190 EXTRAORDINARY PAMPERO. Jan. 1829. 
on the opposite shore, was blown to atoms. When the squall 
commenced, one of our boats was coming off from the island ; 
the officer being quite unconscious of the approaching hurricane, 
and as she was overloaded with people, I felt very uneasy 
until after the squall cleared away, when I observed her beached 
on the opposite shore, many yards above high water mark, 
to which position she had been driven by the force of the wind. 
The violence of this pampero, during the twenty minutes it 
lasted, was terrific. Old inhabitants of Maldonado declared, 
that they had experienced nothing like it for the last twenty 
years. The spray was carried up by whirlwinds, threatening 
complete destruction to every thing that opposed them. In 
less than half an hour it had diminished to a strong S.W. gale, 
which lasted during the night. 
Just before the pampero commenced, L’Aréthuse, French 
frigate, was observed over the point of land under all sail ; but 
not being seen after the squall cleared off, we were much 
alarmed for her safety. At daylight, however, the next morning, 
she was seen at anchor under Lobos Island, and near her was 
our consort, the Beagle, of whose approach we had known 
nothing ; but she appeared to be lying quietly, with topmasts 
struck, under the lee of the island. L’Aréthuse slipped her 
cable in the afternoon, and ran out to sea. 
On the Ist of February the wind moderated, and enabled 
the Beagle to join us, when we found that she had been nearly 
capsized by the pampero; and had suffered a considerable loss 
of sails and masts, besides injury to her boats. Both topmasts, 
and jib-boom, with all the small spars, were carried away; and 
her jib and topsails, although furled, were blown to pieces. 
The vessel was on her beam ends for some time; but letting 
go both anchors brought her head to wind and righted her, 
which prevented the necessity of cutting away the lower masts. 
To add to their misfortune, two men were blown overboard, 
from aloft, and drowned. 
These severe losses caused considerable detention ; but, fortu- 
nately, the Ganges arrived, and rendered every assistance in 
repairing and replacing the Beagle’s damages. 
