May 1829. toob — awnixgs — boat cruise. 



221 



for three days, and instead of them, preserved meat, shell-fish, 

 and a large pig, brought from Monte Video, were substituted. 

 We found in this, as in almost every Fuegian harbour, abun- 

 dance of muscles, limpets, and wild celery ; some fish and some 

 wild-fowl. Many of our party thought shags good eating, but 

 only one person could be found daring enough to try whether 

 old Sir John Narborough was quite warranted in saying that 

 a fox was ' savoury food,' and that one repented of his experi- 

 ment during a week's serious illness. 



" My reason for entirely stopping the use of salt-meat, for a 

 few days, was the belief that, at least, two or three days' change 

 of diet is necessary to cause any real alteration in the system ; 

 and that it is better to give fresh provisions for three days in 

 succession, and salt-meat during the remainder of three weeks, 

 than to give fresh-meat at three separate intervals in the same 

 period. 



" During the wet weather of these regions, we derived great 

 benefit from awnings, painted for the purpose, while refitting at 

 JR,io de J aneiro and Maldonado : they kept the lower, and a 

 great part of the upper deck quite dry, even in heavy rain. 



" May 7th. Mr. Stokes and I set out with a cutter and 

 whale-boat, to explore the Jerome Channel. We were well 

 provided, with as much as the boats could stow, of what we 

 thought likely to be useful during a month's cruise. Of water 

 we took but little, trusting to the wetness of these regions for 

 a supply. Each man had his clothes covered with canvas, or 

 duck, well painted; and instead of a hat, every one had a 

 ' south-wester' (like a coal-heaver's cap). 



" Our provisions, being sufficient for twenty-eight days, 

 made the boats rather deep ; and I soon found the cutter 

 pulled very heavily, and was obliged to take her in tow. All 

 our party slept in the cutter the first night, the whale-boat 

 being made fast astern. Towards midnight it blew fresh, and 

 as the boats were anchored near the wash of the beach, they 

 rolled a good deal ; and soon afterwards, feeling the whale- 

 boat hanging heavily on her rope, I hauled her up alongside, 

 and found she was almost swamped ; in a few minutes she 



