144 FLOODS—LIGHTNING—SCURVY. June 1828. 
was forthwith fitted with cranks outside, for hoisting up her 
boats when in harbour. 
Winter advanced rapidly ; the ground was constantly covered 
with snow, from one to two feet deep, and every night more 
fell. In the early part of June we had a gale of wind from the 
N.W., which flooded the low ground upon which our tents 
stood; but fortunately the large tent had been accidentally 
placed on a higher part, and escaped. This flood filled, and, of 
course, spoiled the water in all the ponds about the tents; and 
we had afterwards to procure our supplies from a considerable 
distance. 
On the 8th of June much lightning was observed to the 
northward, and repeated rumbling noises were heard, which con- 
tinued for long periods ; one lasted distinctly for the space of 
twenty minutes. At first, they were thought to be eruptions of 
some distant volcano; but, from the frequent lightning, they 
were probably echoes of thunder, reverberating through the 
deep ravines that intersect the rocky ridges of the Cordillera, 
from which we were distant at least one hundred and fifty miles. 
A succession of bad weather followed, during which the baro- 
meter fluctuated rapidly. On the 14th, the mercury fell to 
28. 17. inches, after which it gradually rose, with fine settled 
weather, until it reached 30. 50., when bad weather again set 
in. The people at the tents experienced another inundation. 
Had the water risen six inches more, it would have carried 
every thing away ; and as the wind was blowing dead upon the 
shore, while a heavy surf was beating upon the beach, we could 
have rendered them very little assistance from the ship. 
The severity of the weather brought a most disagreeable 
accompaniment. Scurvy appeared, and increased ; while the 
accidental death of a seaman, occasioned by falling down a 
hatchway, followed by the decease of two others, and also of 
Mr. Low, of the Adeona, whose body was brought to me for 
burial, tended to create a despondency amongst the crew that 
I could in no way check. The monotony of their occupations, 
the chilling and gloomy appearance of the country, and the 
severity of the climate, all tended to increase the number of the 
