lit GALE HUNGER FOSSILS. Sept. 



enter Port Belgrano, passed round the great north bank, and 

 again anchored under Mount Hermoso. While some officers 

 and men were on shore there, building a sea-mark on the mount, 

 and otherwise employed for the survey, a gale of wind came on 

 from S.E., which soon sent so heavy a sea into the road- 

 stead near the mount, that the Beagle was obliged to strike 

 topmasts and veer a long scope of cable upon two anchors, 

 besides having another under foot. Unluckily, our party 

 on shore had only one day's provisions, so while the gale 

 lasted their situation was sufficiently disagreeable; the keen 

 air and hard exercise sharpening their appetites, while they 

 had nothing to eat after the first day ; and having no guns, 

 they had no prospect of procuring anything. Mr. Darwin 

 was also on shore, having been searching for fossils, and 

 he found this trial of hunger quite long enough to satisfy 

 even his love of adventure. Directly it was possible to put 

 a boat on the water, one was sent, with provisions secured 

 in a cask which was thrown overboard at the back of the surf, 

 and soon drifted ashore to the famishing party. This gale 

 lasted several days, and proved to us not only how heavy a 

 sea is thrown into this bight (rincon, Sp.), by a south-east 

 gale; but also, that the holding-ground is sufficiently good 

 to enable a ship to withstand its effects. 



One of our party on shore (who is not likely to forget 

 building a mark on Mount Hermoso) discovered many curious 

 fossils in some low cliffs under the mount; and judging from 

 what Mr. Darwin then found, future collectors may reap a rich 

 harvest there, as well as at Point Alta. 



We next returned to the Wells, and while some assisted the 

 outfit of Lieutenant Wickham's little vessels, others explored 

 the upper parts of the port, quite to its end, and Mr. Darwin 

 took advantage of the opportunity to make some of those 

 interesting excursions which he describes in his volume. At 

 this time there were no soldiers to watch us, neither was there 

 any longer a suspicion of our character ; for it appeared that 

 an express had been sent off to Buenos Ayres, at our first 

 arrival, giving an exaggerated anjd rather ludicrous account of 



