190 



EXTRAORDINARY PAMPERO. 



Jan. 1829. 



on the opposite shore, was blown to atoms. When the squall 

 commenced, one of our boats was coming oiF from the island ; 

 the officer being quite unconscious of the approaching hurricane, 

 and as she was overloaded with people, I felt very uneasy 

 until after the squall cleared away, when I observed her beached 

 on the opposite shore, many yards above high water mark, 

 to which position she had been driven by the force of the wind. 

 The violence of this pampero, during the twenty minutes it 

 lasted, was terrific. Old inhabitants of Maldonado declared, 

 that they had experienced nothing like it for the last twenty 

 years. The spray was carried up by whirlwinds, threatening 

 complete destruction to every thing that opposed them. In 

 less than half an hour it had diminished to a strong S. W. gale, 

 which lasted during the night. 



Just before the pampero commenced, L''Arethuse, French 

 frigate, was observed over the point of land under all sail ; but 

 not being seen after the squall cleared off, we were much 

 alarmed for her safety. At daylight, however, the next morning, 

 she was seen at anchor under Lobos Island, and near her was 

 our consort, the Beagle, of whose approach we had known 

 nothing ; bnt she appeared to be lying quietly, with topmasts 

 struck, under the lee of the island. L'Arethuse slipped her 

 cable in the afternoon, and ran out to sea. 



On the 1st of February the wind moderated, and enabled 

 rhe Beagle to join us, when we found that she had been nearly 

 capsized by the pampero ; and had suffered a considerable loss 

 of sails and masts, besides injury to her boats. Both topmasts, 

 and jib-boom, with all the small spars, were carried away; and 

 her jib and topsails, although furled, were blown to pieces. 

 The vessel was on her beam ends for some time ; but letting 

 go both anchors brought her head to wind and righted her, 

 which prevented the necessity of cutting away the lower masts. 

 To add to their misfortune, two men were blown overboard, 

 from aloft, and drowned. 



These severe losses caused considerable detention ; but, fortu- 

 nately, the Ganges arrived, and rendered every assistance in 

 repairing and replacing the Beagle''s damages. 



