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

April 1828. seal — very bad weather. 161 for any thing but firewood ; of those we felled there was scarcely one that was not more or less rotten at the heart, a defect probably caused by the extreme humidity of the climate. " During our stay, the master, accompanied by our boat- swain's mate,(f) an experienced sealer, went to take seal on the rocks, and returned in a few hours with some of the inferior sort, called ' hair seal,' which were numerous ; but the surf was in most places too heavy to allow them to land without much risk. The fry of the young seals we thought extremely good, not exceeded even by the finest lamb''s fry. " On the morning of the 5th we worked to the westward, to clear the land on each side of the inlet ; and at sunset, Cajse Tres Puntas bore N. b. W. | W., distant two leagues. The northerly breeze, which we had worked with since leaving Port Henry, increased rapidly to a hard gale, and by 8 p.m. we were reduced to the close-reefed main-topsail and reefed foresail. The gale continued with unabated violence during the 6th, 7th, and 8th, from the north, N.W., and S.W., with a confused mountainous sea. Our decks were constantly flooded, and we could rai-ely show more than the close-reefed main-topsail and reefed foresail. Only two accidents occurred : the little boat which we carried astern was washed away by a heavy sea that broke over us, while hoisting her in-board ; and the marine barometer was broken by the violent motion of the vessel. At noon, on the 8th, Cape Corso bore from us, by account, S.E. (true), distant fifty-five miles. I had tried to gain a wide ofiing to get a less turbulent sea, and because not even an outline of the sea-coast of Campana Island was drawn in the chart. We had not, during these three days, a glimpse of the sun or of a star, for it blew a constant gale, accompanied by squalls, thick weather, and rain. According to the time of year, the season of winter had not arrived, but the weather seemed to say it was already come Sullen and sad, with all it's rising train Of vapours, clouds, and storms. f/j Thomas Sorrell, now boatswain of the Beagle (1837). He was boat- swain of the Saxe Cobouig, when wrecked in Fui-y Harbour. — R. F. VOL. I. M