Thishabit，accordingtoM。A。d’Orbigny，iscommontoallthespeciesofthegenus；itisveryusefultothePeruvianIndians，whousethedungforfuel，andarethussavedthetroubleofcollectingit。
Theguanacosappeartohavefavouritespotsforlyingdowntodie。OnthebanksoftheSt。Cruz，incertaincircumscribedspaces，whichweregenerallybushyandallneartheriver，thegroundwasactuallywhitewithbones。OnonesuchspotIcountedbetweentenandtwentyheads。Iparticularlyexaminedthebones；theydidnotappear，assomescatteredoneswhichI
hadseen，gnawedorbroken，asifdraggedtogetherbybeastsofprey。Theanimalsinmostcasesmusthavecrawled，beforedying，beneathandamongstthebushes。Mr。BynoeinformsmethatduringaformervoyageheobservedthesamecircumstanceonthebanksoftheRioGallegos。Idonotatallunderstandthereasonofthis，butImayobserve，thatthewoundedguanacosattheSt。Cruzinvariablywalkedtowardstheriver。AtSt。JagointheCapedeVerdIslands，Irememberhavingseeninaravinearetiredcornercoveredwithbonesofthegoat；weatthetimeexclaimedthatitwastheburialgroundofallthegoatsintheisland。Imentionthesetriflingcircumstances，becauseincertaincasestheymightexplaintheoccurrenceofanumberofuninjuredbonesinacave，orburiedunderalluvialaccumulations；
andlikewisethecausewhycertainanimalsaremorecommonlyembeddedthanothersinsedimentarydeposits。
OnedaytheyawlwassentunderthecommandofMr。Chafferswiththreedays’provisionstosurveytheupperpartoftheharbour。Inthemorningwesearchedforsomewatering-placesmentionedinanoldSpanishchart。
Wefoundonecreek，attheheadofwhichtherewasatricklingrillthefirstwehadseenofbrackishwater。Herethetidecompelledustowaitseveralhours；andintheintervalIwalkedsomemilesintotheinterior。
Theplainasusualconsistedofgravel，mingledwithsoilresemblingchalkinappearance，butverydifferentfromitinnature。Fromthesoftnessofthesematerialsitwaswornintomanygulleys。Therewasnotatree，and，exceptingtheguanaco，whichstoodonthehill-topawatchfulsentineloveritsherd，scarcelyananimalorabird。Allwasstillnessanddesolation。
Yetinpassingoverthesescenes，withoutonebrightobjectnear，anill-definedbutstrongsenseofpleasureisvividlyexcited。Oneaskedhowmanyagestheplainhadthuslasted，andhowmanymoreitwasdoomedthustocontinue。
“Nonecanreply——allseemseternalnow。Thewildernesshasamysterioustongue，Whichteachesawfuldoubt。”[11]
Intheeveningwesailedafewmilesfurtherup，andthenpitchedthetentsforthenight。Bythemiddleofthenextdaytheyawlwasaground，andfromtheshoalnessofthewatercouldnotproceedanyhigher。Thewaterbeingfoundpartlyfresh，Mr。Chafferstookthedingeyandwentuptwoorthreemilesfurther，whereshealsogrounded，butinafresh-waterriver。
Thewaterwasmuddy，andthoughthestreamwasmostinsignificantinsize，itwouldbedifficulttoaccountforitsorigin，exceptfromthemeltingsnowontheCordillera。Atthespotwherewebivouacked，weweresurroundedbyboldcliffsandsteeppinnaclesofporphyry。IdonotthinkIeversawaspotwhichappearedmoresecludedfromtherestoftheworld，thanthisrockycreviceinthewideplain。
Theseconddayafterourreturntotheanchorage，apartyofofficersandmyselfwenttoransackanoldIndiangrave，whichIhadfoundonthesummitofaneighbouringhill。Twoimmensestones，eachprobablyweighingatleastacoupleoftons，hadbeenplacedinfrontofaledgeofrockaboutsixfeethigh。Atthebottomofthegraveonthehardrocktherewasalayerofearthaboutafootdeep，whichmusthavebeenbroughtupfromtheplainbelow。Aboveitapavementofflatstoneswasplaced，onwhichotherswerepiled，soastofillupthespacebetweentheledgeandthetwogreatblocks。Tocompletethegrave，theIndianshadcontrivedtodetachfromtheledgeahugefragment，andtothrowitoverthepilesoastorestonthetwoblocks。Weunderminedthegraveonbothsides，butcouldnotfindanyrelics，orevenbones。Thelatterprobablyhaddecayedlongsinceinwhichcasethegravemusthavebeenofextremeantiquity，forIfoundinanotherplacesomesmallerheapsbeneathwhichaveryfewcrumblingfragmentscouldyetbedistinguishedashavingbelongedtoaman。Falconerstates，thatwhereanIndiandiesheisburied，butthatsubsequentlyhisbonesarecarefullytakenupandcarried，letthedistancebeeversogreat，tobedepositednearthesea-coast。Thiscustom，Ithink，maybeaccountedforbyrecollecting，thatbeforetheintroductionofhorses，theseIndiansmusthavelednearlythesamelifeastheFuegiansnowdo，andthereforegenerallyhaveresidedintheneighbourhoodofthesea。Thecommonprejudiceoflyingwhereone’sancestorshavelain，wouldmakethenowroamingIndiansbringthelessperishablepartoftheirdeadtotheirancientburial-groundonthecoast。
