'i.
■î'i
ii':, ll
to
'Ì
I to II,
W h en to th e n o rtliw a rd o f C ap e Tam a r, a n d b efore re a ch in g as
fa r n o rth as O ra c ió n B ay, or th e la titu d e o f 52° 6', sh o u ld y ou
n otic e an o p e n in g to th e e a s tw a rd , w ith a c u r r e n t or s tre am o f tid e
s e ttin g th ro u g h it, a n d an ap p ea ran c e o f its jo in in g a n o th e r b o d y o f
w a te r, o f co n sid e rab le e x te n t, y o u w ill e n d ea v o u r to asc e rta in
w h e th e r i t c om m unic ates w ith th e S k y r in g W ater, p ro v id e d th a t
in so d o in g y o u do n o t tu r n from y o u r c h ie f o b je c t m o re th a n a
few days.
In th e execution o f th e above o rd e rs y o u w ill a c t as yo u may
con sid e r b e s t fo r th e service o f h is M aje s ty ; a n d if, a t an y tim e
b efore its completion, y o u find y o u r p ro v is io n s g e ttin g sh o rt, th e
clim a te too severe, o r yo u rse lf, or th o s e u n d e r y o u r o rd e rs , in b a d
h e a lth , yo u will im m ed ia te ly m a k e th e b e s t o f y o u r w ay to Chilóe.
You w ill e n d e a v o u r to b e a t San Carlos, in th e is la n d o f Chilóe,
be fo re th e 2 0 th o f S e p tem b e r, a n d w ill le t n o th in g th a t can be
avoided de ta in y o u b e y o n d th a t tim e .
I h av e, &c.
(S ig n e d ) R o b e r t F i t z - R o y ,
T o L ieu te n a n t W m . Geo. S k y rin g , Commander.
His M aje s ty ’s sloop Beagle.
B y P h illip P a rk e r K in g , E sq ., C om m an d er o f H is M a je s ty ’s s u r v
e y in g vessel A d v e n tu re , an d S e n io r Officer o f a n E x p e d itio n
for th e su rv e y o f a p a r t o f S o u th America.
As soon as yo u shall h a v e c om p le ted th e ra te s o f y o u r ch ro n o m
e te rs a n d b e othe rw ise re ad y , i t is m y d ire c tio n th a t y o u p ro c e ed
to sea in His M aje sty ’s sloop u n d e r y o u r command, to su rv e y th e
sea-coast o f T ie rra del F u e g o , from C ap e P illa r to th e e ast en tra n c e
o f th e S tr a it o f M agellan, in th e p ro g res siv e examination o f which
y o u w ill b e g u id e d b y th e s tate o f th e w e a th e r, a n d o th e r c irc um stances,
k e e p in g in view th a t th e m ost in te re s tin g p a r t o f th e
coast is th a t p o rtio n b e tw e e n C h ristm a s S o u n d a n d th e S tr a it L e
M aire, p a rtic u la rly th e op en in g s o f N ew Y e ar S o u n d a n d Nassau
B ay , a n d th e op en in g s to tlie e a s tw a rd o f th e la tte r as fa r as New
Is la n d ; as th e re is re a so n to be lieve th a t th e re is a co n siderable
b o d y o f w a te r to th e e as tw a rd o f th e te rm in a tio n o f A dm ira lty
So u n d , com m u n ic atin g w ith th e sea b y some one i f n o t m a n y o p e n in
g s in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f N a ss au B ay , a n d w ith an o u tle t on
th e N .E . coast (S t. S e b a s tian C h an n e l); a n d as th e ex istence o f
su ch a s tra it w o u ld b e o f th e g re a te s t im p o rtan c e to small vessels
b o u n d to th e w e s tw a rd ro u n d C ap e H o rn , y o u w ill see i t fittin g
n o t to sp en d so m u c h tim e to th e w e s tw a rd o f Cape N o ir as m ay
in th e le a st im p ed e th e d e te rm in a tio n o f th e q u e stio n , o r p re v e n t
i t b e in g c om p le te ^ ex p lo red . I t is m y in te n tio n to b e a t P o r t
F am in e b y tb e 1st o f A p ril, a n d a t R io de J a n e iro b y th e 1st J u n e ,
c allin g in m y w ay a t M o n te Video, or G o rriti, fo r chro n om e tric a l
o b s e rv a tio n s ; a n d i f I can, c o n v en ien tly , I sh a ll also go to P o r t
D e sire fo r th e same p u rp o se . B u t as it is a t p re s en t u n c e rta in
w h a t o rd e rs I m ay find fo r me a t V a lp araiso , y o u a re to a c t a cco rd in
g to y o u r ow n dis cretio n , so th a t y o u a rriv e a t R io b y th e 2 0 th
o f J u n e to re jo in me.
G iv e n u n d e r m y h a n d , on b o a rd th e A d v e n tu re , a t S t. Carlos de
Chiio'e, N o v em b er 18th, 1829.
P h i l l i p P . K in g , C om m a n d e r .
T o R o b e r t F itz -R o y , Esq.,
C om m an d er o f H .M .S . B eagle .
B y P h illip P a rk e r K in g , E sq ., C om m a n d er o f H is M aje s ty ’s s u rv
e y in g vessel A d v e n tu re , a n d S en io r Officer o f a n E x p e d itio n
fo r th e s u rv e y o f a p a r t o f S o u th Am e ric a .
A s soon as th e A d e la id e T e n d e r is re a d y , y o u will p ro c e ed to
sea, in th e execu tio n o f th e fo llowin g o rd e rs : —
As y o u r p rin c ip a l o b je c t w ill b e to tra c e th e m a in -la n d from th e
p e n in su la o f T re s M o n tes to tb e so u thw a rd , b y p e n e tra tin g in to all
th e o p en in g s th a t le ad e a s te rly , y o u will commence a t th e C h an n e l
M o u th s, a n d ex p lo re th em to th e ir te rm in a tio n .
I n th e e v e n t o f th e ir affording a com m u n ic atio n w ith th e G u lf o f
T r in id a d , a n d y o u r h a v in g tim e , y o u w ill ex am in e th e channels
th a t y o u h a v e re p o rte d to ex ist in th e n e ig h b o u rh o o d o f N e esh am
B ay , so as to com p le te th e Fa llo s C h an n e l, w h ic h sep a ra te s Camp
a n a from th e la n d w ith in it.
S h o u ld th e C h an n e l M o u th s n o t afford th e e x p e c ted te rm in a tion,
y o u w ill p ro c e ed th ro u g h th e M e s ie r o r F a llo s Channels, in