„ Unfavourable wrnthcr fur a»ouihtnt AAitirncov i»tiu« Tin Rt-li-f nt Nnir Island. 



pniiM!.— Fire on board. hUU 1 OfciKiN Perilous silunliuii »( the .sliip. 



termined lo return, and wan making his way U> Uic 

 north when he Ml in with the Pcaeuek. 



Tho nights having become long, with the inter- 

 mplions occasioned hy fogs and snow-storms, 

 afforded hut little lime for running tin- v« -•- U 

 nrnong the icebergs, whose numbers ivmlep-d the 

 navigation extremely hazardous. The condition 

 of the Peacock for a winter's campaign was mise- 

 rable, and on board the Flying-Fish there was DO 

 protection in the event of living frozen in. The 

 positive nature of his instructions, coinbinerl with 

 the report of Lieutenant Walker, convinced Cap- 

 tain Hudson of tho necessity of turning the ves- 

 sels* heads towards a more temperate climate. On 

 holding a council with Ins officers, lie found them 

 all of the opinion that the season for active opera- 

 tions in these latitudes had passed, and that it was 

 advisable fur the vessels to proceed without delay 

 to north. 



The vessels accordingly steered to tho north- 

 ward. 



The weather, during the cruise south, was ex- 

 ceedingly unfavourable; for, with few exceptions, 

 rhu-iiig their stay in the antarctic circle, they were 

 enveloped in den-e fogs, nr found only occasional 

 relief fnnn lliein in falls nffln0Vf< US* crew during 

 the whole time enjoyed an unusual degree of 

 health, which is not a little surprising; fur since 

 leaving Orange Harbour, the state of the ship had 

 been such as to promote disease. The precau- 

 tions ami endeavours to keep the men dry entirely 

 failed, from the condition of the ship, heretofore 

 referred to. 



The weather proved thiek on the 28th and 2ftlh ( 

 and they had little opportunity of making progress 

 to the north, against the north-west winds, which 

 were light. On this night a new danger beset 

 them, that of being consumed by lire ! At mid- 

 night, mi the 2tHh of March, they were aroused by 

 the smell of burning and smoke, issuing from the 

 ma'm hold. The usual orders were given relative 

 to the magazine. The drum beat to quarters. On 

 opening the main hatch, smoke issued out in 

 volumes, and fire was discovered under it, pro- 

 ceeding from a hag in full blaze. This was soon 

 passed on deck, and the fire extinguished. It was 

 fortunately discovered in time, and was found to 

 proceed from a quantity of coffee, which had been 

 put below in the bag, after it had been burnt or 

 roasted, the previous afternoon. 



On the 1st of April, in latitude 60° 12' S., Innci- 

 tude 84 J 20' W. t Captain Hudson despatched the 

 tender to Orange Harbour, with his reports to me, 

 and continued his route to Valparaiso. On the 

 evening of the Will they made the land of Chili; 

 and on the 2 1st the Peacock arrived in Valparaiso, 

 where to their surprise they found our store-ship 

 the Kelief, which had arrived at Valparaiso some 

 days previous. The hist icebergs seen were in 

 latitude «2 3 .'10' S , longitude 117 41' W.; the 

 temperature of air .'in-; of water 3£»\ 



The Relief left Orange Harbour on the 20th of 

 February, for the purpose of visiting various places 

 in the Straits of Magellan, to afford an opportu- 

 nity of makiug investigations, and opening a larger 

 field for our naturalists during the fifty or sixty 

 days they were to be detained on the eoa^t, Mr.it 

 of the scientific gentlemen were accordingly trans- 

 ferred to her; and bIic was ordered to enter the 

 Brecknock Passage, and thence into Cockburn 



Sound, of which we had King's valuable chart: 

 and I thought that the passage into the strait was 

 more feasible, and might he sooner accomplished 

 by that route than by taking the eastern passage, 

 particularly as the wind was favourable. I also 

 thought it would enable them to explore more 

 part- of the straits, and those which had been 

 least visited. 



Various difiicullies prevented her reaching the 

 entrance to the Brecknock Passage, principally 

 that of keeping too far off the coast 011 long tacks to 

 tho southward. 



On the l?th of March, after being at sea twenty 

 days, they approached the coast, and a gale ensuing 

 from the south-west, Lieuteiiant-t'oimnamiant 

 Long, on the follow ing day, determined to run in 

 and anchor under Noir Island, winch is s|Kikcn of 

 hv King as an excellent harbour. The wind was 

 blowing a gale from tho south-west, with thick 

 weather and hail-squalls. Noir Island was disc- 

 rtxed under the lee, judged to be about twelve 

 miles distant, wh "U I hey steered for if. It becom- 

 ing thiek, they did not discover the Totter lloeks 

 until they were almost up with, and just had time 

 to clear litem. These lucks presented a magnifi- 

 cent, and fearful sight, the sea breaking complex ly 

 over them. Three anchors were prepared. They 

 rounded the south-east point of the island, and 

 stood in for the bay. At about five o'elock they 

 anchored in seventeen fathoms, and the anchor 

 took effect. 



tin the morning of the lDth, the highest point 

 of Noir Island was seen, capped with snow ; the 

 wind had abated somewhat, hut not enough to 

 permit of their landing in a snug little cove abreast 

 of them. In the afternoon the wind again iu- 

 creased, and another anchor was let go. There 

 was much sea, and the sh'ip rode very uneasy at 

 her anchor. The sea broke tremendously on the 

 reef astern, shooting up in columns, such as are 

 seen to appear under the effect of mirage. After 

 it became dark, the wind shifted to the southward 

 and eastward, which brought the sea from that 

 quarter, ami exposed them more both to it and the 

 wind. The anchors shortly after began to drag, 

 ami the vessel ivai urged in the direction of a rock. 

 Fortunately the wind abated towards morning, 

 and came from its old quarter, south-west, more on" 

 the land, but still blew with violence. 



On the morning of the 20th, one of their chain 

 cables was found to have parted. The chain was 

 hove in with some difficulty, and another anchor 

 let go. The weather towards evening became 

 Ogoio threatening, and produced no little anxiety. 

 At nightfall it shifted in the same way it had done 

 the previous eteiiittg, blowing again heavily. The 

 ship wus fell to be constantly dragging, accom- 

 panied by that grating kind of noise of the chain 

 moving on the bottom, which is any thing but 

 agreeable. The reck astern, together with the 

 reef toward which the wind and sea were bolh 

 setting the ship, rendered their situation truh 

 appalling. The prospect oi any one surviving, to 

 case they had struck, was extremely slight. The 

 night was <lark ami stormy, and the dragging con- 

 tinued occasionally until midnight, w In 11 lh«;s found 

 they bad passed and escaped the rock, and were 

 near the reef. Tiny now shipped a heavy sea 

 over the hows, the shock nf which was so great 

 that it parted their cables, and their drifting be- 



