400 STEWART HARBOUR SECOND SEARCH. 



of assistance, from the strangers. At all events, when they 

 parted, our passengers were as discontented as the others were 

 cheerful. When we got on board, we fed our prisoners with 

 fat pork and shell-fish, which they liked better than any thing 

 else, and clothed them with old blankets.^ 



" Next morning (16th) we weighed, and sailed along the 

 coast towards Cape Castlereagh, at the east side of Desolate 

 Bay. Many straggling rocks and rocky islets were observed 

 lying off Cape Desolation and in the Bay. That afternoon, we 

 stood into a narrow opening, which appeared to be the outlet 

 of a harbour close to Cape Castlereagh, and found a very good 

 anchorage, well suited for the purposes both of continuing the 

 survey and looking for the lost boat. 



" (17th.) The master and I, with the cutter and a whale- 

 boat, set out upon a second chase, taking a week's provisions. 

 In the first cove I searched, not two miles from the Beagle, I 

 found a piece of the boat's lead-line, which had been left in a 

 lately deserted wigwam. This raised our hopes ; and, in addi- 

 tion to the signs made by our prisoners, convinced us we were 

 on the right track. 



" I took with me a young man as a guide, and in the cutter 

 the master carried the two stoutest of the women, having 

 left all the rest of our prisoners on board. As far as we could 

 make out, they appeared to understand perfectly that their 

 safety and future freedom depended upon their showing us 

 where to find the boat. 



" We intended to go round the Stewart Islands ; and after 

 examining many coves, and finding signs that a party of natives 

 had passed along the same route within the last two days, we 

 stopped in a sheltered place for the night. Having given 

 our prisoners as much food as they could eat, muscles, lim- 

 pets, and pork, we let them lie down close to the fire, all three 

 together. I would not tie them, neither did I think it necessary 

 to keep an unusual watch, supposing that their children being 



* It afterwards appeared that we had taken the families of the very 

 men who stole the boat from Mr. Murray. 