January9th，1834——BeforeitwasdarktheBeagleanchoredinthefinespaciousharbourofPortSt。Julian，situatedaboutonehundredandtenmilestothesouthofPortDesire。Weremainedhereeightdays。ThecountryisnearlysimilartothatofPortDesire，butperhapsrathermoresterile。OnedayapartyaccompaniedCaptainFitzRoyonalongwalkroundtheheadoftheharbour。Wewereelevenhourswithouttastinganywater，andsomeofthepartywerequiteexhausted。FromthesummitofahillsincewellnamedThirstyHillafinelakewasspied，andtwoofthepartyproceededwithconcertedsignalstoshowwhetheritwasfreshwater。Whatwasourdisappointmenttofindasnow-whiteexpanseofsalt，crystallizedingreatcubes！Weattributedourextremethirsttothedrynessoftheatmosphere；
butwhateverthecausemightbe，wewereexceedinglygladlateintheeveningtogetbacktotheboats。Althoughwecouldnowherefind，duringourwholevisit，asingledropoffreshwater，yetsomemustexist；forbyanoddchanceIfoundonthesurfaceofthesaltwater，neartheheadofthebay，aColymbetesnotquitedead，whichmusthavelivedinsomenotfardistantpool。ThreeotherinsectsaCincindela，likehybrida，aCymindis，andaHarpalus，whichallliveonmuddyflatsoccasionallyoverflowedbythesea，andoneotherfounddeadontheplain，completethelistofthebeetles。
Agood-sizedflyTabanuswasextremelynumerous，andtormentedusbyitspainfulbite。Thecommonhorsefly，whichissotroublesomeintheshadylanesofEngland，belongstothissamegenus。Weherehavethepuzzlethatsofrequentlyoccursinthecaseofmusquitoes——onthebloodofwhatanimalsdotheseinsectscommonlyfeed？Theguanacoisnearlytheonlywarm-bloodedquadruped，anditisfoundinquiteinconsiderablenumberscomparedwiththemultitudeofflies。
ThegeologyofPatagoniaisinteresting。DifferentlyfromEurope，wherethetertiaryformationsappeartohaveaccumulatedinbays，herealonghundredsofmilesofcoastwehaveonegreatdeposit，includingmanytertiaryshells，allapparentlyextinct。Themostcommonshellisamassivegiganticoyster，sometimesevenafootindiameter。Thesebedsarecoveredbyothersofapeculiarsoftwhitestone，includingmuchgypsum，andresemblingchalk，butreallyofapumiceousnature。Itishighlyremarkable，frombeingcomposed，toatleastone-tenthofitsbulk，ofInfusoria。ProfessorEhrenberghasalreadyascertainedinitthirtyoceanicforms。Thisbedextendsfor500
milesalongthecoast，andprobablyforaconsiderablygreaterdistance。
AtPortSt。Julianitsthicknessismorethan800feet！Thesewhitebedsareeverywherecappedbyamassofgravel，formingprobablyoneofthelargestbedsofshingleintheworld：itcertainlyextendsfromneartheRioColoradotobetween600and700nauticalmilessouthward，atSantaCruzariveralittlesouthofSt。Julian，itreachestothefootoftheCordillera；halfwayuptheriver，itsthicknessismorethan200feet；
itprobablyeverywhereextendstothisgreatchain，whencethewell-roundedpebblesofporphyryhavebeenderived：wemayconsideritsaveragebreadthas200miles，anditsaveragethicknessasabout50feet。Ifthisgreatbedofpebbles，withoutincludingthemudnecessarilyderivedfromtheirattrition，waspiledintoamound，itwouldformagreatmountainchain！
Whenweconsiderthatallthesepebbles，countlessasthegrainsofsandinthedesert，havebeenderivedfromtheslowfallingofmassesofrockontheoldcoast-linesandbanksofrivers，andthatthesefragmentshavebeendashedintosmallerpieces，andthateachofthemhassincebeenslowlyrolled，rounded，andfartransportedthemindisstupefiedinthinkingoverthelong，absolutelynecessary，lapseofyears。Yetallthisgravelhasbeentransported，andprobablyrounded，subsequentlytothedepositionofthewhitebeds，andlongsubsequentlytotheunderlyingbedswiththetertiaryshells。
