turn affairs had taken in Europe, or to give them late intelligence of public events especially in Austria. A few half-torn newspaper leaves round some bottles of cognac was all that the most earnest wish to oblige could furbish up in the way of information. In the course of conversation with the captain, it was only casually elicited that war had broken out two months before. More than this the honest seaman did not know, feeling, in fact, much greater interest in securing a profitable freight for his ship than in the political state of Europe.
As soon as the frigate's boat had returned, the officer in charge was met with a storm of questions and inquiries. His reply was very unsatisfactory, and little consolatory. Among the fragments of papers there was little that was important, still less that could give satisfaction, and, as usually happens under such circumstances, precisely at the spot where some news of our own country had been printed, the leaf was torn across, and the rest missing. Thus the anticipations formed of obtaining intelligence from the merchantman which should allay the anxiety on board had not merely failed to do so, but had in fact increased it in intensity, and the excitement caused by this episode on the minds of all on board reached almost fever heat. One would far sooner have encountered a tempest than such uncertainty, especially if it could have driven the frigate more rapidly towards her goal!
On the 19th July, at midnight, with favourable west winds
and a lovely moon, the Novara passed between Flores and Corvo, through the narrow channel of the Azores Islands—the first land that had been sighted since the frigate left the west coast of South America, 71 days before! The fact that it was hit so accurately, also furnished satisfactory proof, in a scientific point of view, that the seven chronometers in use on board, despite 27 months of constant handling under the most varying and frequently unfavourable conditions, were still in perfect order, and indicated with admirable accuracy the longitude of the ship.
Unfortunately—a circumstance to be expected in such latitudes in the height of summer—the ship now lost entirely the favouring gales which hitherto had filled her sails, and sped her rapidly on her course. When not above a few hundred miles distant from Gibraltar, those on board had to toss about for a number of days in calms that seemed as though they would never cease. Anxiety was at its height.
FOOTNOTES:
[101] In one single year (1854), the imports into Australia of Chilean grain amounted to £630,000. In a good year Chile produces 2,500,000 fanegas (920,755 quarters) of wheat, 4,500,000 fanegas (1,855,054 quarters) of barley, and 180,000 fanegas (16,071 tons) of beans. The fanega varies in weight according to the article measured; thus a fanega of wheat is 165 lbs., of barley 155 lbs., and of beans 200 lbs.
[102] That ships in good holding ground and with sound tackle are in no great danger riding out even a heavy storm in the roads, is best proved by the fact, that in the inner harbour there is a floating dry dock in use throughout the year, which, notwithstanding the occasionally severe weather while we were there, had a three-masted ship, full-rigged, masted and tackled upon it, with repairs of all sorts going on upon her sides.
[103] About 1s. 1d.; a dollar is about 4s. 4d., and a dollar has 8 reals.
[104] We must especially remark the large and valuable zoological collection with which our natural history stores were enriched by a German gentleman, Dr. C. Seget of Santiago de Chili. With similar liberality another gentleman, Mr. Friedrich Leybold, a Bavarian by birth, now resident in Santiago, where he practises as a chemist, presented the Expedition with several valuable geological and botanical specimens.