186 LOSE THE YAWL—SICK LIST. June 1828. 
increased rapidly toa strong gale ; and scarcely were we fairly 
freed from the channel, than we found ourselves in a heavy 
confused sea. Anxious to clear the entrance, I had not waited 
to hoist in the yawl, with which we had weighed one of our 
anchors, expecting to find smooth water as we went out; but 
the sea we met made it unsafe to tow her, and while hauling 
up to hoist her in, she was so badly stove by blows received 
from the violent motion of the ship, that we were obliged to 
cut her adrift. This was a heavy loss. She was a beautiful 
boat, twenty-eight feet in length,—pulled and sailed well, and 
was roomy, light, and buoyant; her loss was second only to 
that of the ship. 
‘s We endeavoured to clear the Guaianeco Islands, by carry- 
ing a heavy press of sail, but soon after midnight were obliged 
to furl the reefed mainsail. Before daylight the wind shifted 
suddenly to W. b. N., taking us aback by a violent squall, 
with much vivid lightning and heavy rain. Our admirable 
little vessel paid off without sustaining any damage; but fora 
minute her situation was critical. At daylight, the land of 
Cape Tres Montes bore W.4N. (magnetic), distant four 
leagues. The violence of the gale we had just had put it out 
of our power to clear the gulf; and, from the state to which we 
were reduced by the loss of our yawl, both gigs being in bad 
condition, and our cutter so much stove as to be useless, I con- 
sidered that it would not be justifiable to attempt proceeding 
in a lone ship to an unknown and most stormy coast, without 
asingle efficient boat ; so I resolved to hasten to Port Otway, 
and put the boats into an effective state. We had baffling winds 
all day ; but in the evening succeeded in reaching the harbour, 
and anchoring nearly in our old berth. On the 13th and 14th, 
we had a continued hard gale, with the usual accompaniment 
ofheavy rain. The carpenters were, however, kept constantly 
at work to render the cutter effective. On the 15th, the state 
of the sick list caused me to require from the surgeon, his 
opinion as to the ‘ necessity of a temporary cessation of sur- 
veying operations.’ Mr. Bynoe’s reply stated ‘that in con- 
sequence of great exposure to a long-continued succession of 
