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

150 ADELAIDE SEXT FOB MEAT. July 1828. ease, although every precaution had been used, and subsequent attention paid to their diet, are not easy to account for : fresh provisions, bread baked on board, pickles, cranberries, large quantities of wild celery, preserved meats and soups, had been abundantly supplied ; the decks were kept well-aired, dry, and warm, but all to no purpose ; these precautions, perhaps, checked the disease for a time ; but did not prevent it, as had been fully expected. The Adelaide sailed on the 16th of July, with every pros- pect of fine weather. The same evening, an American sealing schooner anchored near us, on her way to Staten Land. She had entered the Straits by Cutler and Smyth Channels, and in forty-eight hours arrived at Port Famine. After obtaining some trifling assistance from our forge, she sailed. On the ^5th, three new cases of scurvy appeared, one being the assistant-surgeon, which increased our sick-list to fourteen. Feeling the necessity of doing something, I ordered the hands to be turned up, ' Prepare ship for sea ! ' No sooner had the words escaped the boatswain's lips, than all was life, energy, and delight. The preliminary preparations were made, and every one looked forward with pleasure to the change, except myself. I had hoped to pass the twelve months at Port Famine, with the intention of completing a meteorological journal, for which this place afforded peculiar advantages. My plan was, on the Beagle's return, to despatch her and the schooner along the West Coast, and join them in the Adventure at Chiloe. As our departure was now supposed to depend on the Beagle's arrival, every eye was. on the stretch to watch for her, and every morning some one of our party ascended the heights, to look out. On the 27th she was seen, beating up from the south- ward ; but as the wind was contrary, she did not anchor in the bay until the evening. Her return was greeted with three most hearty cheers ; but on passing under our stern. Lieutenant Skyring informed me that Captain Stokes was confined to his eabin by illness, and could not wait on me. I therefore went to the Beagle, and found Captain Stokes looking very ill, and in low spirits. He expressed himself much distressed by the hard-