98 CALL AT EAST FALKLAND" ISLAND. 



trosses, petrels, and shearwaters, which I have 

 examined, the undig'ested horny mandibles of cuttle- 

 fish, which would thus appear to constitute their 

 principal food ; and, as all the petrel family are 

 to a certain extent nocturnal, it seems probable that 

 the small cuttlefish on ^\hich they feed approach 

 the surface only at nig-ht. 



July Sth. — Yesterday at noon we passed close 

 to Beauch^ne Island, a drear}-, bushless place, half 

 covered -nith snow. Vast numbers of pintados 

 were about, also some albatrosses, the first that 

 had made their appearance for several weeks back. 

 In hopes of reaching- an anchorag-e before dark we 

 stood in for Bull Road, East Falkland Island, but 

 after running- fourteen nules, and sighting Sea-hon 

 Islands, this was found impracticable. The ship 

 was kept away to the eastward, and, after wearing 

 several times during' the night to avoid closing the 

 land, a course was shaped to take us to the settle- 

 ment. Passing inside of the Seal Rocks we rounded 

 Cape Pembroke, on which is a tall beacon, and 

 anchored at dark inside the entrance to Port 

 William. 



July 9th. — The thermometer fell to 18° during 

 the night, and the wat«r froze on the decks during 

 the holystoning. A cold dreary aspect was pre- 

 sented when the sun rose upon the snow-clad 

 country around, but the sight of a herd of cattle 

 on shore conjured up visions of fresh beef and made 

 ample amends. We beat up Port William, and, 



