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

Dec. 1826. fall and strength of tide. 15 their movements. Guanacoes also were seen feeding near the beach, which was the first intimation we had of the existence of that animal southward of the Strait of Magal- haens. When day broke (29th) it was discovered that the ship had drifted considerably during the night. The anchor Avas weiglied, and with a favourable tide we reached an anchorage a mile in advance of the Beagle. We had shoaled rather saddenly to eight fathoms, upon which the anchor was imme- diately dropped, and on veering cable the depth was eleven fathoms. We had anchored on the edge of a bank, which soon afterwards, by the tide falling, was left dry within one hundred yards of the ship. Finding ourselves so near a shoal, preparations were made to prevent the ship from toucli- ing it. An anchor was dropped under foot, and others were got ready to lay out, for the depth alongside had decreased from eleven to seven fathoms, and was still falling. For- tunately we had brought up to leeward of the bank, and suf- fered no inconvenience; the flood made, and as soon as possible the ship was shifted to another position, about half a mile to the S. E., in a situation very favourable for our next attempt to pass the Narrow. This night the tide fell thirty-six feet, and the stream ran six knots. The ensuing morning we made another attempt to get through the Narrow, and, from having anchored so close to its entrance, by which the full benefit of the strength, as well as the whole duration of the tide was obtained, we succeeded in clearing it in two hours, although the distance was more than twenty miles, and the wind directly against us, the sea, as before, breaking repeatedly over the ship. After emerging from the Narrow we had to pass through a heavy ' race' before we ' reached' out of the influence of the stream that runs between the First and Second Narrow, but the tide lasted long enough to carry us to a quiet anchorage. In the evening we weighed again, and reached Gregory Bay, where the Beagle joined us the next morning. Since entering tlie Strait, we had not had any communication