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

1835. POSITION — PKEPARATIONS. 453 a moment's hesitation. They were, however, quickly recalled — a few moments sufficing to show that saving lives was all that could be attempted. Each succeeding sea drove the ship's stern higher than the bow* upon the shore, and along shore withal, inside some rocks, which partly deadened the fury of the great south-west swell, that rolls in directly against this part of the coast. That the sea did not break at first upon the hull of the vessel, and drive every thing before it, is accounted for by her position — with the bow to seaward— and by the defence afforded by a large rock near her bow which received the first shock of each wave. Heavily the ship continued to beat upon the shore, reeling from side to side as seas struck her, yet her masts, though tottering at every shock, did not fall; nor did her strong hull yield to the continual striking, until hours had passed. Then, indeed, the rising of the tanks and contents of the hold showed that her frame had given way, and that the well-built Challenger would never float again. There was scarcely any wind ; but the foar of the breakers and the clouds of spray would have almost stu- pified the crew, had not life been at stake. No land could be discerned till after the moon had risen — no one could even conjecture where the ship had struck, excepting only the master, who thought they must be on the Dorniido shoal, off the island of Santa Maria. The purser collected the ship's papers, and saw them headed up in a water-tight cask : each person endeavoured to secure some valuable : — till daylight came fur- ther preparation would have availed nothing. The captain was asked to cut away the masts; but he refused to let more than the mizen-mast be touched, because their weight, after the first few seas, steadied the ship, as she lay over, and prevented her rolling to seaward with the recoil- ing waves. When she first struck, he was asked to let go the anchors ; another request which he wisely refused, rightly judging that having struck, anchoring could not impi'ove their * The peculiarity of her form — drawing as much water forward as she did abaft — may have been partly the cause of her bow lainaining to sea- ward, which contributed so much to the preservation of lives.