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

May. ciiiTicAL accident — effect of frost. 451 down upon her lee anchor. The critical nature of our situa- tion at once struck me : it was evident, that the frost had rendered our chains, so often tried, a doubtful security against the jerk of rollers which occasionally set into the bay — one or two, perhaps, in half an hour — though the swell was at other times trifling. We veered a whole cable on the in-shore anchor (a small one, got at San Carlos), cleared away and let go the sheet-anchor, shackled the remainder of the small bower chain to the best bower, and rode with two-thirds of a cable on the sheet, and a cable and a half on the bower, close to the beach, though in six fathoms water, keeping the cables constantly streaming wet at the hawse-holes, with sea-water, to prevent their freezing : the temperature of the water being 44°, though the snow and hail lay frozen on the weather-side of the masts. The link that broke, of the chain, was in the hawse exposed to a current of cold air through the hawse-hole. It certainly appeared defective, when examined next day ; but as it had withstood many a heavy strain, I attribute its parting to the action of the frost, and would caution seamen to be on their guard when using chain cables in similar weather. The wind moderated, and the swell decreased towards morning ; so we became again at ease with respect to the safety of the ship, after a few hours of anxious suspense, for we had no hemp cables, and were close to the surf of the shore. " SiSth. The wind drawing sovithward brought the vessel's broadside to the swell, and prevented our getting the boats out for some time, as slie rolled heavily, and I would not risk their being injvu'ed without absolute necessity. In the evening we crept for the end of the chain, weighed, and bent a stout haw- ser to it ; and next day hove up the sheet anchor, and moored afresh, at a greater distance from the land. " 27th and 28th. Blowing a furious gale of wind. " May 29th. The first tolerable day in this place was em- ployed by the officers in taking bearings and soundings in the bay ; and by the ship's company in wooding and watering. Some wigwams and the traces of guanacoes' hoofs were seen, Init the land is high, and being thickly wooded shut us out