4°. C OMMO D O R E B Y R O N ’ s V O Y A G E
T76+._
December.
1765.
January.
Friday 4.
lei’s defart, rendered horrid beyond imagination: the tone
was hollow and deep, fo that the bealts, o f whatever kind,
were certainly large, and the poor fellows perceived that
they drew nearer and nearer, as the found every minute became
more loud. From this timefleep was renounced for the
night, a large fire was immediately kindled, and a conftant
blaze kept up: this prevented the beads from invading the
tent; but they continued to prowl round it at a little diftance,
with inceflant howlings, till the day broke, and then, to the
great comfort o f the affrighted failors, they difappeared.
At this place, not far from where the ffiip lay, there is a
hill that has been cleared o f wood, and we fuppofed this to
be the fpot where the Spaniards formerly had a fcttlement*.
One of the men, as he was palling over this hill, perceived
that, in a particular parr, the ground returned the found o f his
foot, as if it was hollow: he therefore repalled it feveral times;
and finding the effedt Hill the fame, he conceived a ftrong
notion that fomething was buried there ; when he came on
board, he related what he had remarked to me, and I went
myfelf to the fpot, with a fmall party, fumilhed with fpades
and pickaxes, and faw the fpot opened to a confiderable
depth, but we found nothing, nor did there appear to be any
hollow or vault as was expedted. As we were returning
through the woods, we found two very large Ikulls, which,
by the teeth, appeared to have belonged to fome beafts of
prey, but o f what kind we could not guefs.
Having continued here till Friday the 4th o f January, and
completed the wood and water of both Ihips, for which
purpofe I had entered the Streight, I determined to lleer back
again in fearch of Falkland’s Illands.
* See fome account of this fettlement in the Voyage of Captain Wallis, chap, iil.
p. 191.
C H A P .