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

68 LOSS OF THE THETIS. December starboard tack until Ih. 30m. p.m., when it was considered that Cape Frio bore about N. 40° E., distant thirty-eight miles. The position at noon, by dead reckoning, gave the Cape bearing N. 43. E., distant forty-one miles ; all the cal- culations giving results between that and N. 51. E., fifty-three miles ; but by dead reckoning only, as neither sun, moon, or stars had been seen. At Ih. 30m. the wind being scant, the ship was steered E. by N., and at two, a cross sea checking her way through the water, the course was altered to E.N. E. At two, when the course was thus changed, she had run nineteen miles since noon, and at four, twenty more miles had been made on the E.N.E. course ; at which time, four p.m. (under the idea that she was almost abreast of Cape Frio, supposed to be then distant about twenty-four miles), seeing a large ship, ' courses down,' in-shore of her, steering west or W. by N., with all sail set ; and the weather clearing, for an interval, without any land being seen ; it was concluded that the Thetis was still further from the shore than had been estimated, and her course was altered to N.E. by E. At five, the crew was mustered at quarters, after which the reefs were mended, and the fore top-gallant sail, jibs, spanker, and reefed fore top- mast studding-sail were set. From four o'clock to six she ran, by log, twenty-one miles ; after six the weather became very thick and rainy : and when the look-out men were relieved at eight o'clock, it was so dark, and rained so fast, that nothing- could be distinguished half a ship's length distant. Soon after eight one of the look-out men, named Robinson, said to ano- ther man on the forecastle,* " Look how fast that squall is coming" (this was the cliff looming indistinctly through the rain and darkness), and next moment, " Landa-head," "Hard a-port," rung in the ears of the startled crew, and were echoed terribly by the crashing bowsprit, and thundering fall of the ponderous masts. The hull did not then strike the rocks, having answered the helm so fast as to be turning off shore when the bowsprit • Borsworthick. Both these men afterwards sailed with me in the Beagle.