366 PORPHYRY—SAND—TEMPERATURE. Dec. 1829. 
them, that thinking they ought to be surveyed, I returned on 
board, weighed, and worked towards the nearest opening. We 
shot into it, and warped to a berth four cables’ lengths up a 
narrow passage, and anchored in twenty-four fathoms, upon 
sand and clayey mud. 
«« 13th. Many wigwams were found in this neighbourhood, 
which showed that our Fuegian acquaintances were occasional 
visitors. The inner harbour seemed to be a fine basin; but 
the bottom was found inferior to that of the anchorage at 
which the Beagle lay moored. 
“15th. Strong wind and frequent rain prevented much being 
done out of the ship this day. I went to the top of a mountain 
near the ship, but could not take many angles because of the 
violent squalls and the rain. At night it blewa hard gale: the 
squalls came furiously over the heights, and obliged us to let 
go a third anchor and strike topmasts. We were quite sheltered 
from the true wind; but were reached most effectually by the 
williwaws, which came down with great force. However vexed 
we might have been at not being able to go far from the ship, 
we were certainly very fortunate in escaping this gale at a secure 
anchorage. It appeared to be blowing very heavily at sea. 
“16th. A strong gale all day, with much rain, prevented our 
leaving the ship. In coming down a height on the 15th, I found 
some red porphyry rock, like that about Port Desire; and 
the first I had seen in these parts. Another novelty was a 
tract of about two acres of pure white sand thinly covered with 
grass. 
“* Though the middle of summer, the weather was not much 
warmer than in winter. The average height of the thermometer 
was about ten degrees greater ; being nearly the same, as during 
the months of August and September, in Childe. 
“17th. A continuance of bad weather : no work was done in 
the boats this day. In the afternoon I tried to go up the 
mountain I had ascended on Tuesday, to bring down a theo- 
dolite which I had left at the top; but the wind obliged me to 
return unsuccessful. 
“18th. Similar weather continued until noon : frequent strong 
