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

484 MR. WILSON DON E. CARRASCO. Sept. of that country — the anarchical mternal dissensions which are the bane of all South America, but especially of Peru. In this respect there Avere so many prospective dangers, as well as difficulties, that I should not have ventured to let him encoun- ter them, had we not had such a man as Belford Hinton Wil- son* to rely upon for foresight, advice, influence, and as hearty unflinching assistance, as any one public servant could afibrd to another, Mr. Wilson's exertions were unceasing, until he procured every passport and document that could by any pos» sibility be required for Mr. Usborne. He introduced him as well as myself, to the hydrographer (Don Eduardo Carrasco) Avho assisted us in many ways most materially ; and after I left the coast he showed every possible attention and kindness to all the Constitueion''s party ; winding up by advancing a large sum of money out of his own purse, to forward the service in which they were engaged, and increase their comfort during a long passage to England round Cape Horn. Captain Carrasco, formerly in the Spanish navy, and now Director of the Nautical School at Lima, gave me, and afterwards Mr. Usborne, every particle of information which he and I thought might be useful — both verbally and in writ- ing — besides which he ransacked the archives for manuscripts, charts, and books, from which he allowed extracts to be taken or copies made, in the most truly liberal manner ; and I long to see the results of our voyage, whatever they may be, laid before him and his friends, as an acknowledgment — ^liowever slight— of their free assistance and co-operation. On the 6th of September Mr. Usborne sailed.^ He was to commence near Paposo ; work along the coast thence to Gua- yaquil, and afterwards return to Callao. The following day the Beagle left Callao, and steered direct '' j towards the Galapagos Islands, of which, as they are novel ground, I shall be rather minute in my description. 15th. Uncertain of the strength, and even of the direction of the currents — though aware that at times the former is very * Then consul general, now charge d'affaires of H.B.M. in Peru. t Orders in Appendix.