Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

March 1828. santa lucia — madre de digs. 157 which proved to be that (Beagle Island) of which Lieut. Sky- ring and I took the bearing last year, when we were on the summit of Cape Victory. " Northward of Cape Victory the land forms a deep bight, of which Cape Santa Lucia is the north-eastern headland. The coast in the interval is exceedingly rugged and mountainous. Cape Santa Lucia may be distinguished by a portion of flat table-land, about one-third of the altitude of the mountain from which it proceeds, and terminating at its outer face with a pei-pendicular precipice. " The coast between Capes Isabel and Santa Lucia is dan- gerous to approach nearer than ten miles, for there are within that distance many sunken rocks, on which the sea only occa- sionally breaks. Some of these breakers were seen to seaward of us, as we proceeded along the coast, at the distance of five or six miles. When off Santa Lucia, whales were very numer- ous around us. " The general aspect of this portion of the coast is similar to that of the most dreary parts of the Magalhaenic regions : bare, rugged, rocky, and mountainous, intersected by inlets, and bordered by islets, rocks, and breakers. " The information we possessed respecting the prevalent winds on this coast was very scanty ; yet, since all we could procure represented them as prevailing from the northward and north-westward, I considered it advisable to take advantage of the present southerly wind to proceed to the northern part of the coast assigned for our survey, instead of stopping to explore the bight between Cape Isabel and Cape Santa Lucia. " From the bearings at sunset,* we ran along the land with bright moonlight, sounding every hour ; and at daylight were about ten miles from the Island of Madre de Dies. " We closed the land and proceeded to the northward, keep- ing at a distance of about three miles off shore, sounding * Beagle Island N. 71°. E., Cape Isabel N. 32°. E., a remarkable moun- tain in the bight between Cape Santa Lucia and Cape Isabel N. 11°. W. Cape Santa Lucia N. 33°. W. ; distance off shore three leagues ; and soundings fifty fathoms, sandy bottom.