14S 



WINTER ADELAIDE SAILS. 



May 1828. 



nated with finer weather than we had experienced for some 

 weeks, but May set in with north-easterly winds and much 

 rain, succeeded by a heavy fall of snow. 



" Tristis hyems montes niveo velamine vestit." 



As yet the thermometer had not been very low. On one or 

 two occasions it had fallen during the night to 28°, but gene- 

 rally it ranged between 45° and 33°. 



The Adelaide was again despatched on the 30th April, to 

 carry on an examination of the openings on each side of Caye- 

 tano Island; but she returned on the 21st of May, with the 

 disagreeable intelligence of having had her only serviceable 

 boat stolen by the Indians. This was a serious loss, not only 

 on account of so much time being thrown away, but also 

 because we had no other boat to substitute for her. To pre- 

 vent delay, I sent to Mr. Low, at Bougainville Harbour, 

 requesting that he would sell one of his boats ; but he was 

 himself so badly off, from similar losses, that he could only 

 assist us by lending one for a few weeks, and as it was the only 

 boat he possessed, it could not be spared to go far from his 

 vessel. I, therefore, despatched Mr. Graves, in the Adelaide, to 

 Bougainville Harbour, to employ himself in examining the 

 coast thence to Cape Froward, and in the mean time began to 

 build a whale-boat, to be ready for the Adelaide's use as soon 

 as winter had passed over ; for, from Mr. Graves^s report of 

 the state of the climate to the westward, very little could be 

 done during the winter months. 



The following is Lieut. Graves's account of the loss of his 

 boat : — Upon leaving Port Famine he proceeded at once to 

 Port Gallant, and surveyed Cordes Bay ; after which he 

 crossed the Strait to St. Simon's Bay, and anchored in Millar 

 Cove, on its western side, immediately to the north of Port 

 Langara, from which it is only separated by a narrow neck of 

 land. The Adelaide remained there at anchor while Mr. Graves 

 visited the different parts of the bay. Her presence had 

 attracted a large party of Indians, who, occupying several 

 wigwams near the entrance of the cove, paid daily visits to 



