4S8 



REPOHTED WRECK. 



June 



places so well known as the coasts of Chile, Peru, and other 

 countries often described, it is because I feel bound to avoid 

 mere repetition as far as possible, and because the limits of my 

 narrative are fixed. For the present, leaving the Beagle to get 

 her stores and provisions on board, I must turn to another scene. 



16*th June. By the post which arrived from Santiago this 

 morning, an English merchant received a laconic account of 

 the total loss of his Majesty's ship Challenger. This report 

 spread as quickly as bad tidings are wont to do : but no official 

 information arrived during that day, or the ensuing night. 

 Recollecting that a Swedish ship had come lately into Val- 

 paraiso, whose officers had seen what they described as " an 

 American brig*" cast away near Mocha ; I found out the ship 

 and questioned the master and mates. They had arrived at 

 Valparaiso on the 25th of May, and all agreed in stating that 

 on the 20th of that month, they saw a large vessel ashore on 

 the coast of the mainland, to the northward and eastward of 

 Mocha. They saw her at daylight, but as they had light airs 

 of wind and a very heavy swell until three in the afternoon, 

 to save themselves from danger they were obliged to make 

 all sail away from the land, and lost sight of the wreck. 



The vessel looked large, with fore and main masts standing, 

 and top-gallant masts an end until eight o'clock, when the fore- 

 topmast went over the side, or was struck : her fore-topsail 

 yard remained across ; no main-top-gallant yard was seen ; 

 the main-top-gallant mast was standing all day, and there was 

 a large ensign at the mast-head: white and red were seen, 

 therefore it was thought to be American. Her bow was to 

 seaward, as if she had anchored ; her sails were loose all day ; 

 people were seen on the after part of what appeared to be a 

 roundhouse painted green. Bulwarks very high— ports very 

 large — no boats on deck or at the quarters— no guns on upper 

 deck. Looking at her end on, with the masts nearly in a line 

 —all her upper deck could be seen, though very indistinctly, 

 owing to hazy weather, the additional haze caused by spray 

 thrown up from a furious surf, and their own distance from 

 the wreck ; which was never less than four miles. 



