THE BEAGLE CHANNEL 



229 



compelled us to shorten sail and stand out to sea. The surf 

 was breaking fearfully on the coast, and the spray was carried 

 over a cliff estimated at 200 feet in height. On the 12th the 

 gale was very heav}-, and we did not know exactly where we 

 were : it was a most unpleasant sound to hear constantly 

 repeated, " Keep a good lookout to leeward." On the 1 3th 

 the storm raged with its full fury : our horizon was narrowly 

 limited by the sheets of spray borne by the wind. The sea 

 looked ominous, like a dreary waving plain with patches of 

 drifted snow ; whilst the ship laboured heavily, the albatross 



BAD WEATHER, MAGELLAN STRAITS 



glided with its expanded wings right up the wind. At noon a 

 great sea broke over us, and filled one of the whale-boats, which 

 was obliged to be instantly cut away. The poor Beagle 

 trembled at the shock, and for a few minutes would not obey 

 her helm ; but soon, like a good ship that she was, she righted 

 and came up to the wind again. Had another sea followed the 

 first, our fate would have been decided soon, and for ever. 

 We had now been twenty-four days trying in vain to get west- 

 ward ; the men were worn out with fatigue, and they had not 

 had for many nights or days a dry thing to put on. Captain 

 Fitz Roy gave up the attempt to get westward by the outside 

 coast. In the evening we ran in behind False Cape Horn, and 



