they are skinned and cut up. The first night seven hundred
pounds of meat were brought, and two thousand and forty-six
pounds were obtained in a few days.
This ample change of diet inspired me with the hope
that our sick, at least those affected by scurvy, would recover,
and that after another lai-ge supply, which we now knew how
to obtain, we might be enabled to prosecute our voyage as
was first intended. All hands were therefore allowed fresh
meat for a week, and the residue was placed at the disposal
of the surgeon, for the use of the sick, but all ineffectually ;
the list still increased, and Lieutenant Wickham, with a violent
cold, and Mr. Rowlett, with scurvy, were added to it.
The assistant-surgeon’s became the worst case of scurvy on
board ; and our people, finding that the preparations for quitting
the place were not going on, began to despond again.
Captain Stokes was anxious to prepare his vessel for another
ci-uize, being very averse to giving up our plans and returning
to Monte Video, since he thought the crews, from utter disgust
at the privations and hardships they had endured, would not
be persuaded to go on another voyage ; but that if they were
to go to Chiloe or Valparaiso, to refresh, they might recover
their strength and spirits, and be willing to renew the survey;
which, however, he himself seemed to dread, for he never mentioned
the subject without a shudder. He was evidently much
excited, and suspicions arose in my mind that all was not quite
right with him. I endeavoured to prevail on him to give his
people a longer rest, but he was the more anxious to make
preparations. On the 31st July he sent an application for provisions,
and in the evening I received a note from him, which
was written in his former usual flow of spirits. The oifieers,
however, knew more of the diseased state of his mind than I
d id; and it was owing to a hint given to me, that I desired
Mr. Tarn to communicate with Mr. Bynoe, and report to me
whether Captain Stokes’s health was sufficiently restored to
enable him to commence another cruize. This was on the 1st
of August. The provisions had been sent, in compliance with
his application, and the surgeons were on board the Adventure,
considering upon their report, which was, as I afterwards
found, very unfavourable, when a boat came from the Beagle,
with the dreadful intelligence that Captain Stokes, in a momentary
fit of despondency, had shot himself.
The surgeons instantly repaired on board, and finding him
alive, had recourse to every means in their power, but wkhout
hope of saving his life. During the delirium that ensued, and
lasted four days, his mind wandered to many of the circumstances,
and hair-breadth escapes, of the Beagle’s cruize. The
following three days he recovered so much as to be able to see
me frequently; and hopes were entertained by himself, but by
no one else, that he would recover. He then became gradually
worse, and after lingering in most intense pain, expired on the
morning of the 12th.
Thus shockingly and prematurely perished an active, intelligent,
and most energetic officer, in the primp of life. The
severe hardships of the cruize, the dreadful weather experienced,
and the dangerous situations in which they were so
constantly exposed— caused, as I was afterwards informed,
such intense anxiety in his excitable mind, that it became at
times so disordered, as to cause the greatest apprehension for
the consequences. On the return of the Beagle he got better;
and the officers were so sanguine in hoping for his complete
restoration to health, on account of his progressive recovery,
that nothing which had transpired was communicated to me
until after his decease.
H is remains were interred a t o ur burial-ground, with the
honours due to his rank, and a tablet was subsequently erected
to his memory.