30 ^'^^tir^ SOUTHERN CRUISE. ^j^SS^M*** 



CHAPTER VI. 



SOUTHERN CRUISE. VALVAR A I SO. 



I'UMHTI'JU: Or PEACOCK AND VLV IKG-PltH — OA LK— »EP ARATtOX — DKFKCTITK OUTFITS OF PEACOCK — ACCIDENT TO 

 WILLIAM STEWART — nil DEATH — FIRST ICEBERG — KALE — SITUATION OF VY, ACOCK— D I JLOS M ItOUA .11 ►TH.lMl- 

 •KOW-STORM — H.TINO-F1SD KEJOtKS— LIBL'TKXAKT WALKIx'f UK PORT— S1TI/ATIOX OF VESSELS— CAPTAIN Ki ll 

 SON IK TUB PEACOCK RF.HOl.VES TO RETURN— gll 1 1" OX FI RE— FLTI SO-FH1I DESPATCH KO FOR ORANGE BARBOUR 

 ■ — ARRIVAL OP PEALOCX AT V A LP A R AlBO — Fi SD THE RELIEF — DIFFICULTIES EKCorNTEIlP.D— OALfc — TOWER 

 RCltKS-KOlH ISLAND — DAXOEROl'S POSITION— LOSS OF ANCHORS — THE RELIEF PROCEED! TU VALPARAISO- 

 ARRIVAL OFF THE PORT— RELIEF ANCHOR* — AD IM V A f. OF FLYI.NO-FIS1I AT ORANOE U AKBOtin — PREP A K ATIONS 

 FOR l»KFARTTJRX— CLTMATS — ANIMAL* — WOLF — BIRD* — ORANGE It ARBOCR— Y1XCEHVF.S AMD FORFOlSK TAKE 

 TI1KIR DEPARTURE— RKA-OULL Aim FLTJl»Ori«II TO AWAIT THE RELIEF— ANCHOR IS 1CA PENH A M RAT— TIS- 

 CKSXKS AH D PORPOISE PART COWPANV — VINCEVNEs' ARRIVAL AT VALPARAISO— THK PEACOCK THERE— ARR1VA L 

 Of PORPOISE AND FLTtXG-FlSH — COAST OF CHILI — CORDI LLERAS— VISIT TO AUTHORITIES OF VALPARAISO— 

 LANDING OF INKTRCMEXTS — CUSTOM -HOUSE OFFICERS— O BSE RY A TORT — NORTH ERS — PKRCEPTI BLE CHAXUK IK 

 THE BAY— VALPARAISO— DESCRIPTION DF IT— ITS ORDER AND COVERS W ENT -TRAIT OF CU I LI AXi— POLICE— 

 THEIR SIGNAL— *1I«P«— A MtJSKM ENTS— CH I NO AN<1 — DANCES — »A M ACPEC A— II iOIIER CLASSES— DRESS— TASTE FOR 

 MUSIC— FONDNESS FOR FI.OWi.R8 — GENERAL PR I ETO -HONOURS PAID II I M— B ALL— DESCRt PTloN OF IT. 



At 10 a.m., on the 26th of February, the Peacock, 

 with the tender Flying-Fish, goi under way, and 

 also received parting cheers from the Vineeuncs 

 ami Relief as tlioy passed out of the harbour. The 

 wind, as with the Porpoise, was light and variable 

 until the afternoon, when they likewise encountered 

 the heavy squall from the south-west, which with 

 the thick weather induced Captain Hudson tore- 

 gain the outer anchorage or Orange Harbour, ami 

 remain tin re during the u j t ij i iiju of the gale. 

 Tin: m-xt in. in ling, the weather proving more fik- 

 vnnr.iblo, 1 1 u«y again go( under way, and st.iod dow n 

 the bay, with all sail set, and a fine breeze from the 

 northward. 



The heavy hank of cumuli that had hi i n per- 

 ceived in the west, by noon began to develop it- 

 self, and by three o'clock they were under their 

 storm -sails. Tin- barometer, wliieh was at2lr21 in., 

 began to rise as it came on. This gale la* ted 

 t wen ty-fi mr hours, and during its confinuaiice the 

 lender Flying -Fish was lost Kight of. Captain 

 Hudson in his instructions to Lieutenant Walker, 

 notified him that the Peacock would wait twelve 

 hours in or near the situation where lust seen; 

 which he now did; hut no tidings being received 

 of the tender, he bore away for their first rendez- 

 vous, having taken the precaution to fix four places 

 of meeting. 



1 hiring the last gale, from her had and defective 

 outfits, no vessel could be more uncomfortable than 

 the Peacock, and although every precaution was 

 taken to make the ports tight, yet from their 

 working, it was found impossible to keep them so. 



On th« i 7th they again had squall* of snow and 

 rain, with strong galea. On the 9th, although tin 

 weather had moderated, yet the sea was very 

 heavy, and the ship tossed and tumbled about in 

 ever)* direction. William Stewart, captain of the 

 main-top, was this day knocked off the yard, and in 

 his fall struck the main rigging, but ho canted and 

 full overboard, when he was hern to lie quite insen- 

 sible, feet up, supported by his exploring hunts, 

 which were supposed to have occasioned his fall. 

 A bowline was thrown over them, and he was dex« 

 tcrously drawn on board again. The ship had but 



little headway, and it would have been impossihle 

 to lower it In. at on account of the roughness of ihe 

 sea; his rescue was therefore almost miraculous. 

 Every care was taken of him, but it was soon found 

 that the violence of the concussion had Wu so 

 gn at that his lungs had beeotuc gorged w ith blood, 

 and little linpes were entertained of his recovery. 

 After lingering to tho 1 1th, he died. He was greatly 

 regretted by Loth officers and nun, for he had 

 proved himself ail excellent man, and w as well cal- 

 culated for the service. On the >anie day his body 

 waa committed to the deep, with the usual cere- 

 monies. 



Tliis day they made the first iceberg. The only 

 indication in tho air or water on approaching it, 

 was a fall of two degrees in the temperature of the 

 former, and one degree in the latter. Their 

 position waa in latitude t»4° S., and longitude 

 80 3 W. 



On the I4;h, Captain Hudson remarked a great 

 and striking change in the weather since they 

 passed the. (J2° of south latitude, it having become 

 much more settled, and free from the sudden squalls 

 and constant gales they had experienced since leav- 

 ing Cape Horn. Several birds were shot this day, 

 including an albatross and many penguins. Petrels 

 and Capo pigeons were seen. They now begun to 

 fall in with icebergs in numbers. ' The tempera- 

 ture of the water and air had fallen to 33' and 

 32\ 



They encountered, during the 17tb, and part of 

 tin. Uhb, the heaviest gale and sea they had expe- 

 rienced since leaving the I'nited States. The ship 

 was completely coated with ice, even to the gun- 

 deck. Every spray thrown over her froze, and her 

 hows and deck were fairly packed with it. The 

 crew suffered much from the gun- deck being con- 

 stantly wet; and it being now covered with ice, the 

 ship was damp throughout. 



On the HUh, the gale continued, with a heavy sea, 

 the winds prevailing more from the south and south- 

 south-east. There were many birds about the ship ; 

 among them a sheath bill, which Mr. Pealo made 

 even' exertion to take, but without success. A bluo 

 petrel was, however, caught. Several icebergs 



