo._ =16s. net.=

Sir Charles Crosthwaite succeeded the late Sir Charles Bernard as Chief Commissioner of Burma when that officer was compelled by sickness to leave the Province in March, 1887. From that date until December, 1890, he administered Burma, and he had every opportunity, therefore, of knowing what was done. The measures by which, in four years and in a country which has been described by a soldier as “one vast military obstacle,” order and law were established, are narrated. After the military measures, without which no attempt at a Civil Government would have been possible, the constitution of the Indian military police and the establishment on a legal basis of the indigenous village system were the chief means of restoring peace. These measures are explained, and the way in which order was gradually evolved out of confusion is told. Separate chapters deal with the Shan States, with the wild Chins on the West between Burma and Bengal, with the Kachins about Mogaung on the North, and the Red Karrus on the South-East.

MY ADVENTURES IN THE CONGO.

By MARGUERITE ROBY.

_With Numerous Illustrations and a Map. One Volume. Demy 8vo._ =12s. 6d. net.=

This is a book that casts an entirely new light on the vexed question of Belgian rule in the Congo. The authoress travelled alone with black porters for hundreds of miles through the very districts in the Congo where the alleged Belgian atrocities have been taking place, and the results of her observations, as here set forth, put a somewhat startling complexion upon some views of the situation that have been commonly accepted hitherto.

Although the conclusions drawn by Mrs. Roby from her travels in Central Africa are such as to set all truly patriotic Britons thinking, this book is no mere political tract. On the contrary, it is a stirring human document, in which humour, pathos, adventure, and indomitable pluck stand out from every page.

The devotion of “Thomas,” the authoress’s black boy, who stood by her when everyone else had deserted her, and to whom on more than one occasion she owed her life; her desperate straits amongst mutinous porters who sought to kill her; her days and nights of raging fever, alone and delirious in the Bush; her big-game exploits; her experiences with savages who had never before clapped eyes on a white woman; these and innumerable other incidents combine to make this one of the most remarkable books ever penned by traveller.

The emotions of a lifetime are crowded into this record of a six-months’ trek through Darkest Africa.

A feature that makes the book still more fascinating is the series of splendid photographs taken by the authoress and her black boy during their hazardous journey.

THE WILDS OF PATAGONIA.

A Narrative of the Swedish Expedition to Patagonia,
Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands
in 1907-1909.

By CARL SKOTTSBERG, D.Sc., etc.

_With Illustrations and Maps. One Volume. Demy 8vo._ =15s. net.=