282 ADVENTURE — WILLIAMS. April 



Early on the 12th, we were off the river Negro ; but baf- 

 fling winds and a heavy swell (raised by the late gale), pre- 

 vented our anchoring near the bar, or sending in a boat. 



Soon after noon on the 14th, while standing off and on, wait- 

 ing for the swell to go down, and allow of a boat crossing the 

 bar, a sail seen in the horizon was made out to be the Adven- 

 ture. We steered for and spoke her, found all well, sent her on 

 to Maldonado, and again stood towards the bar. Our tender, 

 as I mentioned, sailed from Berkeley Sound on the 4th ; but 

 was obliged to heave-to during the gale in which we were 

 able to scud. 



Next day (15th), a decked boat, like the Paz, with some 

 difficulty crossed the bar, and brought me letters from Lieu- 

 tenant Wickham, by which I learned that he and his party 

 had sailed from the river, intending to visit the Gulf of San 

 Matias, only a few days before we arrived, having previously 

 examined all the coast, from Port Desire to Valdes Creek.* 

 I was sorry to hear that Corporal Williams, a very worthy 

 man, in every sense of the words, had been drowned in the 

 river Negro. Williams had been in two polar voyages, and 

 under Captain King, in H.M.S. Adventure, from 1825 to 

 1830. The rest of the party were well, and making rapid pro- 

 gress with their task. Wind favouring, we made all sail for 

 the Bay of San Jose, hoping to meet the little vessels under 

 Lieutenant Wickham, but could not find them ;-)- so concluding 

 that they had run further south than was intended at their 

 departure from the Negro, we steered out of the Gulf of San 

 Matias, and made sail for the Plata. 



At daylight on the 26th, land was seen near Maldonado, 

 and at two, we anchored off Monte Video. In a few hours the 

 French passengers were landed ; next day our anchor was 

 again weighed, and at noon on the 28th we moored the Beagle 

 in Maldonado Bay, close to the little island of Gorriti. Our 

 tender, the Adventure, had arrived on the 23d. My thoughts 



* Or port, as it has been called, though imjiroperly, because it is at 

 times almost blocked up by a bar. 

 t They were in Port San Antonio. 



