18S4. STORY OF RESCUED SAILORS. 371 



Finding it impossible to penetrate far into the country, 

 on account of its ruggedness, and thick forests, which, though 

 only trifling in height, were almost impervious, they began a 

 pilgrimage along-shore ; but it was soon evident, to their dis- 

 may, that there were so many arms of the sea to pass round, 

 and it was so difficult to walk, or rather climb, along the rocky 

 shores, that they must abandon that idea also, and remain 

 stationary. To this decision they were perhaps more inclined 

 after the death of one of their number; who, in trying to 

 cross a chasm between two cliffs, failed in his leap, fell, and 

 was dashed to pieces. Their permanent abode was then taken 

 up at the point which shelters Port San Estevan, now called 

 Rescue Point ; where they passed a year in anxious hope. Of 

 course the few provisions which their boat had carried ashore 

 were soon exhausted, and for thirteen months they had lived 

 only upon seals' flesh, shell-fish, and wild celery : yet those 

 five men, when received on board the Beagle, were in better 

 condition, as to healthy fleshiness, colour, and actual health, 

 than any five individuals belonging to our ship. Few remarks 

 worth noticing had been made by them, as the only experienced 

 man (whose name was John Lawson) lost his life as above-men- 

 tioned. There was an almost continual succession of rain and 

 wind for several months after their first landing, except from 

 the 20th to the 29th of December, which passed without rain : 

 in July (1834) they had an extraordinary storm from south- 

 west, which began early one morning, after a rainy night with 

 northerly wind: and in November (1834) there were twenty-one 

 days successively without rain. One day (in May) they saw 

 eight vessels sailing northwards together ; excepting which, not 

 a sail was ever seen by their aching eyes till the Beagle hove in 

 sight. Between San Andres, near which they first landed, and 

 San Estevan, the hull of a small vessel was found, quite bedded 

 in sand ; she seemed to be about thirty-five tons burthen, from 

 thirty to thirty-five feet in the keel, and about sixteen broad. 

 She was full-built ; neither coppered nor sheathed. In a cave, 

 which had been used as a dwelling, near San Andres, the skull 

 of a man was found, and some burned wood. A bracelet of 



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