Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.2- Appendix): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

172 APPENDIX. Parecia que el tiempo se oponia todo a la expedicion. Para botar las piraguas se seco el rio, y comenzo el S. ; todo nos iba en contra pero su Divina Magestad permitio que con buen tiempo creciese el rio, y a los 26 dias, el de San Jacome de la Marca, y primera Domi- nica de Adviento, baxamos el rio, y fui a decir Misa a la boca del rio San Tadeo. (Nov^ 28.) :(: ^ * * * * Uno de los Gentiles nos dixo habia visto por aquellos parages Huampus mas grandes, que andaba la gente por las bergas, y falcas mayores que las nuestras : todas noticias deseadas ; pero no lo quieren averiguar. Nuestro Senor guarde a V. R. muchos anos, Castro y Marzo 14 de 1780. :f: :^ :}: :}: H^ ^ Huampus es nombre propio del idioma Veliche, y significa qual- quiera embarcacion ; y en este dicho di6 a entender aquel GentH a los Religiosos que en aquella altura habia visto navios, como clara- mente se infiere de expresar que la gente andaba por las bergas. No. 23. Extract from Burney's History of the Discoveries in the South Sea. Vol. iv. p. 118, &c. Oct. 11th, 1681, they* were in latitude 49° 54' S., and estimated their distance from the American coast to be 120 leagues. The wind blew strong from the S.W. and they stood to the S.E. On the morning of the 12th, two hours before day, being in latitude by account 50° 50' S., they suddenly found themselves close to land- The ship was iU prepared for such an event, the fore-yard having been lowered to ease her, on account of the strength of the wind. " The land was high and towering ; and here appeared many islands scattered up and down." They were so near and .so entangled, that there was no possibility of standing off to sea ; and, with such light as they had, they steered as cautiously as they could in between some islands and along an extensive coast, which, whether it was a larger island, or part of the continent, they could not know. As the day advanced, the land was seen to be mountainous and craggy, and the tops covered with snow. * The buccaneers under Shnrp.