180 



LOSE THE YAWL SICK LIST. 



June 1828. 



increased rapidly to a strong gale ; and scarcely were we fairly 

 freed from the channel, than we found ourselves in a heavy 

 confused sea. Anxious to clear the entrance, I had not waited 

 to hoist in the yawl, with which we had weighed one of our 

 anchors, expecting to find smooth water as we went out ; but 

 the sea we met made it unsafe to tow her, and while hauling 

 up to hoist her in, she was so badly stove by blows received 

 from the violent motion of the ship, that we were obliged to 

 cut her adrift. This was a heavy loss. She was a beautiful 

 boat, twenty-eight feet in length, — pulled and sailed well, and 

 was roomy, light, and buoyant ; her loss was second only to 

 that of the ship. 



" We endeavoured to clear the Guaianeco Islands, by carry- 

 ing a heavy press of sail, but soon after midnight were obliged 

 to furl the reefed mainsail. Before daylight the wind shifted 

 suddenly to W. b. N., taking us aback by a violent squall, 

 with much vivid lightning and heavy rain. Our admirable 

 little vessel paid off without sustaining any damage ; but for a 

 minute her situation was critical. At daylight, the land of 

 Cape Tres Montes bore W. ^ N. (magnetic), distant four 

 leagues. The violence of the gale we had just had put it out 

 of our power to clear the gulf ; and, from the state to which we 

 were reduced by the loss of our yawl, both gigs being in bad 

 condition, and our cutter so much stove as to be useless, I con- 

 sidered that it would not be justifiable to attempt proceeding 

 in a lone ship to an unknown and most stormy coast, without 

 a single efficient boat ; so I resolved to hasten to Port Otway, 

 and put the boats into an effective state. We had baffling winds 

 all day ; but in the evening succeeded in reaching the harbour, 

 and anchoring nearly in our old berth. On the 13th and 14th, 

 we had a continued hard gale, with the usual accompaniment 

 of heavy rain. The carpenters were, however, kept constantly 

 at work to render the cutter effective. On the 15th, the state 

 of the sick list caused me to require from the surgeon, his 

 opinion as to the ' necessity of a temporary cessation of sur- 

 veying operajtions.' Mr. Bynoe's reply stated ' that in con- 

 sequence of great exposure to a long-continued succession of 



