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

332 BKisBANE — WRECK. March 1834. and helped by Mr. Low's minute acquaintance with every port, and almost every danger. Our tender sailed to continue her coasting examination on the 21st. She returned on the 26th, and sailed again on the 30th. Meanwhile our own boats were constantly occupied in and near Berkeley Sound and Port William. When I visited the settlement it looked more melancholy than ever ; and at two hundred yards' distance from the house in which he had lived, I found, to my horror, the feet of poor Brisbane protruding above the ground. So shallow was his grave that dogs had disturbed his mortal remains, and had fed upon the corpse. This was the fate of an honest, indus- trious, and most faithful man : of a man who feared no danger, and despised hardships. He was murdered by villains, because he defended the property of his friend ; he was mangled by them to satisfy their hellish spite ; dragged by a lasso, at a horse's heels, away from the houses, and left to be eaten by dogs. , Besides my own acquaintance with him and opinions derived from the personal knowledge of the Beagle's officers, some of whom had known Brisbane when his vessel, the Saxe Cobourg, was wrecked in Fury Harbour (owing to no fault of his), Mr. Weddell bears testimony to his character on many occa- sions, particularly by an observation in page 48 (Weddell's Voyage), where he says, " I had full confidence in the care and ability of Mr. Brisbane." (1823.) In 1830 Mr. Brisbane was wrecked on the eastern coast of Tierra del Fuego, near Policarpo Cove, (54° 38' S.), when seal- ing there in partnership with Mr. Bray, who afterwards com- manded the sealing schooner ' Transport,' lost in 1833, at Hope Harbour. I have a copy of their log in my possession, from which the following extracts are selected, to show with what enduring patience some of those hardy sealers bear mis- fortune and distress, " Feb. 23d. Employed saving things from the wreck : six Indians came to us. 24th. Twenty-five Indians came, with their women and children. 25th. Another visit from natives : men, women, and children. 26th. Indians began to be very trou-