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

320 SEABCH FOR FRESH WATER. Jan. " pozos de agua dulce ;" but after a very fatiguing walk not a drop of water could be found. I lay down on the top of a hill, too tired and thirsty to move farther, seeing two lakes of water, as we thought, about two miles off, but unable to reach them. Mr. Darwin, more accustomed than the men, or myself, to long excursions on shore, thought he could get to the lakes, and went to try. We watched him anxiously from the top of the hill,* saw him stoop down at the lake, but im- mediately leave it and go on to another, that also he quitted without delay, and we knew by his slow returning pace that the apparent lakes were ' salinas.' We then had no alterna- tive but to return, if we could, so descending to meet him at one side of the height, we all turned eastward and trudged along heavily enough. The day had been so hot that our little stock of water was soon exhausted, and we were all more or less laden with instruments, ammunition, or weapons. About dusk I could move no farther, having foolishly carried a heavy double-barrelled gun all day besides instruments, so, choosing a place which could be found again, I sent the party on and lay down to sleep ; one man, the most tired next to myself, staying with me. A glass of water would have made me quite fresh, but it was not to be had. After some hours, two of my boat's crew returned with water, and we were very soon revived. Towards morning we all got on board, and no one suffered afterwards from the over-fatigue, except Mr. Darwin, who had had no rest during the whole of that thirsty day — now a matter of amusement, but at the time a very serious affair. Sir Woodbine Parish intends to publish a description of the Spanish settlements on these shores, in which no doubt Viedma's, at Port San Julian, will have place. A full account of it, in the original language, may be found in the diary of Antonio de Viedma, published at Buenos Ayres, in 18B7, by Don Pedro de Angelis. Finding no water near the harbour except after rain, which is there rare, Viedma pitched * Named in the plan ' Thirsty Hill.'