A DIARY OF THE 



had been thrown overboard to counteract an 

 inclination which she had to fall over on her 

 larboard broadside, the fore-topmast cut away, 

 and the main-topmast struck, and the sails cut 

 from the yards, and sent on deck ready to trans- 

 port to the shore for tents. 



May 21. — At daylight all hands were labour- 

 ing hard in working the rafts between the shore 

 and the ship. So powerfully had the surf acted 

 on the hull of the ship during the night, that she 

 was forced one half the distance that wx had 

 been, on the 20th, nearer the beach 5 and hence 

 our future operations, though still harassing 

 from the breaking in of the surf, were rendered 

 free from danger. The weather proving fine, 

 the sick were landed during the morning : we 

 had three in cots, who were hoisted over the 

 stern, and secured on a heap of bedding and 

 casks sufficiently high to prevent more than a 

 little spray from reaching them. They were 

 carried up to the mound of sand on which the 

 choice had fallen as the site of our camp. Nu- 

 merous Indians came from the neighbouring hills 

 to reconnoitre us, with the Cacique Cheuquante, 

 with a considerable retinue of them and a Spa- 

 nish interpreter, offering assistance against the 



