[176] Mr. Kirke, who examined them, says, "There are two openings opposite Xavier Island, on the mainland: the northernmost runs through high land, and is terminated by a low sandy beach, with a river in the middle, running from a large glacier; the southern inlet is ended by high mountainous land."
[177] On the west shore Mr. Kirke noticed what appeared to be a channel, about twelve miles N.W. of Halt Bay, in the mouth of which was a considerable tide-ripple; an almost certain indication of such an opening. "I thought the inlet about twelve miles north-west of Halt Bay much like a channel. I also noticed a distinct tide ripple, which I did not remark near any other opening. To me this appeared the southernmost inlet, of any depth; or at all likely to be a channel."—Kirke MS.
[178] At the request of Lieutenant Mitchell, of the Adventure.
[179] Iron pyrites.
[180] Phal: capite cristato, collo posteriori, corporeque supra intensè purpureis; alis scapularibusque viridi-atris; remigibus rectricibusque duodecim fusco-atris; corpore subtus, fasciá alarum maculâque dorsi medii sericeo-albis; rostro nigro; pedibus flavescentibus. Staluria Phal. Carbonis. It was found in the Inner Sounds, within the 'Ancon sin Salida.'—Proceed. of the Zool. Society, vol. i.; also Phil. Magazine, for March 1831, p. 227.
[181] C. albus remigibus primariis ad apicem nigris, rostro pedibusque rubris, illo lato subdepresso. Molina describes a Chilian duck thus. Anas Coscoroba—A. rostro extremo dilatato rotundato, corpore albo, but I do not think it is the same as my specimen; certainly it is not Anser Candidus of Veillos, the ganso blanco of D'Azara, which the author of the Dict. D'Hist. Nat. (xxiii. 331.) supposes to be the same as A. Coscoroba (id. p. 332). Molina's description is very short, and does not mention the tips of the primary wing-feathers being black.
[182] Mate, lent to the Beagle, from the Adventure.
[183] A small vessel may moor between the islands, instead of lying in the outer road.
[184] The three peaks, in-shore of Cape Kempe, are very remarkable.
[185] Specimens of the rock at the summit are in the collection at the Geological Society, numbered 184 and 188.