284 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



sider what, in the absence of a compass, was the best thing 

 to be done in this rather unpleasant fix. After deliberating 

 Tipon the advisability of attempting to return on my track to 

 the lake, and striking out a new line from thence, I abandoned 

 this idea, as I judged, from the manner in which the features 

 of the country repeated themselves, that it was very doubtful 

 whether I could find my way back there, and that, even should 

 I succeed in doing so, I could not be by any means certain of 

 reaching the camp from it. I thought, moreover, that by 

 pursuing my onward way I must strike the Gallegos river 

 at some point, and this attained, I knew that there could be no 

 difficulty in gaining the tents. Anxiously scanning the pro- 

 spect, I saw on the horizon in front of me what appeared, 

 from its sharp, clearly-defined aspect, to be the top of a cliff. 

 This I concluded to be Cape Fairweather, and knew by the 

 time I got there I would have arrived at the entrance of the 

 river, and have a walk of about six miles back to camp. I 

 therefore started in the direction of the supposed cape, but 

 after walking for a long way at a very rapid pace, seemed 

 not to be getting any nearer to it, a sufficiently puzzling cir- 

 cumstance. At last it flashed across me that I must be walk- 

 ing in a circle, and I accordingly struck out on a new line, 

 which after a time brought me to the desired cliff-summit ; 

 when I found, to my dismay, that instead of looking down 

 upon the river, I had reached the top of a cliff overlooking 

 the open sea, whose w^aters were quietly lapping on the beach 

 about 150 feet below. I then directed my gaze along the line 

 of coast for any indication of the entrance of the river, or of 

 the ship, but in vain ; nothing was to be seen which could 

 serve as a guide whilher to direct my steps. It was now 

 seven p.m., and my prospects did not appear altogether 

 of a reassuring nature. I endeavoured to persuade myself 



