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

1829-1835. DESERTERS — METEORS. 395 he assured me would amply satisfy both ' bruxos' and ' de- votos,' and left him, notwithstanding his temporary fears, a happy man. In 1834 I learned that we had actually been within a boat's length of the deserters on one occasion, and that they had made up their minds to yield unconditionally. They were hidden in some thick bushes on the borders of an inlet* under the Cor- covado, and their piragua was hauled up behind a rock, out of immediate observation. It is now high time to quit Chiloe, and proceed along the coast northward : but before I do so, let me take advantage of this opportunity to express the gratitude of those with me, as well as of myself, for a succession of private assistance and sincere kindness experienced from many persons at San Carlos, whose names I refrain from mentioning, because I have a great dislike even to the idea of publishing any thing that occurs in the unreserved intercourse of friends. * Palbitad, or Almangrande. Extraordinary meteoric appearances have occasionally been noticed about Chiloe, and the islands southward of it. In describing' theCarel- mapu earthquake, of 1633, AgUeros says that torrents of rain followed and that on a high hill near the town was seen a globe of fire, which rose for a short interval, and then fell into the sea : the waters of which were in consequence much disturbed. A violent tempest ensued, with hail larger than musket-balls. Another remarkable earthquake happened thereabouts on the 23d — ^24th of December, 1737 : and on the 30th, in the early part of the evening, a great exhalation or cloud of fire was seen passing, from north to south, over all the archipelago. It fell on the Huayteca islands, covered them with ashes, and burned up the vegetation to such a degree that it wa* only in 1750, that the islands began again to look green. — Agiieros, pp. 102, 104, 105. In Sarmiento's voyage an appearance of a similar nature is mentioned, as having been seen near the Strait of Magalhaens : (Viage al Estrecho de Magallanes, p. 205). — Other authorities might be quoted.