June 1829. hermite islands — Valparaiso. 



207 



and resembling the worn teeth of an old saw. Mount Hyde is 

 made sufficiently distinct by its rounded apex, and by being 

 higher than any land near it. Kater''s Peak also is remarkable 

 in this view, from its conical form and very pointed summit, 

 and from being situated at the eastern end of the island. The 

 ^ Horn ' itself needs no description ; it cannot easily be mis- 

 taken.* 



Westerly winds carried us as far as 60° south latitude before 

 we could make any westing, and tlien we had a slant from the 

 eastward, followed by variable winds. Our run to Valparaiso 

 was much like all other voyages in this climate ; we had the 

 usual quantity of foul and fair winds, with a share of tempes- 

 tuous weather, and arrived at Valparaiso Bay on the 22d of 

 June. W^hile remaining here our chronometers were cleaned, 

 and some of them repaired ; and the ship was refitted and pro- 

 visioned, with a full supply for the Beagle and Adelaide as well 

 as herself. 



At the latter end of July, Lieutenant Wickham accompanied 

 me to Santiago, the capital of Chile, ninety miles from the port, 

 for the purpose of waiting upon General Pinto, the Director ; 

 and communicating to him the purpose of our voyage, to pre- 

 vent exciting suspicion, or receiving any interruption on the 

 part of the authorities of places we might visit, particularly 

 Childe, where our stay might be viewed with distrust or appre- 

 hension ; for rumour had already said that the English were 

 about to take that island. Ridiculous as such a report was, I 

 deemed it sufficiently important to induce me to explain to the 

 Chilian Government our views and orders, which could be done 

 better by personal explanation than by a correspondence. 



We commenced our journey early on the 11th of July, 

 travelling in a covered chaise, drawn by three horses, one in 



• The Survey of this part now presents the navigator with the means 

 of ascertaining his position, to a nicety, by angles taken with a sextant 

 between Cape Horn summit and Jerdan's Peak, or Mount Hyde, and 

 Kater's Peak ; and if Jerdan's Peak and Mount Hyde be brought in a 

 line, and an angle taken between them and Cape Horn summit, the ope- 

 ration will be still more simple. 



