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Skyring was to be on board his own vessel, the Beagle, it
would be incurring considerable responsibility, to order a new
piece of service to be undertaken, which might not be successful;
and would require officers, men, a boat, provisions, and stores
from the Beagle.
“ I did not doubt that the measure would be approved by
Captain King, because he had discussed the feasibility of such
a plan with me, and had expressed a wish that it should be
tried; but as I had not received any orders, I could not decide
without anxiety.
“ Another, though a minor difficulty, arose from sending
Lieutenant Skyring in command of the Adelaide, over Lieutenant
Graves, her proper commander, who had expected to take
her to Childe, and was quite competent to undertake this or
any other service in which she might be employed. Both these
officers excelled in their professional duties ; but Skyring had
been on the western coasts of Patagonia before, and was the
senior.
“ Much to the credit of Lieutenant Graves, he removed one
weight, by volunteering to go any where I thought proper to
direct, either alone or with Lieutenant Skyring, and the necessary
orders were forthwith given. (See Appendix). Mr. Kirke
was again to form one of their party, as well as Mr. Bynoe,
who exchanged temporarily with Mr. Park. The Beagle’s
whale-boat was also lent, with five able seamen to man her ; and
good care was taken that nothing the ship could give should
be wanting in their outfit for a service which, at that time of
year, must be severe and tedious.
“ Anchors and cables, hawsers and kedges, were abundantly
supplied, because in warping into unknown places, or
anchoring hastily, many an anchor is unavoidably broken or
lost.
“ The boat’s crew, who had been away with the Adelaide,
and were going in her again, were supplied with extra clothing
at the expense of Government, the wear and tear of their clothes
having been far beyond what they could be expected to make
good out of their pay.
“ As an instance, I may mention, that a careful north countryman
carried with him, when he left the Beagle, two new
pair of shoes (besides those on his feet), and three pair of new
stockings : but brought back only a ragged pair of stockings
and the remains of one shoe. The others had been fairly worn
out, or lost, in scrambling over rocks and ascending mountains-
“ One height ascended by Lieutenant Skyring was so steep,
that the men were obliged to pass the instruments from one to
another, at a great risk of their own lives; and when they
reached the summit, the wind was so strong, that a heavy
theodolite and stand, firmly placed, was blown over; and even
a Kater’s compass could scarcely be used.
“ With good clothing and provisions, weather may be almost
defied, and work may be done at the less unfavourable times;
but without them, ill-huraour and ill-health must inevitably
appear in such a climate as this.
“ 14th, Sunday. I had the satisfaction of keeping this day in
a proper manner, for the first time since we entered the Strait.
So much had depended upon employing every minute of our
time while the weather would allow, that there had been little
distinction of days.
“ 17th. The morning being fine, with not much wind, though
a sharp frost, I left the ship with Mr. Murray and four men,
and landed in Fortescue Bay, intending to ascend the mountain
‘ De la Cruz,’ if the snow and ice did not prevent me.
“ On the beach, close to the water, I suspended the mountain
barometer, and let it remain half an hour before we began
the ascent, which, from the snow lying so deep, was troublesome;
for at one step a hard rock received one’s foot, and
at the next, perhaps, a deep hole amongst broken trees. Sometimes
we tumbled head foremost into soft snow, slightly covering
rotten mossy boughs and swampy ground ; and at others,
slipped between the concealed trunks of trees, which, though
much decayed, were hard enough to cause many a bruise.
Bach movement of our arms or legs shook down a shower of
snow from the trees, among which we were forcing our way.
“ At noon we gained the part that is clear of wood, hut
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