Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

82 PERMANENT EQTIIPMENT. July of which the encouragement of our brother- seamen was no triflmg inducement. While in harbour, a few alterations had been made in the disposition of our guns and stores, as well as some slight changes in the sails and rigging ; and as the Beagle^s equipment afterwards remained unaltered, I will here briefly describe it. She was rigged as a bark ; her masts were strongly supported by squarer cross-trees and tops, and by larger rigging than usual in vessels of her tonnage.* Chains were used where found to answer, and in no place was a block or a sheave allowed which did not admit the proper rope or chain freely. There were large trysails between the masts, made of stout canvas, with several reefs, and very useful we found them. On the forecastle was a six-pound boat-carronade : before the ches- tree were two brass six-pound guns : close to the bulwark on each side of tlie waist were the ' booms ;' and amidships two boats, on the diagonal principle, one stowed inside the other, and as close to thedeck as possible; being secured by iron cranks, or supports. Abaft the main-mast were four brass guns, two nine-pound, and two six-pound : the skylights were large ; there was no capstan ; over the wheel the poop-deck projected, and under it were cabins, extremely small, certainly, though filled in inverse proportion to their size. Below the upper deck her accommodations were similar to, though rather bet- ter than those of vessels of her class. Over the quarter- deck, upon skids, two whale-boats, eight-and-twenty feet long, were carried ; upon each quarter was a whale-boat twenty-five feet in length, and astern was a dinghy. A few leagues southward of the port is a good situation for enjoying a general view of the picturesque mountains in its vicinity. When near the shore one only sees those of an inferior order ; and it is not until an offing is gained that the bold and varied outlines of the distant Organ Mountain s,+ the sharp * Two huiwJred and forty-two tons. t So called because they have a number of pinnacles, somewhat like the pipes of an organ.