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

458 MfCE — EATS — cAAip. June essential articles of provision were exhausted : inactivity and uncertainty were depressing the minds of all, and Captain Seymour had begun to concert measures for abandoning the ships' stores, which had been so painfully saved, and travelling overland to Concepcion, when the letters from Commodore Mason were given to him. It ought not to be forgotten that Mr. Rouse decided to remain with Captain Seymour, and share his fate, whatever plan he might adopt. Among evils of magnitude trifling vexations are little noticed ; an absolute plague of mice caused amusing occupa- tion, rather than annoyance. The ground, the tents, their beds, everything and every place was infested by mice : nothing was safe from their teeth ; provisions were hung up, and people were obKged to watch them. Hundreds were killed every hour, for they literally swarmed over all that part of the country, and curiously enough the old people attributed their appearance to the earthquake ! Besides these mice, which had feet like those of a lizard, enabling them to climb in all direc- tions, even along the smallest line or branch of a tree, there were animals that they called rats, about the encampment at Leiibu, which deserve mention, not on account of their num- bers (as there were comparatively few) but because they were formed like opossums, having a pouch to contain their young for some time after birth. Early the next morning (24th) I went up with Captain Sey- mour to the heights of Tucapel, which overlook the river and command an extensive view of the sea. Flag-staffs had been erected there, and large piles of wood collected, in order that flags might be kept flying by day, and fires burning at night. The Uttle camp below presented a regular and very respectable appearance : fourteen or fifteen tents, pitched in regular order, and surrounded by a palisade with a ditch, would have caused even a large body of Indians to hesitate before they attacked it. I was much struck by the strength of the position, and the ease with which it might be defended by a small force against numbers, and still maintain communication with the sea. There was formerly a small settlement there, called a