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

270 WRECK PROCEEDINGS. Mavcll could to Monte Video, and to interest myself in procuring a ^ assage for the rest. Their ship was lying upon a sandy beach, one bilge stove in, and her hold full of sand and water ; but as there was no surf, and at high spring-tide the sea rose only to her deck, all the stores and provisions, if not the ship herself, might have been saved by energetic application of proper means soon after she was stranded. When I saw her it was not too late, but I had too many urgent duties to fulfil to admit of my helping those who would not help themselves. Returning on board, I met Mr. ChaflPers, who had been to Port Louis, and heard that there was no constituted authority whatever resident on the islands, but that the British flag had been left by Captain Onslow in charge of an Irishman, who had been Mr. Vernet's storekeeper. This man at first declined answering Mr. ChafFers's questions, because his uniform buttons were (as he thought) different from those of the Tyne's officers ; however, being a simple character, he soon became more loquacious than was wished. He told Mr. Chaffers that he was ordered to ' hoist the flag up and down'' when vessels arrived, and every Sunday : that there was ' plenty of beef,' and as for rabbits and geese, only the ' poor people eat them.' 2d. Weighed and shifted our berth to Johnson Cove. 3d. We got on board all the new rope, bread, salt meat, and small stores, which the Frenchmen had saved and wished us to em- bark for the benefit of their owners. Meanwhile, surveying operations were begun, and an officer despatched to the settle- ment, who informed me of the arrival of a merchant schooner (Rapid), fourteen days from Buenos Ayres, with Mr. Brisbane on board (as Vernet's agent as well as partner), who was de- lighted to meet our officer, finding in him one of those who helped to save his life when wrecked in the Saxe Cobourg in 1827. No sooner had Mr. Brisbane landed than the master and crew of the Rapid hastened to make themselves drunk, as an indemnification for the fatigues of their exceedingly long and hazardous voyage : and in that state they were found by the