i t.
; 1
I;
yards wide, but so shallow that there was only three feet water
in the middle. The river narrowed considerably as they
ascended, ti]l at the spot where Mr. Chaffers stopped to take
sights of the sun, the stream was but forty yards across. In
that place the deepest water was three feet at the top of high
tide, over a gravelly bottom ; but from the level space between
the stream and the foot of the nearest hills, about three quarters
of a mile, there was reason for supposing that during floods
all the valley might be inundated. From a neighbouring hill,
four hundred feet in height, the river could be traced several
miles further, making a distance of about eight miles seen by
our party, in which the water was quite fresh. I t was lost to
the westward, winding along an irregular break,or cliff-bounded
valley, in the distant hills. The only living creature seen, of
any size, was a lame horse, feeding near the river. There were
no traces whatever of Indians. Having hastened back with
the little boat before tbe river dried* (at half-ebb), Mr.
Chaffers ascended another h ill; but saw little more excepting
an appearance of water to the southward, about which be could
not clearly distinguish whether it was a lake, part of a river,
or a salt-pond. I have no doubt, that during particular seasons
a large body of fresh water is brought down this valley,
but I do not think the river rises near the Andes, because there
is no drift-wood on its banks, and the Indians say nothing of
it when enumerating the rivers which cross the continent.
Jan. 4tb, 1834. In working out of Port Desire, the Beagle
struck her fore-foot heavily against a rock, so as to shake her
fore aud a ft; but on she went with the tide, and as she
made no water, I did not think it worth while returning into
port. I was instantly convinced that we had hit the very rock
on which tbe Beagle struck in 1829, in the night—a danger
we never again could find by daylight till this day, when I
was, rather imprudently, going out with the last quarter-ebb.
* T h e t i d e f e l l m o r e t h a n f o u r t e e n f e e t p e r p e n d i c u l a r l y ; h u t a sm a l l
hrook remained, perhaps a foot deep, winding its course between the
uncovered banks.