On emerging from the mangroves upon the beach we saw painted upon the sandstone cliffs, in very large letters, "Beagle Observatory, letters south-east 52 paces." REJOIN THE LYNHER.

MEETING WITH THE BEAGLE.
No one who has not been similarly situated can at all conceive the thrill which went through me when these letters first met my eye; even had anything happened to the schooner, friends were upon the coast, and I knew that Captain Wickham, who had passed a great portion of his life in adventures of this kind, would leave nothing undone which was in his power to ensure our safety.

We now hurried across the beach, and on gaining the highest part of it saw the little schooner riding safely at anchor.

A gun being fired all became life and expectation on board the vessel; and whilst the boat pulled ashore we searched for our letters.
These had however not yet been deposited at the spot indicated, and I therefore conjectured that we should find them on board.
On reaching the vessel we learnt that the mate was gone to the Beagle, now lying in Port George the Fourth but expected to sail this very day.
It appeared that at 7 o'clock on the morning of the 8th the report of four carronades was heard on board the schooner; this was conjectured by all to denote the presence of the Beagle on the coast, but the echo ran from cliff to cliff with so many reverberations that none could tell from what direction the sound had originally proceeded.

The silence of the night was not again disturbed; and those on board the schooner felt no small solicitude to know if their conjectures were correct, and if so in what direction the Beagle lay.
ARRIVAL OF THE BEAGLE.
The next morning the mystery was cleared up.