10th September 1832

Bahia Blanca
All hands have been busily employed to day; some surveying: some digging a well for water & others cutting up an old wreck for fire wood. I took a long walk with a rifle, but did not succeed in shooting anything. I saw some deer & Ostriches, the latter made an odd deep noise; I also found a warren of the Agouti, or hare of the Pampas; it is about the size of two English ones, but in its habits resembles a rabbit.

In the evening the merchant Schooner arrived from the Settlement; bringing with it Mr Harris, bound for Rio Negro; & our Spanish host who was invited to pay us a visit. Mr Harris tells us that the Majors fears are not yet quieted, & that no one in the place, excepting our host, would venture to pay us a visit.

When the schooner sailed, Mr Rowlett accompanied her, in order at Rio Negro to try to procure fresh provisions for the ship. —

Syms Covington:
There are no trees, but ONLY dry grass and bushes, except in places where you find occasional green patches of grass on poor soils, but no water. For the latter we were obliged to dig wells in the sand for the supply of our ship, where we got water which was very hard and brackish.

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