10 SPOBTING ADVENTURES 



was placed at his disposal, and on the 7th of 

 November, having embarked his Excellency and 

 two of his friends, we put to sea. 



The intricacy of the navigation around these 

 coasts necessitated our reaching a safe anchor- 

 age before dark, and the afternoon of our 

 departure from Port Stanley we anchored in 

 Mare Harbour. We had observed a herd of 

 guanaco watching the ship with much curiosity 

 from the neighbouring hills as we steamed up to 

 the anchorage ; so as soon as we had anchored 

 I landed in company with the governor and 

 Captain Packe,and proceeded in search of them. 

 We walked inland some distance, shooting a few 

 brace of geese on our way, till we spied the 

 herd, numbering from twenty to thirty. It was 

 apparent that the guanaco had already seen us, 

 and had no inclination for a closer acquaintance, 

 as they trotted off across some sand-hills where 

 we had no chance of following them with any 

 prospect of getting a shot. There was an arm 

 of the sea between us and the animals, but the 

 water was not more than knee-deep ; so sending 



