Sept! 1833. precautions — h.m.s. snake. 289 



On the 7th of September, we finally left Blanco Bay ; * but 

 again sounded along the dangerous banks of Anegada Bay, 

 determined to do our utmost to prevent vessels from getting 

 ashore there in future, as many have done already, especially 

 during the blockade of Buenos Ayres, when several prizes, 

 which had been taken from the Brazilians, were wrecked and 

 totally lost. 



In these surveying trips along-shore we always anchored 

 when we could, in order to preserve our station and connect 

 triangles ; but, of course, we were often obliged to weigh again 

 at short notice, during the night ; therefore every preparation 

 was made for any change of wind or weather, and a careful 

 look-out always kept upon the deep-sea lead (invariably 

 attended throughout the night), as well as upon the sympie- 

 someter, the sky, and the water. I mention the deep-sea lead 

 particularly, because however shallow the water may be, mis- 

 takes are often made with the hand-lead, especially at night, 

 when a tide or current is running, in consequence of the lead 

 being drifted by the action of the water upon it and the line, 

 and deceiving even a moderate leads-man ; who sometimes 

 thinks the water much deeper than it really is — sometimes the 

 reverse ; and never can tell exactly, under such circumstances, 

 how a ship is moving over the ground, or whether she is drag- 

 ging her anchors. 



Off Starve Island we were obliged to weigh in a hurry, one 

 night, owing to a gale coming on from the south-east, and 

 during the 10th and 11th, we carried a press of sail, to get 

 off the land; the wind then drew round by the south, and a 

 succession of baffling weather ensued, which prevented our 

 doing any thing on the coast, and also hindered our reaching 

 the Plata until the 16th, on which day we ran up to Monte 

 Video, and anchored. 



On the 18th we weighed, hearing that H.M.S. Snake had 

 brought stores and letters for us, and was at Maldonado, but 

 had hardly lost sight of the town, when the Snake hove in 



* Mr. Darwin had previously departed on his road to Buenos Ayres. 

 VOL. ir. u 



