186 



BRAZILIANS. Aug. — Sept. 1828. 



Cape Virgins was passed soon after sunset, and we proceeded 

 on our course with rapidity. 



The timely supply of guanaco meat had certainly checked the 

 scurvy, for we had no new cases added to the number of the 

 sick, now amounting to twenty. The Beagle v»^as not so sickly ; 

 but, during the last cruise, upwards of forty cases, principally 

 pulmonic, had occurred, and several were not yet recovered. On 

 the passage, a man fell overboard from the Beagle, at night, 

 and was drowned. 



In latitude 45° S. we were delayed three days, by northerly 

 winds and damp foggy weather, after which a fresh S. W. gale 

 carried us into the River Plata. Having obtained good chro- 

 nometer sights in the afternoon, we steered on through the 

 night, intending to pass to the westward of the Archimedes 

 Shoal ; which would have been rather a rash step, had we not 

 been well assured of the correctness of our chronometrical 

 reckoning. At this time Brazil and Buenos Ay res were at war, 

 and some of the blockading squadron of the former were 

 generally to be met with in the mouth of the river ; but we 

 saw none, until half-past two in the morning, when several 

 vessels were observed at anchor to leeward, and we were soon 

 close to a squadron of brigs and schooners, whose number was 

 evident by a confusion of lights, rockets, and musketry, on 

 board every vessel. I bore down to pass within hail of the 

 nearest, which proved to be the Commodore'^s, the Maranao of 

 eighteen guns ; and on approaching, explained who and what 

 we were ; but they were so confused, I could not even make 

 myself understood. The breeze, at the time, had fallen so light, 

 that, fearing to get foul of the brig, the ship was hove up in 

 the wind, and the anchor ordered to be let go. Unluckily a 

 stopper was foul, and before another bower could drop, the 

 Brazilians had fired several muskets into us, happily without 

 doing any mischief ; and threatened us, if we did not imme- 

 diately anchor, with a broadside, which, in their utter con- 

 fusion, I am astonished they did not fire. Having anchored, and 

 lov/ered the topsails, I sent a boat to inform the Brazilian who 

 we were, and to request, that in consequence of the number of 



