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Beagle and Adventure sail from Port Famine through Magdalen and
Cockburn Channel — Enter Pacific—Death of Mr. Rowlett—Childe
—Chile—Government—Adventure sold—Consequent changes—Plans
—Mr. Low—Chonos—Lieut. Sulivan’s party—Moraleda—Ladrilleros
.— De Vea — Sharp—San Andres—Vallenar—Mr Stokes—San Estevan
— Distressed sailors — Anna Pink Bay — Port Low—Potatoes—
Indian names — Huafo — Volcano—Chilotes—Aborigines—Militia—
Freebooters —Climate —.Docks—Tides—Witchcraft — Alerse—Cal-
bucauos —Cesares—Search for men—Meteors.
J une 9th. Good equal altitudes having heen obtained, after
an interval of tinne sufficient for rating our chronometers,*
we sailed from Port Famine, went down the Magdalen Channel,
enjoying some fine scenery, among which Sarmiento was
pre-eminent, and anchored in a cove under Cape Turn. The
following day we beat to windward through the Cockburn
Channel, and would have anchored at night had a safe place
offered in time, but as the only cove near us at dusk was a
very small one, I preferred leaving that unoccupied for the
Adventure, and remaining under way in the Beagle. The
night was long and very dark, small rain fell nearly all the
time, and squalls from the westward were frequent. There
were but four square miles in which it was safe to sail to and
fro after dark, and for fourteen hours we traversed that area
in every direction. It was necessary to keep under a reasonable
press of sail part of the time, to hold our ground against
the lee tide; but with the ebb we had often to bear up and
run to leeward, when we got too near the islets westward of
us. In a case of this kind a ship is so much more manageable
while going through the water than she is while hove-to,
and those on board are in general so much more on the alert
than when the vessel herself seems half asleep, that I have
always been an advocate for short tacks under manageable sail,
so as to keep as much as possible near the same place, in preference
to heaving-to and drifting.
• The Adventure had four chronometers.