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

CHAPTER XIII. Anchor in Berkeley Sound — Le Magellan — British flag hoisted — Ruined Settlement — Mr. Hellyer drowned — Burial — French Whalers — Uni- corn — Adventure — Squall — Flashes — Fossils — Killing Wild Cattle Sail from Falklands — River Negro — Maldonado — Constitucion Heave down, copper and refit Adventure — Signs of weather — Sound banks — Los Cesares — Settle with Harris and part company — Blanco Bay — Return to Maldonado— Monte Video. March 1. The Beagle anchored at the south side of Berke- ley Sound (near the beach where Freycinet was obliged to run rUranie ashore, in 1820, after striking on the detached rock off Volunteer Point), and remained there till I had ascertained the state of affairs on shore : for seeing a French flag flying near some tents beliind Johnson Cove or harbour, and know- ing that, in 1831, the flag of Buenos Ayres was hoisted at a settlement in the sound, it was evident a change of some kind had occurred. Directly our anchor had dropped, a whale-boat belonging to the wrecked whale-ship, ' Le Magellan,' came alongside ; and from her chief mate (who was also whaling- master), we learned that his ship had parted from her anchors during a tremendous squall on the night of the 12th of January, and was totally wrecked. He then informed me that the British colours had been hoisted on these islands by H.M.S. Clio ; and that H.M.S. Tyne had since visited the port and saluted the flag ; that the white flag was hoisted at the French tents only as a signal to us ; and that he was sent by M. le Dilly, his captain, to entreat us to render them assist- ance. Two of our boats were forthwith manned ; one was sent to the settlement at Port Louis, and in the other I went to the Frenchmen at Johnson Cove. I found them very comfortably estabHshed in large tents made from the sails of their lost ship ; but they manifested extreme impatience to get away from the islands, even at the risk of abandoning the vessel and cargo. After due inquiry, I promised to carry as many of them as I