Monte Video
Went to the city to purchase some things:
26th October 1832
Monte Video
The day has been very cloudy: but what are clouds & gloom to those who have just heard from their friends at home. My letters from Shrewsbury are dated May 12th & June 28th. — Receiving letters unfits one for any occupation; so that I have done nothing but read the Newspapers; it is rather a laborious undertaking & to make it tolerable it requires the high interest of the present politicks of England.
The day has been very cloudy: but what are clouds & gloom to those who have just heard from their friends at home. My letters from Shrewsbury are dated May 12th & June 28th. — Receiving letters unfits one for any occupation; so that I have done nothing but read the Newspapers; it is rather a laborious undertaking & to make it tolerable it requires the high interest of the present politicks of England.
25th October 1832
Bahia Blanca to Montevideo
A fair breeze, right aft; we have not for the last 24 hours gone less than 6 knots an hour. — It may sound strange, but it is necessary for a person to be some time in a ship, before he understands how to enjoy a favourable wind; it is something like the pleasure of riding fast, although with no particular end in view; & this pleasure must be solely derived from habit. — In the same manner, during a fair breeze nothing can be more delightful than the general cheerfulness which pervades the whole ship. —
A fair breeze, right aft; we have not for the last 24 hours gone less than 6 knots an hour. — It may sound strange, but it is necessary for a person to be some time in a ship, before he understands how to enjoy a favourable wind; it is something like the pleasure of riding fast, although with no particular end in view; & this pleasure must be solely derived from habit. — In the same manner, during a fair breeze nothing can be more delightful than the general cheerfulness which pervades the whole ship. —
24th October 1832
Bahia Blanca to MontevideoThe night was pitch dark, with a fresh breeze. — The sea from its extreme luminousness presented a wonderful & most beautiful appearance; every part of the water, which by day is seen as foam, glowed with a pale light. The vessel drove before her bows two billows of liquid phosphorus, & in her wake was a milky train. — As far as the eye reached, the crest of every wave was bright; & from the reflected light, the sky just above the horizon was not so utterly dark as the rest of the Heavens. — It was impossible to behold this plain of matter, as it were melted & consuming by heat, without being reminded of Milton's description of the regions of Chaos & Anarchy.
23rd October 1832
Bahia Blanca to Montevideo
The fog cleared away, only to disappoint us with an unfavourable breeze.
The fog cleared away, only to disappoint us with an unfavourable breeze.
21st & 22nd October 1832
Bahia Blanca
During these two days it has been a thick fog, with light breezes: We are all getting anxious for the moment of receiving letters to arrive. Moreover, there is another substantial reason; our bread fails us on next Sunday, at present all hands are on a 2/3 allowance. The detainment from the Schooners is the cause of the miscalculation in the stores.
During these two days it has been a thick fog, with light breezes: We are all getting anxious for the moment of receiving letters to arrive. Moreover, there is another substantial reason; our bread fails us on next Sunday, at present all hands are on a 2/3 allowance. The detainment from the Schooners is the cause of the miscalculation in the stores.
19th & 20th October 1832
Bahia Blanca
The Captain landed for half an hour at Monte Hermoso, (or Starvation point as we call it) to take observations. I went with him & had the good luck to obtain some well preserved fossil bones of two or three sorts of Gnawing animals. One of them must have much resembled the Agouti but it is smaller. We are now at night pressing on for the Rio Plata.
The Captain landed for half an hour at Monte Hermoso, (or Starvation point as we call it) to take observations. I went with him & had the good luck to obtain some well preserved fossil bones of two or three sorts of Gnawing animals. One of them must have much resembled the Agouti but it is smaller. We are now at night pressing on for the Rio Plata.
The wind is very light.
17th & 18th October 1832
Bahia Blanca
The Beagle & the two Schooners, forming a little fleet sailed together & anchored at night in the entrance of the Bay.
The Beagle & the two Schooners, forming a little fleet sailed together & anchored at night in the entrance of the Bay.
We continued to sound. At noon the Schooners made sail to the South; we gave them three hearty & true cheers for a farewell.
Captain Robert Fitzroy Journal:
No person who had only seen the Paz and Liebre in their former wretched condition, would easily have recognised them after being refitted, and having indeed almost a new equipment. Spars altered, and improved rigging, well-cut sails, fresh paint, and thorough cleanliness, had transformed the dirty sealing craft into smart little cock-boats: and as they sailed out of Port Belgrano with the Beagle, their appearance and behaviour were by no means discouraging.
At dusk, Lieutenant Wickham and his small party of venturous associates separated from us, and steered into False Bay. The Beagle anchored for the night, and next day pursued her route towards Monte Video, where she arrived on the 26th.
Syms Covington’s Journal:
We sailed October 17th.
16th October 1832
Bahia Blanca
Again I walked to Punta alta to look for fossil bones: on the road I crossed the track of a large herd of the Guanaco or American Camel. The marks were as large as a cow, but more cloven. We laid in a good stock of fresh provisions for sea; as 6 deer were shot & great numbers of fish caught.
Again I walked to Punta alta to look for fossil bones: on the road I crossed the track of a large herd of the Guanaco or American Camel. The marks were as large as a cow, but more cloven. We laid in a good stock of fresh provisions for sea; as 6 deer were shot & great numbers of fish caught.
13th, 14th & 15th October 1832
Bahia BlancaOn Sunday the Schooners came down from the creek & anchored alongside. Their appearance is much improved by their refit; but they look very small. "La Paz" is the largest, carrying 17 tuns; La Lievrè only 11.1/2. Between the two they have 15 souls. Mr Stokes & Mellersh are in La Paz; Mr Wickham & King in the other. They sail on Wednesday; I look forward to our separation with much regret; our society on board can ill afford to lose such very essential members. I am afraid the whole party will undergo many privations; the cabin in the smaller one is at present only 2 & 1/2 feet high! Their immediate business will be to survey South of B. Blanca: & at the end of next month we meet them at Rio Negro, in the bay of St Blas.
12th October 1832
Bahia BlancaToday I walked much further within the country; but all to no use; every feature in the landscape remains the same. I found an Ostriches nest which contained 27 eggs. Each egg equals in weight 11 of a common hens; so that the quantity of food in this nest was actually the same as 297 hens eggs. We had some difficulty in getting on board; as there was a very fresh breeze right in our teeth.
11th October 1832
Bahia BlancaTook a long walk in a straight line into the interior; uninteresting as the country is, we certainly see it in by far the best time. It is now the height of Spring; the birds are all laying their eggs & the flowers in full blossom. — In places the ground is covered with the pink flowers of a Wood Sorrell & a wild pea, & dwarf Geranium. — Even with this & a bright clear sky, the plain has a dreary monotomous (sic) aspect.
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