RIO NEGRO. 109 
ment was in want of troops, and that he w T as seized and compelled to 
enlist. On inquiring, however, of the governor, it proved that he 
had been engaged in a riot at Buenos Ayres, in which he had killed 
two or three men, and committed other outrages, for which he had 
been condemned to death, but on the intercession of a friend, the 
sentence was commuted to that of exile as a soldier at this place. 
His farther history is, that not long since he formed the plan of 
deserting with another convict, by seizing an English trading vessel, 
in the absence of the captain and part of the crew, and making off 
with her, which he was fully able to accomplish, being an excellent 
sailor. The night however before the day fixed on for the execution 
of this plan, he got intoxicated, discovered the whole design, and 
received the severe punishment of twelve hundred lashes at three 
different times. 
On the morning of the departure of the schooner, he effected his 
escape from the town, and swam off to the schooner. He was re- 
cognised by an officer, who knew his history in part, namely, that he 
had become a robber and a murderer, and had been an outcast from 
his father's house for fifteen years. He was told he could not be 
received on board, and a boat landed him again. 
On the 3d of February we got under way, and were glad to leave 
so exposed and unpleasant an anchorage. 
On the 4th and 5th, we experienced a heavy sea from the south- 
ward, with much wind. 
Finding the tenders were much distressed while keeping company 
with the ships in the heavy sea, I made signal to them to make the 
best of their way to Orange Harbour, judging that I should thus save 
much time, as well as great wear and tear to the vessels : they w T ould, 
also, by arriving before the squadron, materially aid it by acting as 
pilots, in case we should need such guidance. On the 6th the 
weather began to moderate, and the wind to haul to the westward. 
Shortly afterwards we had strong winds accompanied with rain. 
The lower scud was seen passing rapidly from the northward and 
westward, whilst the upper scud was moving from the south-south- 
west. We found the current setting to the north-by-east, about 
fifteen miles in twenty-four hours. 
On the 8th we had a sudden fall of the barometer to 29-500 in., but 
without any change in the weather, except fog and mist. The wind 
was from the west-northwest. On the llth, the wind hauled to the 
southwest, when the barometer began to rise, and the weather to 
vol. i. 28 
