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

472 adventure's passage — summer. which makes like a high island. In calm weather do not pass too near to the cape, for the current sometimes sets out, and round the cape to the southward ; but with a strong wind, get under the lee of it as soon as you please, and steer along the shore. In the night it will be advisable to keep close to the land of the south shore ; and if a patent log be used, which no ship should be without, your distance will be cor- rectly known. The course along-shore, by compass, is E. f S. and if the weather be hazy, by keeping sight of the south shore, there will be no difficulty in proceeding with safety. The Adventure entered the Strait on the 1st of April, 1830, at sunset ; and after passing within half a mile of the islets off the Harbour of Mercy, steered E. | S. magnetic, under close-reefed topsails, braced by, the weather being so squally and thick that the land was frequently concealed from us but being occasionally seen, the water being quite smooth, and the course steadily steered, with the patent log to mark the distance run, we proceeded without the least anxiety, although the night was dark, and the squalls of wind and rain frequent and violent. When abreast of Cape Tamar, that projection was clearly distinguished, as was also the land of Cape Providence, which served to check the distance shewn by the patent log ; but both giving the same results, proved that we had not been subjected to any current ; whereas the account by the ship's log was very much in error, in conse- quence of the violence of the squalls and the long intervals of light winds, which rendered it impossible to keep a correct account of the distance. At daybreak we were between Cape Monday and the Gulf of Xaultegua; and at eight o'clock we were abreast of Playa Parda, in which, after a calm day, the ship was anchored. In the summer season there is no occasion to anchor any where, vmless the weather be very tempestuous, for the nights are short, and hardly dark enough to require it, unless as a precautionary measure, or for the purpose of procuring wood and water ; the best place for which is Port Famine, where