HOMEWARD BOUND. 93 



mud, shells. At 8.10 p.m. made sail and banked fires. 

 Ship rolling from 18° to 27°. Long swells from west- 

 ward. Current 0.75 knot per hour, setting E. Barom- 

 eter at midnight 29.19, temperature 48°. 



December 14. Fresh breeze with very fresh squalls 

 from the N.W. and drizzling rain. Long heavy 

 swell with rough sea. At 4.30 a.m. spread fires. At 

 7.05 A.M. shortened and furled sail, then sounded in 

 2378 fathoms, lat. 51° 18' S., long. 82° 31' W. ; brown 

 mud and shells. At 9.10 a.m. made sail, uncoupled, 

 and banked fires. During the forenoon the sun came 

 out bright, the breeze continuing strong from the north- 

 ward and westward. Directly in our route and only 

 seventy miles from the last cast there was recorded on 

 the chart a solitary sounding which agreed very well 

 wnth the depth found in the morning, and, as we were 

 making about ten knots an hour, I decided to run past 

 that position and take the next cast beyond. The day 

 was spent in bending chains, preparing for port, and 

 getting ready for anchoring, as we were only 270 miles 

 from Magellan Straits. At 11.45 ^•^- started fires. 

 Current 0.6 knot an hour, setting S. 64° E. Barom- 

 eter at midnight, 29.92, temperature 48°. 



December 15. Fresh, squally, but increasing breeze 

 from W.N.W. Moderately heavy sea from W. to 

 N.W. At 2.35 A.M. sounded in 2162 fathoms, lat. 

 51° 57' S., long. 78° 34' W. ; gray-brown mud, shells. 

 At 4 A.M. made sail and banked fires. At 8 a.m. spread 

 fires and started another boiler for steaming purposes; 



