CHAPTER XII. 



Adventure sails from Rio de Janeiro to the River Plata — Gorriti — Ma.- 

 donado — Extraordinary Pampero — Beagle's losses— Ganges arrives — 

 Another pampero — Go up the river for water — Gale, and consequent 

 detention — Sail from Monte Video — Part from our consorts — Port 

 Desire — Tower Rock — Skeletons — Sea Bear Bay — Fire — Guanacoes 

 — Port Desire Inlet — Indian graves — Vessels separate — Captain Foster 

 Chanticleer — Cape Horn — Kater's Peak — Sail from St. Martin Cove 

 — Tribute to Captain Foster — Valparaiso — Santiago — Pinto — Heights 

 — Chil6e — Aldunate. 



The Adventure sailed from Rio de J aneiro on the i^7th of 

 December 1828, leaving the Beagle to complete her repairs, 

 and follow to the River Plata. The day before our arrival at 

 Maldonado, v/e were overtaken by the Commander-in-chief, in 

 H.M.S. Ganges, and entered the river in company. The Ganges 

 proceeded to Monte Video ; but we went into Maldonado Bay, 

 where I had determined to wait for the Beagle. 



Since our last visit to this place, the Island of Gorriti had 

 been occupied by Brazilian troops, who, before going away, 

 set fire to the buildings, and destroyed all the wood-work. As 

 one object of my stay was to obtain observations for the latitude 

 and longitude, I erected our portable observatory, and set up 

 an azimuth altitude instrument. 



On the 30th of January, after some intensely hot and sultry 

 weather, we experienced a very severe ' Pampero.' It was pre- 

 ceded by the barometer falling to 29*50, and by a strong N.W. 

 wind, which suddenly veered round to S.W., when the pampero 

 burst upon us. Our ship and boats fortunately escaped any 

 bad effects from the violence of the squall, which was so strong 

 as to lay the former, at anchor, upon her broadside ; but on 

 shore our tent was blown down, and a boat that had been lately 

 built, and fresh painted, on the Island Gorriti, was completely 

 destroyed. The part above the thwarts, was torn away from 

 the bottom of the boat, and carried, by the violence of the 

 wind, for two hundred yards along the beach. A boat, also, 



