360 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



the afternoon. The wind was S.W., and the barometer 

 rising, so that it was considered advisable to push out at 

 once ; but on clearing the land we encountered a tremendous 

 swell, which caused the vessel to roll and pitch in such a 

 manner as, with all our previous knowledge of her capacity 

 in that line, we could hardly have thought possible, and 

 which caused many even of the oldest seamen in the ship to 

 suffer from sea-sickness. The night passed uncomfortably ; 

 but we went along more steadily throughout the greater part 

 of the next day, numbers of Cape pigeons, Fulmar, and 

 brown -headed petrels, accompanying us. On the 15th we 

 steamed full speed throughout the day against a strong 

 head wind — the jolting, shaking, rolling, and pitching thus 

 caused being almost insufferable, while, to add to our discom- 

 fort, heavy rain set in some time after. The weather soon 

 became so thick that it was impossible to ascertain our exact 

 position, and between six and seven p.m. the engines broke 

 down, so that we were obliged to lie-to for about four hours 

 in a most unenviable position — the night pitch dark, rain 

 descending in torrents, a gale blowing in our teeth, the 

 Guaytecas Islands under our lee, the island of Huafo out- 

 side, the rocky coast of Chiloe to windward, and no land seen 

 since one p.m. Providentially, before long the wind shifted, 

 and then died down, and in the course of time there was 

 nearly a complete calm. Land was at length sighted early 

 on the forenoon of the 16th, and about two p.m. we reached 

 Port San Pedro, where we remained for the rest of the day, 

 rain descending as if it never intended to cease. It may aid 

 in conveying to the reader an idea of the damp condition of 

 things on board in this weather, when I mention that dried 

 plants brushed free from mould one day were equally thickly 

 covered with it the next, and that I had the utmost difficulty 



