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 XVII. Beagle and Adventure sail from Port Famine through Magdalen and Cockburn Channel — Enter Pacific — Death of Mr. Rowlett— Chiloe — Chile — Government— Adventure sold — Consequent changes — Plans — Mr. Low — Chonos — Lieut. Sulivan's party — Moraleda — Ladrilleros — DeVea — Sharp — San Andres — Vallenar — Mr Stokes — San Este- van — ; Distressed sailors — Anna Pink Bay — Port Low — Potatoes Indian names — Huafo — Volcano — Chilotes — Aborigines — Militia Freebooters— Climate — Docks — Tides — Witchcraft — Alerse — Cal- bucanos — Cesares — Search for men — Meteors. June 9th. Good equal altitudes having been obtained, after an interval of time sufficient for rating our chronometers,* we sailed from Port Famine, went down the Magdalen Chan- nel, enjoying some fine scenery, among which Sarmiento was pre-eminent, and anchored in a cove under Cape Turn. The following day we beat to windward through the Cockburn Channel, and would have anchored at night had a safe place offered in time, but as the only cove near us at dusk was a very small one, I preferred leaving that unoccupied for the Adventure, and remaining under way in the Beagle. The night was long and very dark, small rain fell nearly all the time, and squalls from the westward were frequent. There were but four square miles in which it was safe to sail to and fro after dark, and for fourteen hours we traversed that area in every direction. It M^as necessary to keep under a reason- able press of sail part of the time, to hold our ground against the lee tide ; but with the ebb we had often to bear up and run to leeward, when we got too near the islets westward of us. In a case of this kind a ship is so much more manage- able while going through the water than she is while hove-to, and those on board are in general so much more on the alert than when the vessel herself seems half asleep, that I have always been an advocate for short tacks under manageable sail, so as to keep as much as possible near the same place, in pre- ference to heaving-to and drifting. * The Adventure iiad four chronometers.