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

4i56 KousE — MOLGuiLLA — LEuBU. May Wherever Mr. Rouse went he carried with him the thorough good-will and high respect of the inhabitants of the province of Concepcion — a feeling inestimably valuable at such a time, and totally different from the mere outward formal civility shown to him as the British consul ! This feeling forwarded him on his journey, induced others to assist in earnest, and afterwards enabled him to procure a large supply of fresh pro- visions for the shipwrecked crew. From Concepcion Lieutenant Collins went to Talcahuano, to hire a vessel. Only one fit for such a purpose was in the port, the Carmen, an American schooner, but her owner asked a price so utterly unreasonable, that the Lievitenant refused to engage with him, and returned to the wreck. After Lieutenant Collins was despatched to Concepcion, Captain Seymour and the master went to examine the mouth of the river Leiibu, about eighteen miles to the N.N.W. of Point Molguilla, where the ship struck. They found that boats might enter and leave the river with most winds ; that there was no bar at the entrance ; and that under Tucapel Heights* there was a spot very suitable for their encampment, until some means of embarkation should offer. Travelling over- land so great a distance as to Concepcion, in such a country, would have been almost impracticable, except as a last resource for it must have involved the total loss of every thing which they could not carry on their backs, and rendered useless the many days hard labour, in a raging surf, by which so much had been landed. It was therefore resolved, that as soon as all valuable stores which could be removed were landed, measures should be taken for shifting their camp to the Leiibu. -}- When the consul arrived his advice strengthened the opinion * Immediately over the entrance of the river. + While Captain Seymour was away at the Leiibu, the ofi&cers availed themselves of the opportunity to get the greater part of his stores and private property, books, &c. landed ; for he would not allow any of his own things to be moved, or a man to be employed about them, while an article of the ship's stores could be saved, though his private property was very valuable.