The tract of country, or rather peninsula, which is inclosed by Otway Water, Fitzroy Passage, Skyring Water, and the western portion of the Strait of Magalhaeus, is called Ponsonby Land. The eastern part of it contains low wooded tracts of considerable extent along the shores of both waters, but the interior is occupied by hills, rising to about 1500 feet, with the exception of one summit, Mount Misery, which is near 72° W. long. and attains an elevation of about 3000 feet, but does not reach the snow-line. The western portion of Ponsonby Land is covered with rocky mountains. On Croker Peninsula and the adjacent district they do not appear to attain a great elevation. But ou the shores of the Skyring Water, west of 72° 30' W. long., several of them rise above the snow-line and send down extensive glaciers on their slopes towards the sea. These high snow-capped mountains continue across the narrow isthmus which divides Skyring Water from Beaufort Bay, and attain their greatest elevation in Mount Burney, which is situated not far from the southern shores of the Aucou Sin Salida, and is 5S00 feet high. Farther eastward the moun tains decline in height, and are intersected by level tracts of some extent, until they disappear in the plains of eastern Patagonia, about 40 or 50 miles from the Pacific.
The Andes, that elevated chain which traverses South America in its whole length, begin on the south, ou the very shores of the Aucou Sin Salida (52° 10' S. lat.). South of 47° S. lat. the higher peaks of the range are very lofty, but to the north of that parallel no peak of the Patagonian Andes rises above the line of perpetual snow. The country occupied by 'the Patagonian Andes is described under ANDES, V01. 1. col 348. From the Strait of Magalhaeus to 41° 48' S. lat. the Andes constitute the very shores of the Pacific, and the watershed between the two oceans is so near the western coast, that the largest river which flows into the Pacific has its origin only 13 miles from the beach. This is the Rio San Tadeo, the mouth of which is a little south of the peninsula of Tres Mentes (47° S. lat.). The shores along this extensive coastline are rocky and high, with the exception of a few places of very moderate extent. But there is a difference between those which are north of the peninsula of Tres Ideates and those which are south of it. The former run nearly in a straight line, both the pro jecting rocks aud the recesses between them hardly anywhere exceeding one mile iu extent. But south of the peninsula the inlets penetrate many miles into the mountain masses, and thus form huge promon tories. The farther we advance to the south, the more the inlets increase in depth, until we reach the Ancon Sin Salida and the Jerome Channel, which extend across the whole mountain region.
But the open sea of the Pacific does not wash this rocky coast. A series of high and rocky islands lie like a barrier in front of it, so that no part of the continent, except the peninsula of Tres Mantes, is exposed to the ocean's swell. Some of these islands are of great extent; others are only separated from one another by narrow straits, which are not visible at some distance from the open ocean, and the islands accordingly appear to be a continuous high rocky shore. The
most northern is the inland of Chiloe [Corm), between which and the continent is the Gulf of Ancud. Farther south is the Chonos Archi pelago, which occupies the space between 44' and 46' S. lat., and consiats of numerous islands, some of which are of considerable extent, and divided by narrow straits. Then follows the peninsula of Tres Mantes, which is nearly isolated by a deep bay that enters the continent from the north, and extends about 30 miles southward. South of the peninsula is the Gulf of Pefias, which contains only scattered islands; but near 47' 30' S. lat, is the small group of the Guaianeeo Islands, fsllowed by Wellington Island or blends, which exteuds from 47° 50' to 50' S. lat., and in some parts is GO or 70 miles wide. The long strait'which separates Wellington Island from the continent, and is called Mader Channel, is on an average two miles wide towards each extremity; but in the middle and for a length of about forty miles It is hardly a mile wide, and in three particular places not more than 400 yards wide. A broad channel, called the Gulf of Trinidad, separates Wellington Island from the Archipelago of Madre de Dios ; and this archipelago is separated from the continent and Hanover Island by Concepcion Strait. The strait south of Hanover Island, called Lord Nelson's Strait, separates it from the archipelago of Queen Adelaide, an assemblage of islands which run more than 80 miles north-west and south-east IIAOALITARICS STRAIT lies between this archipelago and South Desolation Island. These islands are, with out exception, high and rugged, and have a rocky shore; but the mountain' in none of them rise to the snow-line, except on South Desolation.
Although the difference in geographical position between the two extremes of this coast is 14 degrees, the difference in the temperature is mach leas than might be expected. On the island of Chiloe the mean temperature of the winter seems to be 40', and that of the spring 50' or aomethlog more. That of Port Famine, on the Strait of Regalia:tens, is about 33' in winter and 50' in summer. It would therefore appear that the difference in the mean annual temperature between the two extremities of the mountain region of Patagonia does not exceed ten degrees of Fahrenheit, probably a smaller difference than in any other country of similar extent. This phenomenon is due to the great dampness of the atmosphere. As the prevailing winds blow from the west, they bring to the land the moisture which they collect in passing over the wide expanse of the Pacific; and this moisture being suddenly condensed when it comes in contact with the high mountains along the shores, descends in abundant and nearly continual rain. On the peninsula of Tres Montes only two or three weeks In November are without rain, and farther south there Is hardly a day without either rain or snow and sleet, according to the seasons.