Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

June 1828. sealing vessels — scurvy. 149 faction. They went southward, landing for the night in Voces Bay, and the following day went to the Adeona, in Bougain- ville Harbour, where they remained some days. The day after the Indians left us, a boat came from the Adeona, to acquaint us that, in a day or two, she and her companions, the Uxbridge and Mercury, intended to leave the Strait for the Falkland Islands ; upon which I prepai'ed letters for England, and a report of my proceedings for the Secretary of the Admiralty. The ships passed by on the 30th, and took my letters. This last month (June) set in with snow or rain, which con- tinued until the 11th, when the weather assumed a very threa- tening appearance. On the 14th the barometer fell to 29- 27, and the wind blew a hard gale from N.E. ; but in the after- noon it veered round to S. W., and the mercury rose rapidly. A gale from S.W. followed, and then to the end of the month we had a series of moderate weather, but much snow. Themean tem- perature for June was 32°,97 the range being between 19°,2 and 48°,T. July commenced with an unusually low temperature and a high barometer ; the former, on the 4th was 12°,2, and the lat- ter, at the same time, at 30,5 inches, having risen since the 14th of June 1.82 of an inch. After this we had a few mild and fine days, but paid dearly for them ; a northerly gale set in, bringing with it unwholesome damp weather, in which the temperature rose to between 35° and 42°, and melted much of the snow that had covered the ground, quite to the water's edge, during the last two months. Our sick-list, particularly of cases of scurvy, increased so much, during this damp, trying weather, that I determined upon sending the Adelaide to the northward, to procure a supply of fresh meat from the Pata- gonians ; and, at the same time, to survey that part of the Strait lying between Cape Negro and the Second Narrow. Lieutenants Graves and Wickham, and Mr. Tarn, went upon this service, the latter being most anxious to procure some change of diet for the sick under his care, for some of whom he was much alarmed. The appearance and severity of this dis-