366 



PORPHYRY SAND TEMPERATURE. DeC. 1829. 



them, that thinking they ought to be surveyed, I returned on 

 board, weighed, and worked towards the nearest opening. We 

 shot into it, and warped to a berth four cables' lengths up a 

 narrow passage, and anchored in twenty-four fathoms, upon 

 sand and clayey mud. 



" 13th. Many wigwams were found in this neighbourhood, 

 which showed that our Fuegian acquaintances were occasional 

 visitors. The inner harbour seemed to be a fine basin ; but 

 the bottom was found inferior to that of the anchorage at 

 which the Beagle lay moored. 



" 15th. Strong wind and frequent rain prevented much being 

 done out of the ship this day. I went to the top of a mountain 

 near the ship, but could not take many angles because of the 

 violent squalls and the rain. At night it blew a hard gale : the 

 squalls came furiously over the heights, and obliged us to let 

 go a third anchor and strike topmasts. We were quite sheltered 

 from the true wind ; but were reached most effectually by the 

 williwaws, which came down with great force. However vexed 

 we might have been at not being able to go far from the ship, 

 we were certainly very fortunate in escaping this gale at a secure 

 anchorage. It appeared to be blowing very heavily at sea. 



" 16th. A strong gale all day, with much rain, prevented our 

 leaving the ship. In coming down a height on the 15th, I found 

 some red porphyry rock, like that about Port Desire ; and 

 the first I had seen in these parts. Another novelty was a 

 tract of about two acres of pure white sand thinly covered with 

 grass. 



" Though the middle of summer, the weather was not much 

 warmer than in winter. The average height of the thermometer 

 was about ten degrees greater ; being nearly the same, as during 

 the months of August and September, in Childe. 



" 17th. A continuance of bad weather : no work was done in 

 the boats this day. In the afternoon I tried to go up the 

 mountain I had ascended on Tuesday, to bring down a theo- 

 dolite which I had left at the top ; but the wind obliged me to 

 return unsuccessful. 



" 18th. Similar weather continued until noon : frequent strong 



