390 SQUALLS—ANCHORAGE—CLIMATE. 
throughout the day. During the night the weather became 
rather more moderate ; but on the morning of the 31st, the wind 
again increased to a gale, and towards noon, the williwaws were 
so violent, that our small cutter, lying astern of the ship, was 
fairly capsized, though she had not even a mast standing. The 
ship herself careened, as if under a press of sail, sending all 
loose things to leeward with a general crash (not being secured 
for sea, while moored in so small a cove), but so rapidly did 
these blasts from the mountains pass by, that with a good scope 
of chain out, it was hardly strained to its utmost before the 
squall was over. While the gale was increasing, in the afternoon, 
the topmasts were struck ; yet still, in the squalls, the vessel 
heeled many strakes when they caught her a-beam. At night 
they followed in such rapid succession, that if the holding- 
ground had not been excellent, and our ground-tackle very 
strong, we must have been driven on the rocks. 
“ Under the lee of high land is not the best anchorage in 
these regions. When good holding-ground can be found to 
windward of a height, and low land lies to windward of the 
anchorage, sufficient to break the sea, the place is much to be 
preferred ; because the wind is steady and does not blow home 
against the height. The lee side of these heights is a great deal 
worse than the west side of Gibraltar Rock while the strongest 
Levanter is blowing. 
‘“* Considering that this month corresponds to August in 
our climate, it is natural to compare them, and to think how 
hay and corn would prosper in a Fuegian summer. As yet I 
have found no difference in Tierra del Fuego between summer 
and winter, excepting that in the former the days are longer, and 
the average temperature is perhaps ten degrees higher, but 
there is also then more wind and rain. 
** The gale still continued, and prevented any thing being 
done out of the ship. However safe a cove Mr. Murray might 
have found, his time, I knew, must be passing most irksomely, 
as he could not have moved about since the day he left us. 
He had a week’s provisions, but with moderate weather would 
have returned in three days. 
