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

498 , CLIMATE — ANCHORAGE SOIL. Oct progress towards our destination (Chatham Island) this day (9th). The winds appear to be much lighter and more variable, to leeward of the archipelago, while the current is conside- rably stronger.* We got pretty close to Chatham Island at dusk, worked to windward during the night, and on the fol- lowing morning stood along the weather shore towards the watering place. 11th. How remarkably different is t!ie climate of the wind- ward and leeward islands of this group ! Here we were enve- loped by clouds and drizzling fog, and wore cloth clothes. At Tagus Cove and James Island, a hot sun, nearly vertical, over- powered us ; — while the south side of Albemarle, Charles, and Chatham Islands, were almost always overshadowed by clouds? and had frequent showers of rain. We anchored close to the watering place : but it appeared strange to remain at anchor in such a spot, only three cables'' lengths from a surf breaking high upon a steep clifTj^ shore, with nothing but the ocean between us and the antarctic ; and such was our position ; yet it was a safe one, because the great south-west swell of the Pacific is interrupted by Hood Island, and the southerly trade, or perennial wind is so moderate, that it has neither power to raise a sea nor to harm a vessel lying at anchor, if her ground tackle is not defective. The 12th was spent in filling water, washing, cutting some wood, and bringing thirty large terrapin on board. These animals abound hereabovits ; and some are very large, deserving the name of elephant-tortoises. Two of our party tried to reach the higher and thickly wooded part of the island, but found their task impracticable, in so short a time as they could spare, for the wood grows impenetrably thick, though none is straight or of a large size. The u])per grounds have a rich loamy soil, lying upon rock, in which the terrapin wallow like hogs, and may be found by dozens. This was a very hard day's work for so few men as were then on board our small vessel. (18th) We had some difficulty in ' casting,' so as to • It appears that the Norfolk Island of Colnett, is the nortb-east extreme of Indefatigable Island.