18:35. 



COaUIMBO — ^OONWAY SAILS. 



479 



of the rumoured approach of those hostile tribes of whom 

 Colonel Valenzuela had spoken to me at Arauco. 



We sailed from Talcahuano with a fair wind, which carried 

 us quickly and pleasantly along-shore ; but crowded, and anx- 

 ious as we were, the ship could not go fast enough for us. The 

 sick people, excepting Mr. Lane, were improving when we 

 reached Valparaiso on the 13th. Much attention and kindness 

 'were shown to Captain Seymour by his acquaintance at Valpa- 

 raiso ; but it could not be expected that he should be cheerful, 

 or inclined to see people, excepting intimate friends, at that 

 time ; particularly as the death of Mr. Lane was an additional 

 blow much felt by him. I was very glad when we weighed 

 anchor, on the 17th, for every hour caused an increase of pain- 

 ful feeling. 



A fresh fair wind drove us in twenty-four hours to Coquim- 

 bo, where the Conway was at anchor ready for sea. It was 

 then arranged, that all the officers and two-thirds of the crew 

 should go home in the Conway ; and, of course, no small bustle 

 of preparation for so many passengers was caused. Captain* 

 and Mrs. V\^hite already occupied one-half of the captain's 

 cabin, and their luggage a considerable space below ; but as 

 both Captain Eden and the senior lieutenant, Johnstone, were 

 bent upon accommodating the ship-wrecked party to the 

 utmost of their power, stowage-room was cleverly contrived. 



How striking the contrast appeared between the fertility and 

 verdure of the Concepcion country, and the dry barrenness of 

 the naked earth or rocks about Coquimbo. Scarcely any one 

 went on shore ; a mixture of unpleasant feelings occasioned a 

 gloomy heaviness in most of our minds. 



On the J^Sd, botli ships sailed from Coquimbo, and soon 

 afterwards parted company. The Conv/ay stood to the west- 

 ward, ' close-hauled ;' while the Blonde steered towards the 

 north with a fresh southerly wind. 



What caused the loss of the Challenger is a question 

 not easy to answer with certainty. The error in her reckoning 



* Then Vice-Consul at Valparaiso. 



