Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 2.djvu/275



the next day, accompanied by Captain Crozier, I called upon the Lieutenant-Governor, and was informed by him that the settlers were on short allowance of bread and flour, the supplies from Buenos Ayres, upon which they depended, not having yet arrived.

It was fortunate that out of our abundance we could spare as much as they would for the present require, and which they would be able to replace before our departure again for the South. In consequence also of nearly all the Gauchoes having left the settlement, the government stock of cattle was reduced so low that we could only get fresh beef every alternate day for our people, and of vegetables there was not sufficient in the government garden to furnish one table daily; of these the governor generously gave to our officers a large proportion, as also of the scanty allowance of milk and butter the dairy afforded.

As an abundance of fresh beef for our crews was of first importance, I obtained the governor's permission to send a hunting party to supply the ships during the whole period of our stay, paying for whatever they could provide the same price as was at the time of our arrival charged to the settlers for what they purchased from the government