May, 



CRITICAL ACCIDENT : 



•EFFECT OF FROST. 



451 



down upon her lee anchor. The critical nature of our situa- 

 tion at once struck me: it was evident, that the frost had 

 rendered our chains, so often tried, a doubtful security against 

 the jerk of rollers which occasionally set into the bay — one or 

 two, perhaps, in half an hour — though the swell was at other 

 times trifling". We veered a whole cable on the in-shore anchor 

 (a small one, got at San Carlos), cleared away and let go the 

 sheet-anchor, shackled the remainder of the small bower chain 

 to the best bower, and rode with two-thirds of a cable on the 

 sheet, and a cable and a half on the bower, close to the beach, 

 though in six fathoms water, keeping the cables constantly 

 streaming wet at the hawse-holes, with sea-water, to prevent 

 their freezing : the temperature of the wT.ter being 44°, though 

 the snow and hail lay frozen on the weather-side of the masts. 

 The link that broke, of the chain, was in the hawse exposed to 

 a current of cold air through the hawse-hole. It certainly 

 appeared defective, when examined next day ; but as it had 

 withstood many a heavy strain, I attribute its parting to the 

 action of the frost, and would caution seamen to be on their 

 guard when using chain cables in similar weather. The w'md 

 moderated, and the swell decreased towards morning ; so we 

 became again at ease with respect to the safety of the ship, 

 after a few hours of anxious suspense, for we had no hemp 

 cables, and were close to the surf of the shore. 



" ^5th. The wind drawing southward brought the vesseFs 

 broadside to the swell, and prevented our getting the boats out 

 for some time, as she rolled heavily, and I would not risk their 

 being injured without absolute necessity. In the evening we 

 crept for the end of the chain, weighed, and bent a stout haw- 

 ser to it ; and next day hove up the sheet anchor, and moored 

 afresh, at a greater distance from the land. 



" 27th and 28th. Blowing a furious gale of wind, 

 " May 29th. The first tolerable day in this place was em- 

 ployed by the officers in taking bearings and soundings in the 

 bay ; and by the ship's company in wooding and watering. 

 Some wigwams and the traces of guanacoes"* hoofs were seen, 

 but the land is high, and being thickly wooded shut us out 



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