ï '
vv
f
! :| _ Üi
• ’If" ' '
I H'
14
I '
I '1
11
'iiM
. ;;
I
4 7
:tV;.
:■ : u
■ I’
C H A P T E R X I I I .
Beagle and Adelaide anchor in Possession Bay—Beagle passes the F irst
Narrow— Fogs—P ecket H a rb o u r—Adelaide arrives wdth Guanaeo-
meat—Portuguese Seamen—Peculiar light—P a rty missing—Return—
Proceed towards P o rt Famine—Fuegians—Lieut. Skyring—Adelaide
sails to survey Magdalen and Barbara Channels—Views—Lyell Sound
.—Kempe Hai-bour—Cascade Bay—San Pedro Sound—P o r t Gallant—
D ie t—R a in—Awnings—Boat cruise—AVarniug—Jerome Channel—■
B lan k et bags—Otway W ater—Frequent ra in—Difficulty in lighting
fires.
T he following is an account of the Beagle’s and Adelaide’s
operations, after separating from the Adventure, on the 1st of
April, at the entrance of the Strait of Magalhaens.
Light northerly winds were favourable for their entering the
Strait, and they reached Possession Bay the first night. The
following day was foggy, and almost calm, until the afternoon,
when both vessels weighed, and proceeded with the tide. At
sunset the Adelaide anchored on the north shore; but the
Beagle stood on, and entered the Narrow. After dark, when
within it, with a rapid tide running, the wind fell light, and
an anchor was let go, under the north shore, in eight fathoms ;
but the cable being accidentally checked too soon, snapped like
a small rope, and the vessel was hustled out into deep water.
As it would have been both useless and imprudent to let go
another anchor, the Beagle was kept underweigh, and worked
to the westward, aided by a very powerful tide, which speedily
carried her through the Narrow, without accident, although
the night was dark; and they had no guide but the chart and
lead. At eleven o’clock she was anchored within the Narrow,
in twelve fathoms, soon after which the tide turned, and ran
with great strength; but the night was calm, as well as the
next morning.
While waiting for wind, and the change of tide, several
Patagonian Indians were observed on horseback hunting guanacoes.
A very large dead cod-fish was also seen, floating
past, which was taken on hoard ; on its skin were several
parasites.»
With the evening tide the Beagle reached Gregory Bay; and
the next day (April 4th) worked through the Second Narrow,
and anchored in Pecket Plarhour.
As soon as she arrived people were sent on shore to make a
large fire, to show the natives where the ship was, and attract
them to her. Next morning, the 5th, it had spread very much,
and overrun several acres of ground, which showed either a
very dry soil, or that there had not been much rain for some
time. The ground was covered with cranberries ; so much so,
that it had quite a red tinge ; they were very good. Plenty of
wild celery was found, but no wood of any kind. Water was
obtained in small quantities, from a spring about eighty yards
from the beach, abreast of the anchorage : it may also he procured
by sinking wells. Early on the 6th of April the Adelaide
anchored near the Beagle. Captain Fitz Roy went on board,
and found that Lieutenant Graves had seen the Indians in
Gregory Bay ; and had anchored there for the purpose of
obtaining guanaco meat, of which he got about nine hundred
pounds weight. Thick fogs had prevented his getting through
the First Narrow until the 4th. At Gregory Bay, Lieutenant
Graves took three Portuguese seamen on board, who claimed
his protection, having been left by an English sealing vessel
nearly a year before. One of them asked to be again put
ashore, and was landed on Quoin Hill to carry a message to
the Indians, from whom he promised to bring a supply of meat
in two days. The other two were entered on the books as
supernumeraries, and employed in the Adelaide. Having given
the Beagle two-thirds of the meat, the Adelaide weighed ; and
in two hours was out of sight, on her way to Port Famine.
* Probably they are the same as wo observed on the fish taken by us
off Cape Fairweather, and which, T believe, to be nearly allied to the
one that is figured in Cuvier’s Règne animal, Plate X V . figure .5, a
species of Lcrnoea, or Enlomoda of Lamarck, iii. 233. The* species
II