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

282 ADVENTURE WILLIAMS. April Early on the 12th, we were off the river Negro ; but baf- fling winds and a heavy swell (raised by the late gale), pre- vented our anchoring near the bar, or sending in a boat. Soon after noon on the 14th, while standing off and on, wait- ing for the swell to go down, and allow of a boat crossing the bar, a sail seen in the horizon was made out to be the Adven- ture. We steered for and spoke her, found all well, sent her on to Maldonado, and again stood towards the bar. Our tender, as I mentioned, sailed from Berkeley Sound on the 4th ; but was obliged to heave-to during the gale in which we were able to scud. Next day (15th), a decked boat, like the Paz, with some difficulty crossed the bar, and brought me letters from Lieu- tenant Wickham, by which I learned that he and his party had sailed from the river, intending to visit the Gulf of San Matias, only a few days before we arrived, having previously examined all the coast, from Port Desire to Valdes Creek.* I was sorry to hear that Corporal Williams, a very worthy man, in every sense of the words, had been drowned in the river Negro. Williams had been in two polar voyages, and under Captain King, in H.M.S. Adventure, from 1825 to 1830. The rest of the party were well, and making rapid pro- gress with their task. Wind favouring, we made all sail for the Bay of San Jose, hoping to meet the little vessels under Lieutenant Wickham, but could not find them ;-)- so concluding that they had run further south than was intended at their departure from the Negro, we steered out of the Gulf of San Matias, and made sail for the Plata. At daylight on the 26th, land was seen near Maldonado, and at two, we anchored off Monte Video. In a few hours the French passengers were landed ; next day our anchor was again weighed, and at noon on the 28th we moored the Beagle in Maldonado Bay, close to the little island of Gorriti. Our tender, the Adventure, had arrived on the 23d. My thoughts * Or port, as it has been called, though imjiroperly, because it is at times almost blocked up by a bar. t They were in Port San Antonio.