390 



SaUALLS ANCHORAGE CLIMATE. 



throughout the day. During the night the weather became 

 rather more moderate ; but on the morning of the 31st, the wind 

 again increased to a gale, and towards noon, the williwaws were 

 so violent, that our small cutter, lying astern of the ship, was 

 fairly capsized, though she had not even a mast standing. The 

 ship herself careened, as if under a press of sail, sending all 

 loose things to leeward with a general crash (not being secured 

 for sea, while moored in so small a cove), but so rapidly did 

 these blasts from the mountains pass by, that with a good scope 

 of chain out, it was hardly strained to its utmost before the 

 squall was over. While the gale was increasing, in the afternoon, 

 the topmasts were struck ; yet still, in the squalls, the vessel 

 heeled many strakes when they caught her a-beam. At night 

 they followed in such rapid succession, that if the holding- 

 ground had not been excellent, and our ground-tackle very 

 strong, we must have been driven on the rocks. 



" Under the lee of high land is not the best anchorage in 

 these regions. When good holding-ground can be found to 

 windward of a height, and low land lies to windward of the 

 anchorage, sufficient to break the sea, the place is much to be 

 preferred ; because the wind is steady and does not blow home 

 against the height. The lee side of these heights is a great deal 

 worse than the west side of Gibraltar Rock while the strongest 

 Levanter is blowing. 



" Considering that this month corresponds to August in 

 our climate, it is natural to compare them, and to think how 

 hay and corn would prosper in a Fuegian summer. As yet I 

 have found no difference in Tierra del Fuego between summer 

 and winter, excepting that in the former the days are longer, and 

 the average temperature is perhaps ten degrees higher, but 

 there is also then more wind and rain. 



The gale still continued, and prevented any thing being 

 done out of the ship. However safe a cove Mr. Murray might 

 have found, his time, I knew, must be passing most irksomely, 

 as he could not have moved about since the day he left us. 

 He had a week''s provisions, but with moderate weather would 

 have returned in three days. 