Everythinginthissoutherncontinenthasbeeneffectedonagrandscale：
theland，fromtheRioPlatatoTierradelFuego，adistanceof1200miles，hasbeenraisedinmassandinPatagoniatoaheightofbetween300and400feet，withintheperiodofthenowexistingsea-shells。Theoldandweatheredshellsleftonthesurfaceoftheupraisedplainstillpartiallyretaintheircolours。Theuprisingmovementhasbeeninterruptedbyatleasteightlongperiodsofrest，duringwhichtheseaate，deeplybackintotheland，formingatsuccessivelevelsthelonglinesofcliffs，orescarpments，whichseparatethedifferentplainsastheyriselikestepsonebehindtheother。Theelevatorymovement，andtheeating-backpoweroftheseaduringtheperiodsofrest，havebeenequableoverlonglinesofcoast；forIwasastonishedtofindthatthestep-likeplainsstandatnearlycorrespondingheightsatfardistantpoints。Thelowestplainis90feethigh；andthehighest，whichIascendednearthecoast，is950
feet；andofthis，onlyrelicsareleftintheformofflatgravel-cappedhills。TheupperplainofSantaCruzslopesuptoaheightof3000feetatthefootoftheCordillera。Ihavesaidthatwithintheperiodofexistingsea-shells，Patagoniahasbeenupraised300to400feet：Imayadd，thatwithintheperiodwhenicebergstransportedbouldersovertheupperplainofSantaCruz，theelevationhasbeenatleast1500feet。NorhasPatagoniabeenaffectedonlybyupwardmovements：theextincttertiaryshellsfromPortSt。JulianandSantaCruzcannothavelived，accordingtoProfessorE。Forbes，inagreaterdepthofwaterthanfrom40to250feet；buttheyarenowcoveredwithsea-depositedstratafrom800to1000feetinthickness：
hencethebedofthesea，onwhichtheseshellsoncelived，musthavesunkdownwardsseveralhundredfeet，toallowoftheaccumulationofthesuperincumbentstrata。Whatahistoryofgeologicalchangesdoesthesimply-constructedcoastofPatagoniareveal！
AtPortSt。Julian，[12]insomeredmudcappingthegravelonthe90-feetplain，IfoundhalftheskeletonoftheMacraucheniaPatachonica，aremarkablequadruped，fullaslargeasacamel。ItbelongstothesamedivisionofthePachydermatawiththerhinoceros，tapir，andpalaeotherium；butinthestructureofthebonesofitslongneckitshowsaclearrelationtothecamel，orrathertotheguanacoandllama。Fromrecentsea-shellsbeingfoundontwoofthehigherstep-formedplains，whichmusthavebeenmodelledandupraisedbeforethemudwasdepositedinwhichtheMacraucheniawasentombed，itiscertainthatthiscuriousquadrupedlivedlongaftertheseawasinhabitedbyitspresentshells。
Iwasatfirstmuchsurprisedhowalargequadrupedcouldsolatelyhavesubsisted，inlat。49degs。15’，onthesewretchedgravelplains，withtheirstuntedvegetation；buttherelationshipoftheMacraucheniatotheGuanaco，nowaninhabitantofthemoststerileparts，partlyexplainsthisdifficulty。
Therelationship，thoughdistant，betweentheMacraucheniaandtheGuanaco，betweentheToxodonandtheCapybara，——thecloserrelationshipbetweenthemanyextinctEdentataandthelivingsloths，ant-eaters，andarmadillos，nowsoeminentlycharacteristicofSouthAmericanzoology，——andthestillcloserrelationshipbetweenthefossilandlivingspeciesofCtenomysandHydrochaerus，aremostinterestingfacts。Thisrelationshipisshownwonderfully——aswonderfullyasbetweenthefossilandextinctMarsupialanimalsofAustralia——bythegreatcollectionlatelybroughttoEuropefromthecavesofBrazilbyMM。LundandClausen。Inthiscollectionthereareextinctspeciesofallthethirty-twogenera，exceptingfour，oftheterrestrialquadrupedsnowinhabitingtheprovincesinwhichthecavesoccur；andtheextinctspeciesaremuchmorenumerousthanthosenowliving：therearefossilant-eaters，armadillos，tapirs，peccaries，guanacos，opossums，andnumerousSouthAmericangnawersandmonkeys，andotheranimals。Thiswonderfulrelationshipinthesamecontinentbetweenthedeadandtheliving，will，Idonotdoubt，hereafterthrowmorelightontheappearanceoforganicbeingsonourearth，andtheirdisappearancefromit，thananyotherclassoffacts。