Captain Gardiner had left England in the autumn of 1850, with Dr Williams, a surgeon, who went forth as a catechist; Mr Maidment, who held the same office; Erwin, a carpenter; and three Cornish fishermen, named Badcock, Bryant, and Pearce.  The _Ocean Queen_, the ship in which they took their passage, proceeded on her passage to the Pacific, after landing them at Banner Cove in Picton Island, which will be found near the entrance of Beagle Channel, about half way between the Straits of Le Maire and Cape Horn.  They had with them two large boats, called the _Pioneer_ and _Speedwell_, and two small punts, with tents and stores; but their supply of provisions appears to have been very scanty. Scarcely had they pitched their tents when the natives collected in considerable numbers, and threatened to attack them.  To avoid collision, they ultimately took to their boats, intending to seek another spot where they might form their station.  They put to sea; but in going out of the harbour the _Speedwell_, under charge of Dr Williams, got entangled among the rocks, and was nearly lost.  All hands on board suffered much.  Captain Gardiner had in the meantime found Bloomfield Harbour, which he thought would suit them, but during his cruise had lost the punts he had in tow.  He at last returned to Banner Cove; but on sailing again his boat got on shore.  Then it was discovered that all their powder had been left on board the ship, and so they had no means of killing the wild-fowl on which they depended chiefly for their support.  Some of their provisions they buried here as a reserve.  Again they put to sea; but their boats, which they clearly had not strength to manage, were beached on their way to Bloomfield Harbour.  After a fortnight's delay, they got afloat and sailed on to a spot about forty miles along that iron-bound coast, called Spaniards' Harbour, which, after much consultation, they agreed would be the fittest place for their location.  Here they arrived at the end of January 1851; but the _Pioneer_ was driven on shore, and irretrievably wrecked.  So they collected what stores they could save, and dragged them into a cave near the spot--her remains being hauled up on the beach.  Dr Williams, meantime, carried the _Speedwell_ further up the harbour, and anchored her there.  Disasters followed them.  A tide higher than usual washed into the cave, and swept away a large portion of their stores; then a hut they had built under the rook caught fire; and Captain Gardiner barely escaped with his life; lastly, scurvy broke out.  Their provisions were running very short, so they sailed back to Banner Cove, to procure those they had left there.  The provisions were found; but the scanty store could only last them a few months.  They seemed to have a foreboding of the fate which awaited them.  On conspicuous places on the rocks they wrote in large letters, "Go to Spaniards' Harbour.  Hasten! hasten!  We are suffering from sickness--we are nearly starving!"  Words of the same signification were written on paper, and buried in bottles where they might most likely be found.