6 PBFFAGE. 



Captain, the spring of the men to the yard-arms, and soon the 

 ship again on the dark, stormy sea, with labyrinths of islands, 

 and the Fuegia,n cliffs to leeward ; but, the wind losing some- 

 what of its violence and slightly veering, the ship making a 

 bare escape as the morning dawned with brighter skies. 



And still another scene, more than two years later, on a 

 beautiful Sunday, in the summer of 1841, when, after a cruise 

 of some months through the tropics, we were in full expecta- 

 tion of soon landing joyously on the shores of the Columbia ; 

 of the vessel suddenly striking bottom ; then, other heavier 

 blows on the fatal bar, and a quivering and creaking among 

 the timbers ; the waters rapidly gaining, in spite of the pumps, 

 through a long night ; the morning come, our taking to the 

 boats, empty handed, deserting the old craft that had been a 

 home for three eventful years, for " Cape Disappointment " — a 

 name that tells of other vessels here deceived and wrecked ; 

 and, twenty hours later, the last vestige of the " Old Peacock " 

 gone, her upper decks swept off by the waves, the hulk buried 

 in the sands. 



But these were only incidents of a few hours in a long and 

 always delightful cruise; If this work gives pleasure to any, 

 it will but prolong in the world the enjoyments of the " Ex- 

 ploring Expedition." 



In explanation of some allusions in the following pages, 

 I may here state with regard to the Exploring Expedi- 

 tion, that Captain (now Admiral) Chaeles Wilkes, IT. S. N., 

 the Commander of the Expedition, was in charge of the Sloop- 

 of-war Vincennes ; Capt. Wm. L. Hudson, U. S. N., of the 

 Sloop-of-war Peacock; Capt. A. K. Long, U. S. N., of the 

 Storeship Relief (the vessel which encountered the dangers 

 in the Cape Horn sea, above related) ; and Lieut. Command- 

 ant C. Ringgold, of the Brig Porpoise ; and that my associates 



