Darwin Correspondence Project

Down, Farnborough, Kent,

25 February,

– I saw very little of the country near New Bay & was not at the Chupat; what I did see was poor & water generally absent; there wd be brush wood in the valleys in all probability. About the year 1790 there was a Spanish settlement there; but every soul except one was murdered by the Indians.—Indians now perhaps tamer, but never to be trusted; between 1820 & 1830, they attacked every separate farm near the Rio Negro; further south at the Str. of Magellan they are much tamer: coal probably not to be found; that in the Straits said to be only lignite … Anyone settling there wd I apprehend be under the government of B. Ayres, about as bad as could be. Interior absolutely unknown; probably as bad as that seen by us on the S. Cruz … Port Desire was the best spot which we saw on the Patagonian coast; but the country is poor; it was over settled by the Spaniards, but long since deserted. Altogether I have a very poor opinion of the whole coast of Patagonia south of R. Negro & I shd sincerely pity any emigrants there …

… under British Rule, as in Australia, I have no doubt it wd be thinly settled soon & would feed sheep.— If I had to choose, I wd incomparably prefer the Falkland Islands to Patagonia—there you wd have cattle & horses & pigs—peat & brushwood for fire—plenty of fish as is asserted. There are no severe frosts & the snow does not lie long. On other hand no timber, country looks desolate & is very stormy. I have reason to believe that though twice there we happened to be very unfortunate in our weather. An emigrant wd be there under British Government & free of Indians.— Wild cattle thrive there & most vegetables: I rather think wheat has lately succeeded. I wish I could hav<e> given you fuller information.

Sir | Your obet. sert | C. Darwin