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

404 WEATHER DISCOMFORTS TIDES. Feb. 1830. three children, had escaped by swimming asliore during the preceding night. Thus, after much trouble and anxiety, much valuable time lost, and as fine a boat of her kind as ever was seen being stolen from us by these savages, I found myself with three young children to take care of, and no prospect what- ever of recovering the boat. It was very hard work for the boats' crews, for during the first ten days we had incessant rainy weather, with gales of wind ; and though the last few days had been uncommonly fine, the men's exertions in pulling about among the coves, and in ascending hills, had been ex- tremely fatiguing. " While the bad weather lasted, the men's clothes were seldom dry, either by day or night. Frequently they were soaked by rain during the greater part of the day, and at night they were in no better condition ; for although a large fire (when made) might dry one side, the other as quickly became wet. Obliged, as we were, to pitch our small tent close to the water in order to be near our boat ; — and because every other place was either rocky or covered with wood; — we were more than once awakened out of a sound sleep by finding that we were lying partly in the water, the night-tide having risen very much above that of the preceding day : although the tides should have been at that time ' taking off"' (diminishing). " Sometimes extreme difficulty was found in lighting a fire, because every thing was saturated with moisture ; and hours have been passed in vain attempts, while every one was shiver- ing with cold, — having no shelter from the pouring rain, — and after having been cramped in a small boat during the whole dav. " In Courtenay Sound I saw many nests of shags (corvo- rants) among the branches of trees near the water : until then, I had understood that those birds usually, if not invariably, built their nests on the ground or in cliffs. " Much time had certainly been spent in this search, yet it ought not to be considered as altogether lost. Mr. Stokes had been hard at work during my absence, making plans of the harbours, and taking observations, and I am happy to say, that