January. Monday 16, 1769. be relieved. Mr. Banks with much difficulty, at length got the Doctor to the fire; and foon after fent two of the people who had been refreshed, in hopes that, with the affistance of those who had been left behind, they would be able to bring Richmond, even though it should still be found impoffible to wake him. In about half an hour, however, they had the mortification to fee thefe two men return alone; they said, that they had been all round the place to which they had. been directed, but could neither find Richmond nor those who had been left with him; and that though they had shouted many times, no voice had replied. This was matter of equal surprise and concern, particularly to Mr. Banks, who, while he was wondering how it could happen, miffed a bottle of rum, the company's whole stock, which they now concluded to be in the knapsack of one of the abfentees. It was conjectured, that with this Richmond had been rouzed by the two perfons who had been left with him, and that, having perhaps drank too freely of it themselves, they had all rambled from the place where they had been left, in fearch of the fire, instead of waiting for those who should have been their assistants and guides. Another fall of snow now came on, and continued inceffantly for two hours, fo that all hope of seeing them again, at least alive, were given up; but about twelve o'clock, to the great joy of those at the fire, a fhouting was heard at some distance. Mr. Banks, with four more, immediately went out, and found the feaman with juft ftrength enough left to ftagger along, and call out for affiftance: Mr. Banks fent him immediately to the fire, and, by his direction, proceeded in fearch of the other two, whom he foon after found. Richmond was upon his legs, but not able to put one before the other; his companion was lying upon the ground, as infenfible as a ftone. All hands were now called from the fire, and an attempt was made to carry them to it; but this, notwithstanding the united efforts of the whole company, was found to be impoffible. The night was extremely dark, the fnow was now very deep, and, under these additional disadvantages, they found it very difficult to make way through the bushes and the bog for themselves, all of them getting many falls in the attempt. The only alternative was to make a fire upon the spot; but the fnow which had fallen, and was ftill falling, befides what was every moment fhaken in flakes from the trees, rendered it equally impracticable, to kindle one there, and to bring any part of that which had been kindled in the wood thither: they were, therefore, reduced to the fad neceffiy of leaving the unhappy wretches to their fate; having firft made them a bed of boughs from the trees, and fpread a covering of the fame kind over them to a confiderable height. Having now been exposed to the cold and the snow near an hour and an half, fome of the rest began to lose their fenfibility; and one Briscoe, another of Mr. Banks's fervants, was fo ill, that it was thought he must die before he could be got to the fire. At the fire, however, at length they arrived; and paffed the night in a fituation, which however dreadful in itfelf, was rendered more afflicting by the remembrance of what was paft, and the uncertainty of what was to come. Of twelve, the number that fet out together in health and spirits, two were fuppofed to be already dead; a third was fo ill, that it was very doubtful whether he would be able to go forward in the morning; and a fourth, Mr. Buchan, was in danger of a return of his fits, by fresh fatigue after fo uncomfort able a night: they were distant from the ship a long day's journey, VOL. II. H 1769. January. Monday 16. 1769. January. Monday 16. Tuesday 17. journey, through pathlefs woods, in which it was too probable they might be bewildered till they were overtaken by the next night; and, not having prepared for a journey of more than eight or ten hours, they were wholly deftitute of provisions, except a vulture, which they happened to shoot while they were out, and which, if equally divided, would not afford each of them half a meal; and they knew not how much more they might fuffer from the cold, as the fnow ftill continued to fall. A dreadful teftimony of the severity of the climate, as it was now the midst of summer in this part of the world, the twenty-first of December being here the longest day; and every thing might justly be dreaded from a phænomenon which, in the corresponding season, is unknown even in Norway and Lapland. When the morning dawned, they faw nothing round them, ás far as the eye could reach, but fnow, which seemed to lie as thick upon the trees as upon the ground; and the blasts returned fo frequently, and with fuch violence, that they found it impoffible for them to set out: how long this might laft they knew not, and they had but too much reason to apprehend that it would confine them in that defolate forest till they perished with hunger and cold. After having suffered the misery and terror of this fituation till fix o'clock in the morning, they conceived fome hope of deliverance by discovering the place of the fun through the clouds, which were become thinner, and began to break away. Their firft care was to fee whether the poor wretches whom they had been obliged to leave among the bushes were yet alive; three of the company were dispatched for that purpose, and very foon afterwards returned with the melancholy news, that they were dead. Notwithstanding Notwithstanding the flattering appearance of the sky, the fnow ftill continued to fall fo thick that they could not venture out upon their journey to the fhip; but about 8 o'clock a small regular breeze sprung up, which, with the prevailing influence of the fun, at length cleared the air; and they foon after, with great joy, faw the fnow fall in large flakes from the trees, a certain fign of an approaching thaw: they now examined more critically the ftate of their invalids; Briscoe was still very ill, but faid, that he thought himself able to walk; and Mr. Buchan was much better than either he or his friends had any reason to expect. They were now, however, preffed by the calls of hunger, to which, after long fasting, every confideration of future good or evil immediately gives way. Before they fet forward, therefore, it was unanimously agreed, that they fhould eat their vulture; the bird was accordingly skinned, and, it being thought beft to divide it before it was fit to be eaten, it was cut into ten portions, and every man cooked his own as he thought fit. After this repaft, which furnished each of them with about three mouthfuls, they prepared to fet out; but it was ten o'clock before the fnow was fufficiently gone off to render a march practicable. After a walk of about three hours, they were very agreeably surprised to find themselves upon the beach, and much nearer to the ship than they had any reafon to expect. Upon reviewing their track from the veffel, they perceived, that, inftead of afcending the hill in a line, so as to penetrate into the country, they had made almost a circle round it. When they came on board, they congratulated each other upon their safety, with a joy that no man can feel who has not been exposed to equal danger; and as I had fuffered great anxiety at their not returning in the evening of the day on which they set out, I was not wholly without my share. 1769. January. Tuesday 17: 1769. January. Thursday 19. CHA P. V. The Passage through the Streight of Le Maire, and a further Defcription of the Inhabitants of Terra del Fuego, and its Productions. our N the 18th and 19th, we were delayed in getting on board our wood and water by a fwell: but on the 20th, Wednef. 18. the weather being more moderate, we again fent the boat on fhore, and Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander went in it. They landed in the bottom of the bay, and while my people were employed in cutting brooms, they pursued their great object, the improvement of natural knowlege, with fuccefs, collecting many shells and plants which hitherto have been altogether unknown: they came on board to dinner, and afterwards went again on fhore to visit an Indian town, which fome of the people had reported to lie about two miles up the country. They found the distance not more than by the account, and they approached it by what appeared to be the common road, yet they were above an hour in getting thither, for they were frequently up to their knees in mud; when they got within a small distance, two of the people came out to meet them, with fuch ftate as they could affume; when they joined them, they began to hollow as they had done on board the ship, without addreffing themfelves either to the ftrangers or their companions; and having continued this firange vociferation fome time, they conducted them to the town. It was fituated on a dry knoll, or small hill, covered with wood, none of which feemed to have been cleared away, and confifted of about twelve or fourteen hovels, of the moft rude |