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

1834. PLANS FOR FUTURK — MR. LOW. 363 lightly of, while I could hold out to them the prospect of seeing as well as doing a great deal among the islands of the Pacific, besides completing the surveys of Chile and Peru. I now proposed, first, to go to San Carlos, there set two of our boats at work among; the islands eastward of the large island, while the Beagle would survey the more exposed coasts, those to the west and south ; then the ship was to examine the seaward shores of the Chonos archipelago, while another of her boats was employed among those islands ; and, the Chonos explored, she would return to San Carlos, collect her scattered parties, and proceed along the coast, northwards, taking all the ports and islands in her way. On the 21 st we arrived at San Carlos, and were pleased to find that Mr. Low had returned safe from his difficult under- taking ; and that a person (Mr. Douglas) whom I had engaged to make an excursion to Calbuco and into the forests of 'Alerse,' on the Cordillera of the Andes, had also come back with the required information, and was ready to engage himself to act as a pilot and interpreter. When last at San Carlos I proposed to Mr. Low, then serving as pilot on board the Adventure, to pass the time of our absence at Valparaiso, in exploring part of the Chonos Archipelago with a whale-boat belonging to me, and a crew of natives (Chilotes). Low, ever restless and enterprising, entered eagerly into my views ; so furnishing him with money, a chart, and a few instruments, I explained where I wished him to go, and when he should be again at San Carlos, all further arrange- ment being left to him. Mr. Low hired a crew of six men,* and set out. After he had quitted the southernmost place at which provisions could be procured, called Caylin, or ' El fin de la Christiandad,' one of his men-f" persuaded some of the othersj to eat up the stock * A Welshman, two Chilotes, a Chilian, and two Sandwich Islanders who had been left at San Carlos by a whaler. t The Chilian. J The Chilotes and Sandwich Islanders. Taffy remained faithful : he and Low, being able-bodied active men, frijj htened the rest into reluctant submission.